Statistics

Superintendent Baker assembled some statistics for a recent presentation. In spite of the gloom and doom surrounding school finances, not all our statistics are gloomy. In fact, there is much of which to be proud.
Our district rating determined by the State of Ohio has gone from “Academic Watch” in the 1996-97 school year to “Effective” in the 2006-07 year. There is a rating of “Excellent” which of course is the goal for all of our schools.
The High School graduation rate has improved considerably over time. From 89.6% in 1997-98 to 97% for the current year. Though strangely, our lowest rate was just two years ago at 88.3%. With that exception, the record shows we are trending upward.
Another measure applied by the State of Ohio is the percentage of Academic Standards met based on testing. The 2001-02 year yielded a 68% rate. The following year was the first year that Special Education scores were integrated into the formula for calculation. Our rate fell to 41%. However, we have trended upward since that year to the present 83% rate.
Our scores are now higher, including special education scores than before special education scores were included in the formula. It is telling also to note that our scores are the highest in the county and that we have the highest percentage of special needs and at-risk students.
These upward trending numbers are encouraging and speak well to the many positive things going on in the district and the accomplishments of the staff. One might think of them as productivity enhancements. We keep getting better even as the rules of the game change.
The challenges to this upward trend come from the other side of the equation, the input to the system.
The percentage of economically disadvantaged students was at a low in the 1999-00 year at 10.5%.The trend of this statistic has been upward with only one exception to the present 35.0% rate this year.
A further challenge is the increase in students with learning disabilities. From a low of 10.4% in the 1998-99 year, the overall trend is upward to the present 19.3%. Just last year the number went from 15.2% to 19.3%. We are experiencing ever more students with special needs.
The overall alarming trend is student enrollment in the K-12 system. From a peak of 5,712 in the 1970-71 school year the trend has been downward without an intervening up tick to the present 2,937 students in the year just completed. This is reflective of the population trend in the southeastern Ohio area. We are an aging population with fewer children of school age.
For those feeling the crunch of $4 gasoline prices, you might be interested to know your school system is experiencing the same pains at the pump. Our average daily travel for the bus fleet is 1,836 miles, or roughly a trip to Tampa, Florida and back. That travel burns 261 gallons of fuel each day and the total fuel cost this year is projected to top $200,000 versus the 2001 cost of ‘just’ $92,153.
One final note, the June 30 year end shows our carryover balance to be about $2,485,346. This is just two hundredths of a percent lower than last year which was the highest carryover in ten years.
This carryover gives us a bit of breathing room to pay the bills and make sure the paychecks cash until the next receipt of income to the bank account. This also permits us to spend a bit more than we take in until we can find additional savings or increased income or a combination of the two.