Students top priority with new year
<p>New backpacks, lunch bags and carefully-chosen clothes marked the first day of school for students at Valley View Elementary on Tuesday as they hopped off buses or entered with their parents. On Sept. 9, Valley View Elementary is holding their Back to School Night and Open House at 6 p.m.</p>
BONNERS FERRY — “Our kids are worth whatever it takes”, a quote by Spence Rogers, is the new motto for the Boundary County School District trustees.
With the school year beginning, the board covered a broad spectrum of topics at the Aug. 22 board meeting.
The board earlier approved the hiring of two math teachers, Josh Sherven and Mike Keating, at Bonners Ferry High School to ensure math was well-covered.
Students can take math classes through calculus.
Supt. Richard Conley announced that BFHS students who took the ACT scored higher than the state average.
Valley View Elementary Principal Gary Pflueger proudly reported Valley View is now a 4-Star school, after receiving a 3-Star rating last year.
The students increased their scores across the board. In every category except for one (fourth grade math), more students are in the advanced category than the proficient category, said Pflueger.
BFHS retained its 4-Star rating and Boundary County Middle School retained its 3-Star rating.
Mount Hall Elementary and Naples Elementary dropped from a 4-Star rating to a 3-Star rating.
The drops are partially attributed to the growth model used to calculate the ratings. If a school started with higher scores the first year, it is more challenging to show significant enough of an increase to earn the growth points, said curriculum director Robin Merrifield.
As of the board meeting on Aug. 22, enrollment at Valley View Elementary was down 25 students from last year.
Mt. Hall Elementary principal Jim Nash is juggling full classrooms and is having to send students to Valley View because of full classes.
Both the kindergarten and third grade class have 29 students each. Naples Elementary will have two combo classes, second/third and third/fourth, because of low enrollment in third grade.
Students will be learning new math techniques, from third grade through middle school, that focus on a hands-on approach versus rote memorization and makes math more exciting, said David Miles II, BCMS Principal.
A major difference for students this year is testing.
Students in grades 3-8 and 11th grade will be taking the SBAC (Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium) field test this spring.
The ISAT will not be administered in the spring. Students who need to pass the ISAT for graduation requirements will take the test this fall.
More information on testing will be provided as the Idaho State Department of Education works on the transition.