On Monday evening the Board of Education recognized Elizabeth Skantz and Carsten Gottfredsen-Kromke, both Case High School students, for earning top honors on the National German Exam. Elizabeth and Carsten both earned Silver awards placing them in the top 20 percent of German students in the nation.

The National German Exam is administered by the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG). The test measures a student's ability in reading and understanding German texts and video and audio clips. It is given to students all across the nation on many different ability levels.

Elizabeth took the level 4 test and Carsten took the level 3 test. Both students took home the Silver Award, the second highest award offered by the AATG.

Elizabeth Skantz and Carsten Gottfredsen-Kromke stand with Superintendent Dr. Lolli Haws and Board President Dennis Wiser.

The 2014-15 MAP winter results show positive steps forward for RUSD students. During the last two years, data shows RUSD students have consistently made small gains in math. In reading, the data shows a significant jump since winter 2013.

On Monday evening, Jacquelyn Moga, executive director of assessment and accountability for elementary, shared with the Board the new MAP mid-year results. Moga explained that this year all grade levels have increased the percentage of students at or above the national average from fall to winter in reading.

Data also shows a reduced overall gap in reading between RUSD students and the national average at all grade levels, except eighth grade, where the gap remained the same as in fall.

"We are grade by grade by grade trying to push that number up to hit the national average," said Dr. Lolli Haws. "We're doing a lot of work to make that happen and these results are promising."

Four out of the eight grade levels that took the MAP test have an increased percent from last year at this time to the same time this year. First grade demonstrated the most growth. Moga credited that data to intense work in the first grade including Fundations.

Moga also pointed out that the achievement gap is closing for African American students in reading and it is also closing for Hispanic students and students with disabilities in both reading and math. The mid-year results show African American students had a higher average point growth in grades 2, 4, 5 and 6 in math.

Moga did point out some areas that need improvement. While the math achievement gap is closing, it is closing much slower than in reading, she said. Also, the percent of students at or above the national average in math in middle school grades has decreased.

Moga explained plans in place to get those results up, including goal setting with students in grades K-8 and having teachers proctor and engage in the assessment. [Read more]

On Monday evening, the Board voted 4-3 not to approve a 5-year, $228,000 partnership with Thoughtexchange to develop a local, District-specific open-ended community engagement process to seek public input. [Read more]

On Monday, the Board voted to place Mondo Summer School curriculum in all K-6 classrooms. This new curriculum would include support read alouds, shared and guided reading and oral language instruction with summer specific leveled readers and other visual supports. Professional development would also be included. [Read more]

On Monday, the Board of Education approved the refinancing of a $9.2 million note at an interest rate of 1.976 percent. 

In 2013, the Racine Unified School District entered into performance contracts with Trane and Johnson Controls to implement projects designed to upgrade the RUSD learning environment, reduce operational costs, install energy efficiency systems and upgrade critical infrastructure which is beyond useful life.
 

As part of the performance contracts, the Board approved the borrowing of $9.2 million to complete some of that work which was done this past summer at many RUSD schools. 

Payments will be made for from the anticipated savings from energy and operating efficiencies that are expected due to the work that was done. [Read more]

On Monday, the Board approved the initial resolution that authorizes a general obligation bond. This is the first step to allow the Board to borrow funds to repair and rebuild schools as planned with referendum dollars. The amount of the borrowing was based on the anticipated school replacement and addition projects, and possible accelerated major maintenance projects. The amount is not to exceed $50,000,000.

Chief Operations Officer David Hazen explained to the Board that this means that the Board is putting the public on notice that they are looking to borrow the money. A public hearing on this subject will be held on March 30 at 6:30 p.m.

The funds used to repay these notes will be from the referendum. [Read more]

Approval of Ten-Year Facilities Plan

On Monday, the Board of Education approved the creation of Fund 46. A new state law allows school districts to create Fund 46 to set aside funds to use for major capital improvements. This fund needs to be established by action of the school Board and must abide by the following criteria:

• The district has a board approved 10-year facility plan (see above)
• The dollars transferred into the fund are used for projects described in the plan
• Dollars are held in the fund for a minimum of five years before expensing

"Creating this fund will allow us to allocate money for future planned projects," said Chief Operations Officer David Hazen.

The District will use Fund 46 to fund future major maintenance and building projects. Funding that is placed into Fund 46 will come from District funds and referendum funds and allow for the management of future property tax levels. [Read more] 

On Monday evening, the Board of Education approved Riley Construction for construction management services for the Gifford school project with collaboration from Bukacek Construction, the Knapp School project and the Olympia Brown School project.

As part of their work, Riley Construction will provide preliminary plans and budget for the replacement of Knapp and Olympia Brown elementary schools and an addition to Gifford elementary to create a K-8 school; and, with Board approval of the projects, to continue as construction manager.

As part of the contract, Riley Construction will have a local participation goal of 50 percent of labor hours, 20 percent ethnic minority labor hours and 10 percent ethnic minority contractors with a monthly reporting by the construction manager on these goals.

A selection committee was created that included principals, ASC staff, Local 152 representatives and community members from the Facilities Advisory Council. This committee recommended Riley Construction for this project. [Read more]