Elementary students surpassed math learning goals despite pandemic

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Students at Farmin-Stidwell Elementary surpassed growth expectations in math despite challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, principal Erik Olson told the Lake Pend Oreille School Board Tuesday at the district meeting.

The school had implemented new procedures to close historic learning gaps, he said, which students at Farmin-Stidwell, and those across the state, struggled with when it comes to mathematics.

Nationwide, only around 50-60% of students meet or exceed their projected math goal, he said.

The school had set a goal for 57.4% of students to meet or exceed their projected math goal. The winter measures of academic progress (MAP) tests revealed that 61.5% of students at the school had done this.

Although that might not seem high to a layperson, the progress was a significant improvement, Olson said — especially when accounting for the challenges brought on by the pandemic.

One silver lining to the pandemic, he said, is that teachers are able to spend more one-on-one time with their cohorted students.

“I think part of the big reason for what we’re seeing is teachers have the time to build relationships with their kids,” Olson said.

The school also had 19 students who missed their projected growth goals by one point, he said, and one sixth grader improved by 39 points. 114 students grew by at least 10 points, Olson said, and 95% of students saw some growth.

“As a principal, I couldn’t be happier,” he said. “The credit goes to our staff and our students.”

The board also discussed future growth within the district, and how more students may eventually necessitate an additional school within the next decade.

Currently, the board does not need to consider any construction bond or facility levy, said Superintendent Tom Albertson. However, as Idaho is one of the fastest-growing states in the country, the district will want to monitor growth closely.

Albertson also noted that while no action was being taken, the district had recently paid off the last remaining debt for previous district buildings.

Trustee Cary Kelly said he supported looking into locations sooner rather than later to avoid running into problems of overcrowding or unsafe facilities down the line.

“We know we’re going to be there in 10 years or five years,” he said.

Finding property with the required acreage could also take time, as the district doesn’t have any large pieces of property not currently utilized for buildings already. Many experts recommend 25 acres for middle schools and 45 for high schools, he said, but realistically the district would probably look at closer to 13-20 acres for a middle school in the community.

Kelly asked if it would be possible for the school to buy such a property without asking voters to fund it, which Albertson said the district would need to consult CFO Lisa Hals to determine.

The board also heard a presentation by Mary Jensen, administrator for the Forrest Bird Charter School, which is run through the district.

The school managed to stay in the black with its funding despite a 5% holdback of state funds for the 2020-2021 school year.

That’s in large part thanks to a temporary ruling by the state board of education last year, Jensen said, which changed school funding models from being based on average daily attendance to enrollment. The question of whether that rule will remain will be determined by the state legislature.

Jensen also reported that roughly two-thirds of the school’s staff have opted to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Around Thanksgiving last year the school had to switch to online learning after eight out of 36 instructors tested positive for COVID-19.

Within the district, COVID-19 rates are continuing to decline, Albertson reported, with a seven-day moving average of 30.6 cases per 100,000 and a percent positivity rate of 8.6% as of Feb. 6.

According to a district survey, 387 LPOSD staff had expressed interest in the vaccine.

“I do know the first wave of teachers [who got vaccinated] have had their second shot,” said Chair Geraldine Lewis.