South Range school district earns high marks on state report card
NORTH LIMA — The South Range Local School District has again earned high marks from the state.
Superintendent Dennis Dunham told the board of education Monday the district has passed 29 of 30 indicators on the state report card, earning an “excellent” rating.
The one area that needs improvement on achievement test scores is in eighth-grade social studies. Dunham said the benchmark is a 75 percent passing rate. The district scored 62 percent in the 2006-07 school year and 72 percent last year.
Some changes to the curriculum will be implemented to increase performance in that area, Dunham said.
The report shows the district improved in 14 areas altogether and had slight percentage drops in eight others.
“We have never been anything less than excellent,” Dunham said, explaining the district has received that designation each year in the 10 or so years since the state implemented the report cards. “We couldn’t be more pleased.”
In other news, the district received a letter July 11 from Home Savings saying that due to the current economy and downturn in the housing sector, it will no longer service checking, savings, money market and other accounts for public entities.
Treasurer Jim Phillips said he was given one month to close the district’s checking and payroll accounts. He said he had heard from another local school treasurer that this was going to happen and that his “antenna went up.”
Phillips said he withdrew the district’s money the next day.
The board authorized Phillips to execute an agreement with Farmer’s National Bank to take over the district’s accounts. Home Savings is handling the next two paydays and will be able to accommodate those with direct deposit.
Phillips is working with Farmer’s to see if direct deposit can be up and running for the second payday in August.
Lastly, the board heard a report from Dana Strizzi, project manager with Hammond Construction, who said bids for the K-12 building will be advertised in August.
By the end of the year, Strizzi said, underground storm sewers should be in place, along with a geothermal well system, concrete curbs and asphalt.
The project is expected to wrap up in August 2010, with three separate areas for the high school, junior high and elementary school. The buildings will sit on 60 acres along state Route 46 and Green Beaver Road in Beaver Township. The Green Beaver Baseball Complex is on the property now.