The Mount Ida School Board held their annual report to the public Monday, October 13, before their monthly meeting.
The meeting opened with the district’s mission statement and goals.
The mission of Mount Ida Public Schools is to engage students in advancing their own learning through a process of instructional strategies that establish pride, respect, involvement, and dedication to an education that prepares for their success in the future.
Our vision is to provide a secure learning environment for all students and staff.
District Goals:
Provide a safe learning environment for staff and students
Provide curriculum and data driven instruction
Strengthen relations between home and school with better communication
Continue to update our technology infrastructure
Improve ACT Aspire Reading Scores
Make student attendance a priority in the District
Continue to educate students during the COVID Pandemic.
Average Daily Membership (ADM) was reported as 440 students with 95% attendance, and the district spent $11,304.23 per pupil for educational purposes in 2019-2020. The legal balance for the end of 2019-2020 was $847,125.40. This amount represents the district, state, and local obligation to carry over a percentage of the district’s budget for emergencies and to cover shortfalls in case of serious economic times and/or a decrease in student population. As of October 1, 2020, the district enrollment was 447 students, and the poverty rate for the district, based on the number of students who qualify for free/reduced meals, translates to 70.4 percent of the student population.
Ninety-one (91) percent of the licensed staff employed at Mount Ida School District is certified in their subject areas. The appropriate waiver has been granted for staff members not fully certified and letters have been sent to parents to notify them that the teacher is working toward certification. Sixty-nine (69) percent of the faculty holds a Master’s Degree and thirty-one (31) percent have a Bachelor’s Degree. The beginning teacher salary for a BSE is $34,000 and a MSE is $38,550.
Bobby Barrett Elementary School reports their present enrollment is 233 students in grades K-6 with 77 percent eligible for free and reduced meals. There are 200 students Onsite/Traditional Learning and 32 Virtual/Remote Learning.
It was reported that K-6 is continuing to strive for gains in Reading this year. Their reading ACT Aspire (18-19) scores were 48 percent with a goal of 50 percent. They stated that they will strive for 55-60 percent for this school year and a goal of reversing the numbers to 75 percent on grade level reading in six years. The reading program, Wonders, is in year three and they continue to use Saxon for their phonics instruction. They are also working toward becoming a R.I.S.E. School. Our goal is to have all teachers trained in the State Reading Initiative. Currently, all have received training except three new hires. They purchased the Winsor Sonday Program to use with small and medium groups of Dyslexic intervention to use with groups with fidelity. They are also using the Windsor Sonday and Barton with Tier II groups for Reading Remediation. Imagination Library is being funded through Federal Funds for all PreK students to receive a book a month until age 5. They reported that they are striving to close the gap on the reading below grade level.
High School administration reported a daily average attendance of 95 percent. Their present enrollment is 214 students in grades 7-12 with 63 percent eligible for free and reduced meals.
Class curriculums include:
Math curriculum: 7th and 8th grade textbook- Kendall Hunt 2nd edition. Algebra One, two and Geometry use textbook- Holt/McDougal/Larson.
English curriculum: 7th, 8th, 9th grade use Glencoe Language Arts workbook, Glencoe Literature Arkansas Edition- The Reader’s Choice, Glencoe Writer’s Choice Grammar and Composition Textbook, Glencoe Literature The Reader’s Choice Course 3 Textbook. All of the English teachers assign various short stories as well as at least one library book per nine weeks. The English teachers use Renaissance Star Reading as well.
Science curriculum: 7th and 8th grade-Text book- Integrated Science by McGraw Hill Education. Physical Science textbook is by Pearson 2011. Biology textbook is Pearson and Prentice Hall. Chemistry is by Pearson 2017.
Social Studies curriculum: Arkansas History- Gibbs Smith The Arkansas Journey; Civics-Holt Civics in Practice Principals of Government and economics; US Government- McGraw Hill United States Government; World Geography-McGraw Hill Discovering World Geography; Economics-Glencoe McGraw-Hill; US History-The American Vision Glencoe; World History-Glencoe. All teachers use the Arkansas Standards.
An enrichment period has been added to the schedule. They have also added a reading interventionist that is available during the enrichment period. All teachers use IXL as a tool for remediation and enrichment. IXL can also be used to prepare students for the ACT, and because it is web-based, can be used at home.
A federal funding report was given. This year the district received:
Title I: $204,450.51 an increase of $17,577.99 from last year
Title II-A: $24,999.21 a decrease of $740.50 from last year
Title IV: $13,696.03 an increase of $185.33 from last year
Title V (REAP-SRSA-): $23,243.00 an increase of $2,109.00 from last year
State categorical funding received:
ESA/formerly NSL (Enhanced Student Achievement): $337,371.00
Professional Development: $15,834.00
ALE: $49,030.00
The District will be adding additional Chromebooks and laptops, and technology supplies such as headphones to continue students for 1:1 computing. The district will purchase additional web-based programs that assist in reinforcing skills in math, language arts, social studies, and science. Additional math and science supplies (calculators and manipulatives, extra science equipment) and supplemental reading and social studies supplies (interactive maps, class book sets, guided reading books, etc.) will be purchased as needed.
Funds are included for supplies and materials for Parental Engagement activities, and to supply needed items for district students if identified as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act.
The district offers after school tutoring in Math and Literacy at the elementary and an enrichment period for students needing extra practice and ACT prep during the day at the high school. State and federal funds pay for six teacher’s aides, two full-time counselors, a full-time registered nurse, a Federal Programs coordinator, a Reading Interventionist, and a full-time resource officer to help bridge- the- gap between our student populations.
Reports on school health and wellness, as well as gifted and talented programs were presented.
At the conclusion of the annual report to the public the school board entered their regular session.
The began the regular meeting with approval of last meeting’s minutes and the financial statement.
After the principal’s reports the board approved the transfers of two students to Western Yell County.
Superintendent Mike White reported on changes in rules and requirements for indoor athletic venues per the Arkansas Activities Association’s response to COVID-19.
With no other business the meeting was adjourned.
