STARKVILLE — School officials Monday heard an update on the success of one semester of studio school at both Oktibbeha County high schools in a meeting where they also began the process of putting the district”s policies online.
The board allowed studio schools to be offered for the academic year 2008-09. Studio schools are created to address the issue of dropouts and are designed to interest students who have failed grades and have shown no desire to even attend school.
In the report, representatives said the one-semester program offered at both schools succeeded in moving several at-risk students from being at high risk of dropping out to average or below average risk. Students were engaged in the learning process because the studio school concept has students researching and completing projects of their choosing that allow instructors to bring in a wide variety of topics and skills they need to learn about and master.
Darwin Petris, a teacher at West Oktibbeha County High School and an instructor in the studio school, said the program is working effectively with the targeted students.
“We want to keep the process going for another year,” Petris said. “This is something we really need to hold on to.”
Kay Brocato, an associate professor at Mississippi State University, who introduced this program to the schools, said the group is seeking funding to continue and expand the program. They asked the board to continue their support of the program at last year”s levels. The board took no action on the issue, but seemed in favor of the studio school concept and the report.
In other matters:
n Superintendent James Covington told the board he and the board”s attorney will attend Maben”s aldermen meeting Tuesday night to discuss with them the status of the old O.L. Wicks Elementary School building that the district deeded to the city. The building has not been used as originally envisioned, and school officials are meeting with the city to develop a plan of action for the future.
n Covington told the board the district does not have a budget yet for the 2009-2010 school year because the state Legislature has not allocated state funding. He called a special meeting for June 22 to handle budget matters, assuming the state has given figures to school districts.
“We”re playing with numbers now, but it”s kind of like Monopoly money,” Covington said.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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