District addresses AYP shorfall, hands out honors
By MARIDEE LAWSON
Thursday, October 22, 2009 9:56 AM CDT
The Farmington R-7 Board of Education met Tuesday evening for their regular monthly meeting. They honored a retiree, recognized a Blue Ribbon school, went over the first quarter budget and enrollment, and approved the Farmington High School drum line to attend a national convention in Indianapolis.
Interim Superintendent Jerome Watson recognized Martin Crites, who is retiring at the end of October. Crites went to the Doe Run School through 11th grade, transferring to Farmington for his senior year. He was one of the first transfers following the consolidation to graduate from Farmington High School. He later worked a variety of technology jobs during his military career and then began as a janitor for the school district around 1995. Shortly afterward, Farmington added another technology position and Crites accepted the job and has been there ever since.
Also, school board members recognized Principal Angie Winch and Washington-Franklin School for their recent Blue Ribbon achievement. Four Washington-Franklin staff members and Assistant Superintendant Jeff Williams will attend a meeting in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 3 to receive the award.
In order to be awarded the Blue Ribbon designation a school has to be a Gold Star school and be in the top eight for the elementary level in the state. To be in the top eight in the state you have to maintain AYP for three consecutive years.
And during the meeting, Truman Kindergarten Principal Barb Guiley delivered the Heartland Hero award to Samantha English. The volunteer is chairman for Parent Teacher Group, or PTG, and a mother of four. She likes to work in the background and stay behind the scenes, Guiley said. She added that it’s nice to call English and say I have a project for you and she always accepts it.
Guiley then delivered the Featured Teacher award to Rosemary Stearns. The educator has been with the Farmington School District for 15 years and began with home based education. She works in early childhood education now and drives from Perryville to be a part of the Farmington school district. Guiley added that Stearns is always “knee-to-knee and eyeball-to-eyeball” so they all stay on task and do their work.
Finance Director Don Eaton presented the board with the first quarter budget figures for the district. Farmington has an over all deficit of revenues over expenditures in the amount of $1,893,376. The first quarter budget adjustments result in a net decrease in the district’s budgetary position of $83,508 increasing the deficit to $1,976,884 as of Sept. 30. The operating funds budget deficit is now $621,338. Budgeted deficits for debt services funds and construction funds are $209,127 and $1,146,419.
The board approved the first quarter budget.
The district’s enrollment is 3,762 so far this year. It is up 76 students from last year, about 120 students greater than the past five years on average and 150 students greater than the count in September of 2004.
Assistant Superintendant Jeff Williams presented the school board with recommendations to send to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a result of not meeting the AYP requirements in Communications Arts for the second year in a row. The school district has to submit a plan to show what they are doing to fix the problem.
The five goals for improvement are:
• Develop and enhance quality educational/instructional programs to improve performance and enable students to meet their career goals, personal and academic goals;
• Recruit, attract, develop and retain highly qualified staff to carry out the district mission, goals, and objectives;
• Provide and maintain appropriate instructional resources, support services and functional and safe facilities;
• Promote, facilitate and enhance parent, student and community involvement in district educational programs;
• Govern the district in an efficient and effective manner providing leadership and representation to benefit students, staff and patrons of the district.
They district has already sent a letter home to parents informing them of the improvements the school plans to make and the specific reasons they failed the AYP.
Board members also approved a request made by the Lincoln Intermediate music teacher and FHS percussion supervisor to take nine students to the P.A.S.L.C. National Convention in Indianapolis, Ind.
The instructor said that this would be a trip of a lifetime for the students. They will be able to ask questions and see top bands perform.
The board also approved the option to look for another maintenance vehicle to replace an existing one. Williams presented the board with an option to possibly purchase two vehicles for $10,000 or less. The board approved for Williams to pursue the possibility to purchase the vehicles to best meet the needs of the district.
The next school board meeting will be Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. at the board building.
Interim Superintendent Jerome Watson recognized Martin Crites, who is retiring at the end of October. Crites went to the Doe Run School through 11th grade, transferring to Farmington for his senior year. He was one of the first transfers following the consolidation to graduate from Farmington High School. He later worked a variety of technology jobs during his military career and then began as a janitor for the school district around 1995. Shortly afterward, Farmington added another technology position and Crites accepted the job and has been there ever since.
Also, school board members recognized Principal Angie Winch and Washington-Franklin School for their recent Blue Ribbon achievement. Four Washington-Franklin staff members and Assistant Superintendant Jeff Williams will attend a meeting in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 3 to receive the award.
In order to be awarded the Blue Ribbon designation a school has to be a Gold Star school and be in the top eight for the elementary level in the state. To be in the top eight in the state you have to maintain AYP for three consecutive years.
And during the meeting, Truman Kindergarten Principal Barb Guiley delivered the Heartland Hero award to Samantha English. The volunteer is chairman for Parent Teacher Group, or PTG, and a mother of four. She likes to work in the background and stay behind the scenes, Guiley said. She added that it’s nice to call English and say I have a project for you and she always accepts it.
Guiley then delivered the Featured Teacher award to Rosemary Stearns. The educator has been with the Farmington School District for 15 years and began with home based education. She works in early childhood education now and drives from Perryville to be a part of the Farmington school district. Guiley added that Stearns is always “knee-to-knee and eyeball-to-eyeball” so they all stay on task and do their work.
Finance Director Don Eaton presented the board with the first quarter budget figures for the district. Farmington has an over all deficit of revenues over expenditures in the amount of $1,893,376. The first quarter budget adjustments result in a net decrease in the district’s budgetary position of $83,508 increasing the deficit to $1,976,884 as of Sept. 30. The operating funds budget deficit is now $621,338. Budgeted deficits for debt services funds and construction funds are $209,127 and $1,146,419.
The board approved the first quarter budget.
The district’s enrollment is 3,762 so far this year. It is up 76 students from last year, about 120 students greater than the past five years on average and 150 students greater than the count in September of 2004.
Assistant Superintendant Jeff Williams presented the school board with recommendations to send to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a result of not meeting the AYP requirements in Communications Arts for the second year in a row. The school district has to submit a plan to show what they are doing to fix the problem.
The five goals for improvement are:
• Develop and enhance quality educational/instructional programs to improve performance and enable students to meet their career goals, personal and academic goals;
• Recruit, attract, develop and retain highly qualified staff to carry out the district mission, goals, and objectives;
• Provide and maintain appropriate instructional resources, support services and functional and safe facilities;
• Promote, facilitate and enhance parent, student and community involvement in district educational programs;
• Govern the district in an efficient and effective manner providing leadership and representation to benefit students, staff and patrons of the district.
They district has already sent a letter home to parents informing them of the improvements the school plans to make and the specific reasons they failed the AYP.
Board members also approved a request made by the Lincoln Intermediate music teacher and FHS percussion supervisor to take nine students to the P.A.S.L.C. National Convention in Indianapolis, Ind.
The instructor said that this would be a trip of a lifetime for the students. They will be able to ask questions and see top bands perform.
The board also approved the option to look for another maintenance vehicle to replace an existing one. Williams presented the board with an option to possibly purchase two vehicles for $10,000 or less. The board approved for Williams to pursue the possibility to purchase the vehicles to best meet the needs of the district.
The next school board meeting will be Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. at the board building.
More Headlines: Where Was It? | School given Blue Ribbon Award
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