By John Schaaf
As Perry County citizens we take a lot of pride in our community. We like to think that our local organizations and institutions are well run and efficient in the services that they provide.
But our school system has been on a decade long decline.
Academic achievement and scholastic rankings have declined to the point that our school now ranks 401 of 516 public school systems in the state of Missouri. (Show-Institute: www.moschoolrankings.org
) Other school districts in the area do quite well, but we have arrived at such a low point that aggressive action is required. I believe that core subjects , ie, reading and math are critical.
The January 2023 STAR assessment of reading literacy and comprehension for our primary and elementary students shows that over half of all students are not performing proficiently for their grade level. Since reading comprehension and literacy are essential for further learning in middle and high school, this failure to read at grade level must be rectified.
The 2022 Annual Performance Review by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education was just recently released. It paints a very sobering picture of where we are relative to our peers. We come in well below the state norm. While Ste. Genevieve, Jackson, and Farmington all exceed the state average.
I believe that our community has been very supportive of our school district. A recent bond issue has provided funding for new buildings and infrastructure. Tax reassessments have meant an influx of additional funds to the school district. So now, I believe is the time for this school board and administration to step it up and provide the best education we can for our students-our future leaders. This will require a focused, collaborative effort on the part of many people to bring up our standards, and scores up to something that we can be proud of.
A vibrant and academically successful school system is essential to the future growth and prosperity of our community. Please consider where we are as a school system and where we want to be. If we expect things to get better, changes are required. We cannot continue to do the same things that have gotten us to 401 of 516 school districts in the state.
Please join me and help with a new vision, a new direction, and a system recognized for its persute of excellence!
I ask for your vote and your support on the April 4th ballot for Perry County District 32 Board of Education. Please help us make our school system another example of the great institutions we have and the great things we do here in Perry County.
Thanks
John