Bernie board hears MAP test results, reviews cell phone policy

Noreen Hyslop photo Bernie High School Principal Scott Mercer addressed the board of education during Monday night's meeting, explaining the results of the district's 2008 MAP tests.

"If you will recall," he explained, "in 2004 we were told by Missouri's Commissioner of Education that the time would come for every school district in the state when they would find themselves not meeting the expected level of proficiency as mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law."

Mercer presented the results in the areas of Communication Arts and Math for grades three through eleven in a powerpoint presentation that clearly outlined not only the level of proficiency of Bernie as compared to levels of proficiency statewide, but also showed the progression of Bernie's scores in the two subject areas over the past three years. While the district's collective scores were high enough to meet this year's AYP goal, two subgroups of the student population did not reach that goal. Therefore, Mercer explained, the entire district in considered to have issed AYP.

Explaining the detriments of "sub-grouping" students in categories of free and reduced lunch branches and students whose instructional day is partially or totally governed by the utilization of an Individual Education Plan (IEP), Mercer explained to board members that the NCLB law, as administrators across the state have continually voiced since the law's inception, "is not a feasible plan."

"We were told from the start that eventually, we would not meet AYP, as all districts within the state would also do and our day is here."

Under the mandates of NCLB, school districts are required to consistently improve upon proficiency in each subject area, with that proficient expectancy annually climbing toward the 100 percent goal, an unrealistic theory by any administrator's standards, according to Mercer and having been voiced as well by other Stoddard County administrators.

"I am continually proud of our teachers and our students," Mercer told the board. "I see continual improvement and I see our staff working incredibly hard and our students striving, and that's what it's all about."

Mercer added while presenting the board with next year's goals, "You can see that by next year, we will be expected to reach 59.2 percent in communication arts and 54.1 percent in math, and I can tell you that looking at our numbers, we have never scored in the 50s (to indicate over 50 percent of the school body being proficient or advanced in the subject area while taking into account all special need students and all subgroups), so I can tell you that I am not counting on reaching those numbers next year and I see no point in sugar-coating it. We're not going to meet these goals and neither are the majority of school districts in the state."

Elementary Principal Tommie Ellenburg interjected, "What we're looking at is changing our math series to adapt to these expectations, and we're always looking at things to get our students to be the best that they can be and while we may never meet 100 percent proficiency or 'advanced,' we just want our students to be the best that they can be."

"Do you think that maybe we should lower our standards?" asked board member Kevin Burris, to which Supt. Ritchie replied, "No, I don't think that we should ever lower our standards."

"We have known for years that this day would come. We were warned in 2004 that the day would come when we would not meet AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress as defined within the No Child Left Behind law). We've all made an excellent effort, but today's our day," Mercer concluded.

The Bernie board also heard last night from Don Collins, a CPA with the firm of Robertson, Scherer & Collins. LLP, who presented the district's annual audit report.

Addressing the board with regard to the district's record keeping, Collins stated, "You are very fortunate to have Becky (Becky Freed, district bookkeeping and board secretary) and Robin (Supt. Robin Ritchie) who do an outstanding job. I audit nine school districts and I would say that Bernie and one other are on top and that's a great place to be."

Collins went on to explain the district's expenditures, transactions and balances and in the end, he credited the district with doing an "awesome" job for the 2007-08 school year. He also explained to board members that in accordance with state regulations, his firm delves into the district's attendance and transportation records, but that other factors are selected at random for accuracy as his company performs an audit of the district. Collins noted that all areas were in excellent shape and that the district continues to do an exceptional job in reporting and recording transactions.

The district's cell phone use policy was reviewed and Mercer reported that since its inception at the start of the current school year, very few discipline actions had to be taken with regard to cell phone use.

"In talking with the staff, I believe we've taken the right course with this policy and I commend the students and the staff in its enforcement."

Bernie's policy states that, "Cell phones are not permitted to be carried 'on your person' (i.e. pockets, jackets, purses, bags, etc.) at anytime on school property during the instruction day," with punishment for the first offense being after school detention, and the second offense resulting in Saturday school and finally the third offense resulting in a student being sent to the Alternative School in Bloomfield.

