| From
the Superintendent
Second semester of school year 2012-2013 is here. The time has gone by quickly. This communication is intended to brief parents, patrons and students to the state of our public school district in restructuring, course offerings, student performance, legislative action and budget, enrollment, attendance data, and appreciation for your school support. Our three year plan to restructure our school district is complete. We moved Kindergarten through second into our elementary annex fall 2012-2013 school year. With the Federal Forest Fund (most recently called Secure Rural Schools) our district has restructured and remodeled our facilities to house Kindergarten through Sixth grades in our Elementary School and Seventh through Twelfth in our Junior-Senior High School. Our previous kindergarten and elementary school buildings are for sale. The gymnasium attached to the previous elementary is being used heavily by our school and community. Tournaments, wrestling practice, cheerleading practice, peewee girls and boys basketball are activities held in this gymnasium. Region II Professional Technical Academy uses one classroom to offer skills training in the spring and the other classroom is a dressing room for various activities. Our junior high students continue to take advantage of advanced offerings that are available in the junior-senior high school. Currently a number of students in 8th grade are taking Algebra and English I as is a 7th grade student. These opportunities are made available for junior high students as their teachers are certificated secondary teachers 6-12. This allows students to receive high school credit while still in junior high. These opportunities are made available as our junior high students are housed in the lower floor of our junior-senior high school and can take face to face courses from the high school staff. Our high school students continue to take advantage of Dual Credit opportunities, IDLA and the many Professional Technical courses offered in our high school. We continue to provide opportunities for students in the medical field with the Region II Professional Technical Academy. School year 2012-2013 enrollment data shows an increase in students throughout the state. Our most recent numbers show an enrollment of 254 students and last year at this time the enrollment numbers were at 238. Courses in the Academy include Fundamentals of Health, Medical Terminology, Certified Nurse Assistant, Physical Therapy Aide, Health Unit Clerk and Pharmacy Technician. These courses are taught online with the exception of the skills piece needed for nursing assistant certification. Forty hours of hands on training is provided in regional skills labs. Students from Prairie High School are using the classroom in the old elementary gym and St. Mary’s Hospital for their skills training. With the legislature currently in session, we wait patiently for decisions on our funding for salaries and discretionary dollars. This information is necessary to determine the amount of our supplemental levy. Predicting our enrollment from year to year has become a bit of a challenge. District Data (September 30 data) School Year 2010-2011: Graduated 41 School year 2011-2012: Kindergarten enrollment 19 (minus 22), Graduated 36 School year 2012-2013: Kindergarten enrollment 34 (minus 2), Graduate 46 School year 2013-2014: Projected Kindergarten enrollment 34 (minus 12) Open enrollment for 2012-2013 total 34 students from outside districts (increase of 8 students from 2011-2012) School attendance is critical to funding; when students miss school, the district loses money. We continue to stress the importance of attending school on a regular basis. Classroom conversations, homework and teacher direction provide a student with what it takes to understand and comprehend material. A financial piece to this puzzle resides in attendance data. A unit is worth approximately $87,000. At the elementary level 19 students make up a unit and at the high school level a unit is 13.5 students. Support for an elementary student is around $4,702 and a secondary student at $7,456. Per day student figures based on 173 days of attendance $27.18 and $43.00 respectively. Elementary example First reporting period (45 days), Grades 1-6, 163 students, Perfect attendance=$199,365 Elementary example First reporting period (45 days), Grades 1-6, 163 students, 94.2% attendance=$187,802 Secondary example First reporting period (45 days), Grades 7-12, 211 students, Perfect attendance=$408,285 Secondary example First reporting period (45 days), Grades 7-12, 211 students, 96.5%= $393,995 We will continue to work with students and all staff to make Cottonwood School District the best school district in the state. Our facilities are scheduled daily with after school activities whether it be boy and girl scouts in the cafeteria, Safe and Drug Free gatherings after ball games, Anti Bullying activities for youth through the Kindness Rocks Group, PeeWee basketball and volleyball, Junior-High and High School practices, community volleyball and basketball activities, Hunter Safety for youth and adults, drama and music productions..... Our facilities are being used on a regular basis. I appreciate all those that are in charge of these activities as your care and concern keep our facilities in great shape. Visit our website at www.sd242.k12.id.us and check out our gymnasium and cafeteria activities. For questions or a tour of our facilities, please contact the District office. Thank you, Rene’ Forsmann, Superintendent |
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