Schrop principal reports on student progress

LAKEMORE — The Schrop Intermediate School principal and teachers presented positive news to district officials at the March 15 Springfield Local Schools Board of Education meeting.
Schrop Principal Lisa Vardan reported that although the state did not issue state report cards this year due to reduced testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, schools did receive data. She noted that students at Schrop were at or above expected growth measures in all categories, and they exceeded expectations in the value-added category, which measures how much a child has learned from one year to the next.
Vardan added that students exceeded growth in fifth- and sixth-grade language arts and math. She stated the test results showed students had a growth index of 2 in fifth-grade language arts and math, which she said was “incredible” and a growth index of 10.56 in sixth-grade math, which she said was one of the highest indexes ever seen at Schrop.
“I am very, very proud of the progress our students made, even during the pandemic, and this is due to our teachers,” she said.
Vardan then introduced several members of a social-emotional learning team of teachers helping students with a new program started this school year. The teachers explained the program helps students manage emotions by teaching strategies to deal with them. In addition, some teachers are adding “calming corners” to their classroom and using music and other measures as needed.
Officials stated the weekly program helps students recognize their emotions and provides ways to regulate them. It also helps normalize emotions such as anxiety, anger, frustration and sadness and provides suggestions on how to deal with them, which teachers said make students more ready to learn.
District officials noted the importance and need for such a program, especially in dealing with the impact of the pandemic, and also said the program is having a positive impact on disciplinary problems. They plan to incorporate more time in the school day for the program in the next school year.
In other business, Treasurer Chris Adams reported a new health insurance program is being explored that will provide savings to the district.
He also urged district residents to support the new five-year, 3.9-mill operating levy, which will appear on the May 3 Primary Election ballot.
“There will never be a more reasonable levy as far as the cost,” said Adams. “The need is there … and the kids deserve it.”
In other business, the board approved:
• the release from employment due to financial reasons of 11.5 certified employees, effective the next school year;
• hiring Alexis Henderson as a 4.5-hour bus driver as of Feb. 23 and Jennifer Herron as a 6.5-hour teaching assistant at Schrop as of March 7; and
• the retirement resignation of teacher Holly Reed effective June 1 and the resignation of classified employees Aime Leporis effective Feb. 15 and Robert Lane effective Feb. 17;
A number of board members expressed regrets over the most recent staff cuts.
“It’s always awful trying to figure out the cuts,” said Interim Superintendent William Stauffer.
Also at the meeting, Stauffer announced board member Dave Hofer has received the Ohio School Boards Association’s Service Award, which is part of its STAR program. Stauffer said only 56 school board members out of 3,400 across the state received the award.
The next meeting is set for April 19 at 6 p.m. at Springfield High School and Junior High, located at 1880 Canton Road.