Summer school, finances and the program reports highlighted the Trenton R-9 Board of Education meeting on Tuesday night.
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Summer school, finances and the program reports highlighted the Trenton R-9 Board of Education meeting on Tuesday night.
Superintendent Craig Noah presented information about a program that would allow the district?s summer school program to be operated by a private firm at little or no cost to the district.
Newton Learning, a division of the Edison Schools, has been authorized for up to $25 million to operate summer school programs in Missouri. Now in its fifth year, the company provides curriculum (developed by the local school district) and materials for students in grades kindergarten through 12 as well as training for those teachers and administrators from the R-9 District who choose to work as part of the summer school program. All materials would then be kept by the school district at the end of the program.
Classes are operated for 24 days, with students in the classroom seven hours each day. Noah said the program is very structured, with pre- and post-testing done to measure the improvement of the students. He said the company has had success in several other schools in which it has operated, including Princeton, Milan and Carrollton.
One of the advantages of using the program, Noah said, is that the company offers incentives for children to attend summer school, including large monetary rewards for those who have perfect attendance or who miss just one day. This, Noah said, helps increase the number of students who attend the program, which in turn increases the student numbers which are used by the state to determine state aid.
The company pays all the bills for the program, with the district assuming the cost of the food service as well as half of the transportation costs. Dennis Gutshall, who is in charge of the district?s food service, said the district can be reimbursed for the food costs, which he feels can lead to a break-even situation for the district.
Noah said that depending on the numbers, the district could actually make money on the summer school program and, at the very least, operate it on a break-even basis. The board asked for more information, which will be presented for its consideration at the December meeting.
The board heard information concerning the district?s financial condition and had one board member request a list of $500,000 of cuts be presented for review at the January board meeting (see sidebar).
There were several program reports presented by school officials, including information regarding At-Risk students, guidance and counseling, A-Plus and the media centers. Highlights of those reports include:
At-Risk – Sara Gibson talked about what the district is doing to identify those at-risk students and efforts to ensure those students remain in school. She said those numbers have increased while the options for assistance have decreased due to cuts in the district budget. She said that some staff members have assisted with this effort, but that more time and personnel would be helpful.
Guidance and Counseling – Kay Moore, Jamie Oram and Dorothy Allnutt each spoke about their programs at the high school, middle school and elementary school respectively. Each told about the programs in which they are involved, including testing, counseling and classroom visits. Again it was noted cuts in the budget have resulted in a change in the time that had previously been allotted for these duties because of other assignments they have undertaken.
A-Plus – Dennis Gutshall 230 students in grades nine through 12 are enrolled in the A-Plus program, which represents around 60 percent of the student body. Since the institution of the program, 219 THS graduates have met the requirements of the program, with around 70 percent of those actually using it. He said the R-9 program is meeting all the requirements for redesignation, however, schools are being told that A-Plus monies will become tighter and that the money the state pays for fees may be in jeopardy. The state has already dropped the payment for books.
Media Centers – Susan Ward and Mary Peterson told about activities in their media centers at the elementary and middle/high schools. Mrs. Peterson said the board will need to look at replacement of the electronic circulation system, which is over 10 years old. She noted the vendor has dissolved the company that was providing technical support, leaving the district with little assistance. She said replacement should be considered within the next five years.
Director of Supportive Services George Moore outlined the next steps concerning replacement of the tennis courts at the high school. The board set Jan. 30 as the deadline to receive bids, which will be let sometime in mid to late December. Moore said the district is looking at replacing the surface with concrete, although asphalt bids could be competitive. As part of the work, the fencing will be replaced and drainage problems will be corrected.
In other business, the board:
? certified results of the Prop C Tax Rollback Waiver election on Nov. 4.
? appointed Denise Hamilton as the board representative to the Welfare Committee and heard that the committee is considering changes to the certified staff salary schedule.
? was told the Insurance Committee would meet next week to decide whether or not to recommend bidding health insurance or staying with the same company.
? was given an outline by Noah concerning the district?s designation as a financially-stressed school and the paperwork that has been filed to meet the state requirement.
? heard updates on the district’s CSIP Plan and approved it as amended. The updates were done based upon recommendations received during the district’s MSIP review last February.
? was told that classes would be held Jan. 19 to make up for the day missed on Nov. 3 due to the funeral of Carolyn McAtee.
? recognized Daniel Stokes, Allyson Walker, Jenna Hudson and Brett Stevens as THS Students of the Quarter (see separate story).
During an executive session held after the regular meeting, the board accepted the retirement of Special Education Director Louise Reasoner, effective at the end of her contract year on June 15, 2004. Abbye Michael was hired as a special education paraprofessional at the high school, filling the vacancy created by the death of Mrs. McAtee. Melinda Campbell of Galt was employed as a special education paraprofessional at the middle school, replacing Vanessa Hamilton, who resigned. Debbra Pope of Chillicothe was employed as the music accompanist for the district and will begin her duties when classes resume in January.