USD 383 Board of Education

Oct. 6, 2010
Kathy Dzewaltowski, observer

Regular meeting:
Dr. Bob Seymour, Assoc. Supt., reported that the official enrollment count for the 2010-11 school year was a net increase of 140 students.

The board received a report on iQ Academy, which is the district's online virtual school. Enrollment has doubled since the program began in 2007, and there are currently 259 full-time students and 180-190 part-time students. Virtual students take state assessments, and Nancy Knopp expressed concerns about how virtual students' scores affect the district's adequate yearly progress and its drop-out rates. If a student is enrolled through a partner school, his/her scores stay with the partner school and don't affect USD 383.

The board also received a report on 2010 summer programs. Due to budget constraints, the district had offered reduced summer education options for 2010. The district had offered driver's education, credit recovery programs, and programs for special education students. A total of 348 students had participated in summer programs. Ninth graders with insufficient credits to advance to 10th grade were required to attend to keep them on track to graduate with their class. Board members were interested in making the same requirements for struggling 10th and 11th graders and wanted to continue to offer the credit recovery program in the summer.

Dr. Seymour presented to the board a proposed timeline for redrawing school boundaries, which will be necessary when the construction projects are completed. The proposal recommended forming a redistricting committee in the fall of 2011 that would work on redrawing boundary lines, the board would finalize the new boundaries in the spring of 2012, and the changes would go into effect with the beginning of the 2012-13 school year.

The board reviewed the district's policy for accepting out-of-district students. This year, USD 383 started later than surrounding districts, so out-of-district families who were hoping to transfer into USD 383 didn't find out if they had been accepted until after their resident school district had already started. Administration did not recommend making a change to the current policy. Board members suggested giving priority to out-of-district students who are the children of district employees.