Monticello Live

Monticello School District’s board members met August 21 to discuss a variety of topics regarding the district’s three branches.

The Monticello High School Principle Jim Lucas presented the district data analysis on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility. According to the Department of Education, this act provides “flexibility regarding requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001in exchange for state-developed plans to improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, increase equity and improve the quality of instruction.”

Article by Caleb Burger

The major changes that Lucas focused on included the replacement of NCLB 100 percent proficient rating with ambitious but achievable goals, elimination of adequate yearly progress status labels, establishing groups of all students and targeted achievement gap group (TAGG), and establishing new classifications for schools.

Lucas said, “We’re an achieving school in math, not in literacy.” He also said the high school ranked as Needs Improvement Focus, which consists of schools with the largest, persistent gaps between non-TAGG and TAGG students. 

The targeted achievement gap group contains at risk students due to economic disadvantages, English learner status and students with disabilities. Focusing on this group will help close the achievement gap between it and the all students group.

The revised goals to help achieve this obstacle and become an Achieving school included reducing the gaps between proficiency, growth and graduation rates by half by 2016-2017 and differentiate the annual manageable objectives (AMO). The goals also included focusing on literacy, mathematics and graduation AMOs and utilizing flexibility to redirect resources to serve students with greatest needs.

Lucas said the State is more likely to come in and tell them what to do regarding their academics depending on their rating. As of 2012, the school needs improvement in percent tested, graduation rate and literacy; the school ranks as an achieving school in math.

The board also discussed the updated facility report of 2012. As of right now 82 percent of the projects are completed. The projects in progress include the sport facilities’ softball bleacher canopy and the rubberized floor in the Junior High weight room. The air conditioning in the gym of Monticello Elementary School and Monticello Intermediate School are currently in waiting.

Future projects for 2013-2014 includes work on the middle school roof, renovation of middle school and high school restrooms and HVAC project at the high school gym.

Superintendent Bobby Harper presented the board with an increase in adult meal prices in the district. Harper said the school must remain in federal guidelines that puts adult meal prices at $3.10. The board passed the recommendation raising the price of breakfast from $1.55 to $1.85 and lunch from $2.75 to $3.25.

Harper also recommended the district allow children twelve and under into sporting events on a district employee pass. He said this would help relieve financial burden on staff that want to support their school and students but also have kids to bring with them. The only problem pointed out pertains to possible adverse effects on the athletic budget. Regardless, the recommendation passed through the board.

The next Monticello School District board meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 18 at the Monticello Central Administration office at 5:30 p.m.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012 at 7:25 am and is filed under Monticello School News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.