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StumbleuponDayton school board pledges to make improvements
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
DAYTON — The Dayton Board of Education on Tuesday unanimously pledged to improve student achievement and hold down costs in exchange for passage of a levy in November.
The "Contract with the Community," guarantees that Dayton Public Schools will be held accountable and work to meet tangible goals with the passage of Issue 52.
Issue 52, a 4.9-mill continuing operating levy on the Nov. 4 ballot, would generate just under $9.3 million a year to meet the district's educational needs, according to Dayton school officials.
"We're hoping to build confidence in the community in what we want to accomplish" with the 4.9-mill continuing operating levy on the Nov. 4 ballot, said Interim Superintendent Kurt T. Stanic.
The contract is the result of a six-month study of operations and instructional programs in collaboration with the Community Leadership Committee, comprised of Dayton's business leaders.
With the passage of the levy, Dayton Schools agrees to:
- Increase state test scores annually, reach the midpoint of Ohio's large urban districts and meet current "Continuous Improvement" standards by 2012, with 80 percent pass rates on achievement tests by 2015.
- Limit spending and cut expenses where possible, so that within three years, general fund per-pupil expenses will be at or below the midpoint of Ohio's big eight districts.
- Will appoint an independent Accountability Panel of business, community and educational leaders, which will include the mayor or designee. The panel will meet quarterly, review progress, and report to the community the district's performance on academic and financial results. The board will appoint the Accountability Panel by Dec. 31 and convene it by March 1, 2009.
- The superintendent, with participation by the Accountability Panel, will develop detailed indicators for the panel on academic progress and cost control that can visually display progress and be widely understood by citizens. Dayton Schools will share the panel's reports through community presentations, at Dayton Board of Education meetings and on the Dayton Schools Web site.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2419 or dlarsen@DaytonDailyNews.com.