Further business called for the approval of securing an educational law firm for the current school year. The approval of sticking with the firm of Mickes, Goldman, O'Toole, LLC, out of St. Louis, met with objection from board member Kevin Burris at the August board meeting and the subject was tabled until last night, pending investigation by Supt. Ritchie with regard to costs of other attorneys in the state.

The board reviewed three law firms (including Mickes) who specialize in educational law. The list included another firm in St. Louis who charged from $200-245 per hour for services, and a third whose charges began at $200 per hour. In the end, the board voted unanimously to stay with the Mickes firm, whose charges were $190 per hour.

"The Mickes firm has been elected 'School Attorney of the Year' for the past three years," said Supt. Robin Ritchie, adding, "Mickes has been a teacher, an administrator, a superintendent and a board member and he has the experience," she confirmed.

Board members then voted to retain members of the Mickes firm as their legal representatives.

A heated argument ensued between board member and administration following the approval of program evaluations when board member Kevin Burris brought up the issue of Bernie students being required to pay for extra milk at lunchtime.

Although the subject did not appear on last night's agenda, Burris brought up the issue of this year's change in procedure within Bernie's lunchroom that requires a student who desires a second half-pint of milk to have to pay for the milk on site.

Until this year, it was explained, students who desired a second milk with their provided lunch could approach the lunch clerk with their lunch card (a device similar to a credit card to be scanned) and the process would take place to add the cost of the second milk on to the student's lunch balance.

"The problem with that practice," explained Ritchie, "was that the procedure entailed keystrokes on the part of the lunch attendant that resulted in the students being considerably held up in line and limiting their time to sit and enjoy their lunch. We made the change that entailed students paying their quarter in line in order to allow them time to sit down and eat their lunch. The way we were doing it was holding up the lines and this system seems to be working. We have not had an issue with the new procedure."

Elementary Principal Tommie Ellenburg concurred, saying, "It's very much like it was when we were back in school. The children deposit their quarter for an extra milk and it just prevents us holding up the line by having to get into that student's account on the computer."

"To me," Ritchie stated, "the benefits of the expediency in getting the students through the line and allowing them time to enjoy their lunch outweigh the negatives. Any time that you have change, you're going to have some opposition, but I've really heard no opposition to this policy."

Burris responded stating, "Well, I've had several parents not like this."

"How many," Ritchie inquired, "out of 350?"

"Eight or nine," Burris said.

"Well, it's working really well," Ritchie again attempted to explain, "since we don't have to hold up the line."

Board member Keith Snider chimed in on the issue, stating, "That's just not right. I'm going to bring a hundred-dollar bill up here tomorrow and I'm going to put it in that lunch line and I want them kids to have milk."

"They have milk," Ellenburg attested, "And even before, they got charged for it; it's just that now, they have to pay for that extra milk when they get it.

"Do not punish the kid because the parent can't pay," stressed Snider, to which Ellenburg replied, "And we don't. We give a lunch to every student, regardless of the ability to pay."

While Ellenburg, Ritchie, and Mercer continued to plea their cases with regard to each Bernie student being provided a full lunch which includes milk, regardless of the ability to pay, Snider and Burris pursued the issue, with Snider emphasizing, "Why did we have to change the policy?"

"Because we were having problems getting all of the students through the line," Ritchie offered, "and giving them enough time to eat."

Mercer added, "What's the purpose of allowing the students to get an extra milk if they don't have the time to sit down and drink it?"

The comment seemed to serve as the bottom line of the controversy, but when Ritchie asked if they wished for the subject to be included on October's agenda, the majority of members agreed that it should be.

Board members also:

* approved an October trip by FBLA members to Branson, where they will spend the day at Silver Dollar City and meet with national FBLA officials to discuss the organization's annual goals.

* reviewed and approved the district's financial statement and

* reviewed program evaluations.