Published: June 18, 2008 09:41 am            

Kids are reading at Locust Grove

Locust Grove Public School Superintendent Dave Cash is pleased with the number of students using the libraries. During the June 9 school board meeting, Cash gave the board an overview of library usage at the school.

At the high school 3,814 books were checked out during the last school year. A total of 2,552 laptops were checked out. Middle school students were busy as well. The middle school checked out 22,033 books for an average of 71.07 books per student.

“That’s really good. They did a great job,” said Cash.

At the elementary level, students are also showing their love of reading. Upper Elementary students checked out 42,008 book for an average of 88 books per

student.

“We have a total of 4,890 books. So each book went out an average of 10 times,” Cash said.

The Early Learning center students, grades pre-K through first grade, checked out 12,059 books. Cash said the results he has seen are a huge improvement since he began at the school in 2004. Cash said he visited all of the libraries on March 1, 2004. When he got to the Early Learning Center library he said it was afternoon and only 20 books had been checked out.

“Our librarians have really stepped it up to get our kids interested in reading,” said Cash.

The board also received preliminary results of the third through eighth grade test results. Cash said although he can not release the results yet, “they’re really good.” The final results are expected in a few weeks.

Lee and Linda Shipley addressed the board on flooding of a housing area east of the new dome gymnasium. Cash said the couple voiced concerns the dome may be causing flooding. Cash said he feels it is not the dome but other reasons that may be causing the flooding.

First, Cash feels the property is lower than the housing so it could not cause the drainage. He said the town has recently paved a road east of the property and that is causing some drainage issues. Cash and Mayor Shawn Bates have been working out a solution to the

problem.

Large tin horns may need to be installed to help with the flow of water. Cash said during a recent rain he went to see first hand where the water is coming from and flowing to. He said the current tin horns are working at capacity but only 50 percent of the water was making its way through the tin horns. He said the other 50 percent seemed to be heading north. Cash said there is a tin horn on a road built by the school that is too small to accommodate all of the water if the town makes adjustments. So the school is prepared to replace its current tin horns to help fix the problem.

“We’re going to shoot it. We want to do what’s right," said Cash.

In other school business, the board accepted the resignations of fourth grade teacher Ann Phillips, band instructor Justin Frazier and Diana Braden, a teacher’s aid and Spanish interpreter.

The board voted to hire Lois Elaine VanBrunt as a cook. VanBrunt was a substitute cook but has now taken a full time position. Clay Davis was hired as the head baseball coach, fast-pitch softball coach and high school social studies teacher.

The board approved worker’s compensation insurance with the Oklahoma School Assurance Group for the 2008-2009 school year. Cash said the cost of the insurance has gone down by $3,000. The board also approved property, liability and vehicle insurance with Oklahoma School Insurance Group for the 2008-2009 school year. Cash said the insurance has gone down by $7,000 but after adding the $13,000 insurance policy for the dome, the school’s total insurance plan has gone up by $6,000.

Beth Colvin was approved for an extra month’s salary for the 2007-2008 school year. Colvin is Director of Indian Education and handles Impact Aid.

The board approved re-employment of support personnel. The support salary schedule for 2008-2009 school year was also approved for a step increase. Salaried support employees were also given a three percent pay increase for the 2008-2009 school year.

Membership in the Oklahoma Secondary School Board Association was approved for the 2008-2009 school year.

        

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