Good-Bye, Eight Block Schedule
By Mike Scott
The Clark County R-1 school board had some big items on the agenda Thursday night, April 10, and nearly 100 people attended the meeting, filling the middle school library.
CCR-1 high school students will say farewell to the eight-block schedule at the end of the current school year. At the Thursday, April 10 meeting, the CCR-1 board gave its unanimous consent to the change at the request of high school principal Jason Harper.
“Successful teams don’t practice every other day, and successful business people don’t go to work every other day,” Harper stated.
Under the current schedule, students have four 90-minute periods every day, with most classes meeting every other day. With the new schedule, students will meet daily for eight 45 minute periods.
“We are introducing and reinforcing skills every day,” said Harper.
Students should have more instruction time and have more electives under the 8-period day, and it will make it easier to share staff between the high school and middle school if they are on the same schedule.
“We have to make a decision as to what is best for our kids,” CCR-1 Supt. Ritchie Kracht said.
The meeting started with the reorganization of the board following Tuesday’s elections. Newcomers Kevin Ross and Brad Sprague, as well as returning member Kristy Lovell were sworn in.
Bill Schutte was elected the new board president, and Kristy Lovell will be vice president. Carmen Arnold will remain treasurer, and Martha Ewart will remain board secretary.
The first action of the new board was to recognize Running Fox Elementary students, whose 4th grade topped the state MAP score in math with 93.3% of Running Fox 4th graders scoring in the Advanced and Proficient levels on the MAP test, while the state average was only 45.3%.
“We are very proud of them,” said Running Fox Principal Julie Brotherton. “They have worked so very hard. It’s great to be able to honor them for academic accomplishments.”
Supt. Ritchie Kracht reported that the district’s ADA, or average daily attendance, improved to 839 in March, up 21 from February. The year to date average is 851.
“Five years ago that number was 1051, said Kracht. Every point of ADA equals about $2800 in state aid to the district.
Many of those in attendance wanted to voice their opinion about the board’s March 31 decision not to renew Lady Indian basketball coach Phil Klett’s basketball contract. Klett remains as both a teacher and assistant football coach.
Those who wanted to speak were allowed to address the board one by one, in closed session. Others were allowed to write comments to the board, which were also read in closed session.
The board listened to the comments, and took no action on the matter.
The district also expects to improve it elementary curriculum across the district.
Julie Brotherton was named Elementary Principal, and will oversee operations in both elementary building.
“We will hire an assistant principal, who will also work with both buildings. This way, we can be sure that what a student is learning at Black Hawk will be the same at Running Fox,” Kracht said.
In other business, the board:
–Accepted the resignations of Danial Boatman and Jaryt Hunziker. Boatman is taking a position in Columbia, and Hunziker is taking a position at Scotland County.
