Cambridge school board learns enrollment up

    School board members learned the current enrollment for the 2011-12 school year at the Cambridge Elementary School is 310, up nine students from last year, during their regular meeting Thursday, Aug. 18. The high school enrollment is 131, up from the 126 last year and the junior high enrollment is slightly down, 65, from 70 last year.

    Karin Brink, school board member, reported on the Henry/Stark Special Education meeting. She said a speech pathologist resigned and a contract for an occupational therapist and a speech pathologist was renewed.

    Breanna Leander, a school board member, reported on the Cambridge Academic Foundation meeting.

    “They are updating the informational booklet,” she said.    

    She reported a donation was made to the music department from the Jazz Night receipts.

    Shelly Logston, Cambridge Elementary School principal, said the school district has 56 prekindergarten students. In the past years, they had 40 students.

    “This is due to our blended prekindergarten program that is new this school year,” she said. “We have five students who attend from Galva.”

    Logston noted that the teachers are just beginning to work on the new Reading Street language arts series. A few teams will attend the October school board meeting and show the board members the new series.

    Logston reported that Unpack Your BookBag was a huge success.

    “Families loved it,” she said. “The children seemed at ease with school starting, seeing their classroom and meeting their teacher.”

    Logston noted six seniors are coming over and helping in the classrooms this year.

    It was noted that the After the School Program is in full swing with 25 students enrolled so far.

    Logston had a several students turning in summer reading lists. The top readers will be treated to dinner at County Seat in the near future.

    The school lunch program will be slowly changing throughout the course of the year according to Logston.

    “We will be focusing on health for our students,” she said.

    Logston presented a summary regarding the Bright Beginnings Program which is being revamped due to the lack of state funding. The board gave their approval to continue the program.

    Robert Reagan, Cambridge Jr./Sr. High School principal, talked about the junior high and freshman homework club.

    “Students who don’t do their homework will report to the homework room after school or they will sit at the homework lunch table the following day,” he stated.

    Reagan also announced 14 students are in the new web design class with AlWood. Cambridge students take the course live through the video conferencing system in the computer lab.

    “We have an AlWood student taking a co-op course, which is our job readiness course,” Reagan said.

    He talked about the sports programs.

    “High school football numbers are up,” he said. “We will have a varsity and frosh-soph team this year. We have about 31 players. Junior high football numbers are up as well. There are about 40 players.”

    The volleyball team is continuing with a “one book, one team” and decorated a hallway based on this year’s theme. The team members are wearing different colored ribbons on their shoes. These ribbons are to signify the disease that has affected their loved ones. Red is for Lou Gehrig’s disease; yellow, suicide awareness and prevention; white, lung cancer; pink, breast cancer and royal blue, diabetes.

    He reported there are 13 golfers and two seniors on the Ridgewood golf team this year and the cross country team has enough members for a full boys’ team and a full girls’ team.

    Reagan reported Harry Nicodemus, the new high school custodian, has jumped right in and is doing a wonderful job.

    Tom Akers, Cambridge superintendent of schools, presented a summary of the recent district audit.

    “It was a good audit and the school district will receive financial recognition,” he said. “I want to thank everyone for helping with the budget and keeping spending in line so our district could receive this recognization.”

    Akers presented a Power Point on two new Education Reform Acts, Senate Bill 315 and Senate Bill 7. Senate Bill 315-Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) was introduced in an effort in obtain Race to the Top grant.

    “It ties student performance to teacher evaluation,” he said. “We must either implement the ISBE’s  Plan or create our own 180 days after the initial meeting and submit it for ISBE approval. The first evaluation system must be implemented by Sept. 2012.”

    Senate Bill 7 states all newly elected school board members must receive four hours of training in law, finance, accountability and fiduciary oversight.

    “This must be completed by the end of the first year of the first term,” he said. “SB 7 also relates to teacher evaluation and the procedure in which a district pursues a Reduction in Force Process.”

    Steve Evans, school board president, read a letter of resignation from Mary Richter, school board member. The letter of resignation was accepted. Mrs. Richter felt is was time to have the next generation of board members make the decisions. The school board thanked her for many years of service on the board.

    A letter of resignation from John Siebken, head boys’ track coach, effective immediately, was read. It was accepted by the board.

    A letter of resignation from Charlie Brown, assistant football coach, was read. It was accepted.

    Evans read a letter from Kyler Hickenbottom requesting approval for early graduation upon the completion of the first semester of the school year 2011-12. He will have completed all necessary state requirements for graduation at that point. The board approved the request.

    Carrie Boelens was nominated as a school board appointee and later approved as a school board member.

    After a closed session, the school board approved Amy Nelson’s maternity leave through Oct. 31 and extended the contracts of Logston and Reagan through 2016 school year.