North Putnam gets low school grades
BAINBRIDGE -- Although the letter grades were not released at the time, North Putnam superintendent Dan Noel alluded to improvements that needed to be made at the September school board meeting.
On Thursday the grades came out. North Putnam High School was given an A, but the other schools are not doing as well.
Roachdale Elementary (C), North Putnam Middle School (D) and Bainbridge Elementary (D) have significant room to improve.
"We've got work to do, and I think we know it," Noel said. "It's not happening the way it needs to."
Because of the low grades, North Putnam will be assigned a consultant from the state, Sarah Shaffer, who will arrive on Nov. 27.
"We're not going to try to teach to the test, but we are going to find out what we're not good at," Noel said. "We're going to get to where we need to be."
The elementary schools have struggled in standardized testing at the fourth-grade level, partially because of a change in testing format for that grade.
The school is also expected to make financial adjustments going forward.
With a drop in 74 students from last year, state funding will go down and there will be an adjustment from the 2013 budget that was passed on Thursday.
Noel said he would look at a variety of ways to make cuts, including possibly dropping a bus route or two.
"It's going to be a very tight year," he said. "I'm not trying to upset bus drivers, but I have to look at it."
Fewer students could potentially make it possible to remove a bus, but that would also mean cutting a bus driver.
The board did expend some funds.
It agreed to purchase three new school buses, two this year, one in 2013.
Board members also began the process of replacing the Bainbridge Elementary roof.
The high school and Roachdale Elementary have gotten new roofs in recent years.
In other business:
-- The school purchased the old Bainbridge police car for $1. Noel said the school has been paying too much for transportation and the car will allow it to control expenses.
-- The school continues to investigate improving the audio systems at the high school gymnasium and football field.
-- Stacey Bean will become a full-time assistant treasurer at the main office. She had previously split duties between there and the high school.
-- A number of staffing additions were made: Judy Humbles was hired as a substitute bus driver; Bob Bowman will become a paid assistant boys' basketball coach; Kyle Adams and James Hendrick will be volunteer assistants; Bryce Bow will serve as a personal trainer for the team on Oct. 25 and Nov. 11. Ashley Schopp will be the eighth-grade girls' coach and varsity assistant; Don Simpson will be the seventh-grade boys' coach; Lonnie Lawhorn and John Allen will be a volunteer assistants for boys' middle school; Kelly Colvin and Jenny Hays will be FFA livestock judging coaches; Heather Poynter and Kristy Straziscar will assist them; Tammy Watson (cafeteria aide) and Andre Williams (winter guard director) resigned; Rachel Pierce has been hired as an assistant band director.