Fairborn Schools
David Scarberry
The school year is in full swing. Fairborn’s all-day kindergarten started last week. Fairborn’s All-Day Kindergarten provides our students with the very best academic and social start to their school futures. Hough and Bryde (1996) looked at student achievement data for 511 children enrolled in half-day and all-day kindergarten programs in 25 classrooms. Children in the all-day programs scored higher on the achievement test than those in half-day programs on every item tested. Fairborn’s kindergarten students are following this exciting trend and a significant percentage is reading and writing above grade level upon entry to first grade. We will continue to support our All-Day Kindergarten program because it is truly the best educational start for our youth.
Fairborn continues to look at all areas of operations to maintain cost controls. The cost per pupil in Fairborn makes Fairborn an excellent educational choice. The average per pupil cost for this local sample is $10,340. Fairborn is $748 less than these local school districts. Fairborn also has cut worker’s compensation costs every year from 2004 ($469,401) to 2009 ($281,936). We continue to look at all areas of operations to provide the best education while maintaining cost controls.
Fairborn is very proud to have received an effective rating on the Ohio Department of Education report card. We will continue to focus on the academic achievement of every child in the district. We will be using data from assessments to improve and enhance instruction. What happens every day in the classroom is the most important part of the school day, and we will continue to focus on data-driven instruction for our students.
The Fairborn community supports technology in the classroom, and we know that our students are using technology every day in their personal lives with cell phones, texting and computers. Fairborn Primary School and Fairborn Intermediate School both have thin client computer labs and ENO boards. We are working on upgrading and integrating technology in every classroom. ENO technology enables teachers to use Microsoft, PowerPoint or a web browser to interact with students.
Read Naturally and Study Island computer programs are tied to the Ohio Academic Content standards and help students at Fairborn Primary, Fairborn Intermediate and Baker Middle School in the core areas of reading and math. I also encourage parents to use ProgressBook to help their children at home. Parents can access assignments and grades via ProgressBook by visiting the FCS website at www.fairborn.k12.oh.us and click on “ProgressBook.”
This week is the “Goodwill Drive to Victory” for Fairborn and Troy. A Goodwill truck will be parked in the back parking lot at Fairborn High School for the week. I encourage the community to take part in this annual event and support the Skyhawks. Fairborn High School is competing with Troy High School to see which school can collect the most donations this week.
I want to extend a warm welcome to the following new staff members. Welcome John Gorretta, Julie Turner, Anne Noble, Lori Anne Lawson, Ashten Hurley, Jenna Horlacher, Marlene Fulkerson, Bethany Ozinga, Katherine Gast, Micah Harding, James Sparling, Lewis Van Ausdle, Kyle Cox, Laura Salisbury, Kristen Coletta, Jessica Hignite, Carrie Mellon, Christopher Patton and Irene Earl.
I want to congratulate Laura Meder and Bev Stambaugh with the “Superintendent’s Award” for outstanding service to our school community. Meder organized and staffed “Safety City” this summer after cuts would have eliminated this program, and Stambaugh worked with her church to collect school supplies for more than 400 Fairborn children.
David Scarberry is superintendent of the Fairborn City Schools.