Pettisville School Board Reviews Levy Information At Meeting

The Pettisville School Board met for a brief meeting Monday, Dec. 10, spending most of the time reviewing information.

Board members reviewed the official results of the successful levy campaign. The results showed that the 1% income tax levy passed with a 63.5% positive vote. They also reviewed an expense report that showed the levy committee spent a total of $517.95 to support the levy campaign.

Board members noted the Pettisville faculty and staff contributed about 90% of the costs of the campaign through individual donations and through a $200 donation from the Pettisville Teachers Association.

Conferences

Parent attendance figures from the parent-teacher conferences held in November showed varying results. Jason Waldvogel, elementary principal, said that the elementary conferences had a 96.7% attendance rate.

Michael Lane, high school principal, said that the high school conference attendance was the lowest since he came to Pettisville more than five years ago.

He credited the low attendance to parents being comfortable with the web grader system that allows them to track their children's academic performance online.

Lane also said 41 students enrolled in Anatomy & Physiology went on a field trip to the Detroit Science Center to see the "Our Body: The Universe Within" exhibit and the IMAX film "The Human Body."

Lane told the board that the field trip was very well-received by the students.

Reading Test

Board members also reviewed results from the fall administra- tion of the third grade Reading Achievement Test.

Results showed 78.9% of the 38 students who took the tests were rated proficient or above. Waldvogel said the test will be given again in the spring.

All students will have the opportunity to raise their scores.

In organizational matters, the board voted to hold its 2008 organizational meeting on Monday, Jan. 14, prior to the regularly scheduled board meeting.

Board members discussed the need to hold a January work session related to the proposed building project.

They did not set a firm date and place for that meeting.

Board members also voted to increase the maximum number of meetings for which board members could be reimbursed. Currently board members are limited to 13 meetings annually.

The change will allow a maximum of 24 meetings a year and will take effect in 2010.

The amount of the stipend board members receive will remain at $20 per meeting, a figure that is among the lowest in the area, according to Steve Switzer, Pettisville superintendent. - D.J. Neuenschwander