Apple Springs looks to boost test scores

By Tony Farkas

APPLE SPRINGS — STARR test scores for the Apple Springs ISD were higher than the state average, but could be better.

The ASISD Board of Trustees discussed the results at its regular meeting on July 8.

Superintendent Cody Moree said that the district’s overall scores were lower than normal, but on par or slightly better than the state averages. He said that the math scores were exceptionally good.

However, he said that the results, coming off a year where education was interrupted because of the pandemic, should not have been used.

“My opinion is that none of the state's scores should have been published this year,” he said. “If anything, they should have only been used as diagnostic information moving forward.”

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Moree said the district’s mitigation plan for the future is comprehensive, and includes an emphasis on curricular vertical alignment, longer instructional periods in core subjects, a district-wide reading and writing initiative and the hiring of a dedicated instructional interventionist.  

In a separate matter, only students commented on the school receiving grant funding during a public hearing held during the board meeting.

ASISD is scheduled to receive $808,000 in ESSER III and $363,000 in ESSER II funding, Moree said. The bulk will be used for instructional personnel, technology and student services

“It is important to remember that the life of these grants is spread out over more than three years,” he said. “During that time frame, we will dedicate at least 20 percent to direct student learning loss mitigation. We will also focus on student and staff mental and emotional health.”

A small portion will be reserved to make our infrastructure less prone to virus transmission, he said.

In other business, the board:

• changed the date of the August meeting to Aug. 19;
• discussed setting a date for a public hearing into the school’s tax rate. Moree said the district budget looks to be in good shape for the coming year, and he anticipates no changes in the tax rate; and
• set a date to open the annual bids for goods and services for 1 p.m. Aug. 19.