South Adams elementary, middle and high schools have set their goals for the year.
South Adams School Board members approved the schools’ improvement plans at their meeting Tuesday.
The board also had the second public hearing for the 2019 budget.
Elementary school principal Shellie Miller said her focus this year will be on improving students’ math skills in numbers sense and conceptual understanding, along with improving deep thinking in language arts. The elementary school teachers will be visiting other schools for professional development, observing classrooms and the different techniques used.
Middle school students will continue to learn literacy, not only focusing on English, but on math, science and social studies literacy, said middle school principal Jeff Rich. Math classes will have an emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving.
Even as assessments and standardized testing change in the state — this school year, grades three through eight will be taking the ILEARN test instead of ISTEP — it’s still clear what students need to learn.
“We know the assessments will change. However, critical thinking, problem solving and reading comprehension, understanding what you’re reading, you know, does not change,” Rich said. “So we’re working hard in the process of learning, our kids, what do they need, and giving them what they need.”
High school principal Trent Lehman said he wants to improve how the school receives feedback from its stakeholders — its students, parents and teachers. The school will streamline the surveys it gives out, along with possibly conducting focus groups to see how it can improve.
The school will make its curriculum more visible and have copies available for people to read. It will also focus on ways to help at-risk and under-resourced students.
“We have a good percentage of those here at South Adams,” Lehman said. “We’ll be talking about strategies to help with that.”
Board members Arlene Amstutz, John Mann, Landon Patterson, John Buckingham, Mitch Sprunger and Julie Mansfield, absent Amy Orr, also had the second public hearing for the 2019 budget, which is proposed at $16,477,467. The budget for 2018 was certified at $16.33 million by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance.
There was no public comment on the budget, which the board will vote on adopting at a special meeting Oct. 23.
In other business, the board:
•Learned that fall enrollment is at 1,209.39 students. That’s down from 1,223.79 at the same time last year.
•Discussed the results from the spring ISTEP standardized testing. Fifty-nine percent of South Adams students in third through eighth grade passed both the English language arts and math portions of the tests, compared to 50.7 of students percent statewide. For 10th grade students, 42.9 percent of South Adams students passed both, compared to 33.7 percent statewide.
•Heard an update on the number of students involved in high school extracurricular activities. Forty-three percent of female students and 40 percent of male students are on a sports team, 20 students are in marching band, 33 students are in the concert band, 41 students are in the a cappella choir and 52 students are involved in FFA.
•Declared 30 iMac computers, 15 iPads and 30 Samsung Chromebooks as surplus equipment. They will be recycled or sold to other schools.
•Had a final reading for and approved eight revised school policies, including a policy addressing the use of newly acquired metal detectors. Another change was to the field trip policy. Under the new policy, the board will have to approve all trips that take students either out of state or out of the school district overnight, except for trips to competitions that have been earned by individual students, athletic teams or co-curricular groups.
•Approved an agreement with Elevatus Architecture to design the baseball concessions meeting. The cost is $12,500. Superintendent Scott Litwiller said the project is still on track to be sent out for bids at the beginning of November.
•Approved a request from the Berne Bears Baseball Club to use the baseball field once a month now through August. In the event of inclement weather, the club will use the elementary and middle school gyms.
•Appointed Jennifer Ruesser and reappointed Carolyn Fletcher to the Berne Public Library Board. They will serve for four years.
•Accepted the resignation of Nikki Yunker as a special education aide and hired Laurie Craig to replace her.
•Approved FMLA leaves of absence for Alanna Drennen and Dave Vorhees.
•Hired coaches for winter athletics. For wrestling, Jesse Gaskill is the head coach, Robert Loshe and Josh Gaskill are varsity assistants, Loshe is the middle school head coach, Isaac Werst is the middle school assistant coach and Josh Gaskill is a middle school volunteer. Boys basketball head coach is Trent Lehman, Phil Provost is the varsity assistant, Josh Hendrixson is the junior varsity coach, Josh Roby is the freshman coach, Chad Grabau and Jeff Lehman are high school volunteers, Doug Beall is the 8th grade coach and Don Foust is the 7th grade coach. For girls basketball, Brett Freeman is the head coach, Lynn Carroll is the junior varsity coach, Mackenzie Jennings is the seventh grade coach and Trevor Sprunger is a middle school volunteer. For swimming, Andy Lehman is head coach, Tom Neuenschwander and Korinna Schindler are varsity assistants, Jeannine Wurster is a high school volunteer and the middle school swim coach and Alex Habegger is a middle school volunteer. Allison Crider is the head varsity coach for cheer, Kaitlin Litwiller is the assistant coach and Kristin Miller is the middle school cheer coach.
