Hall looks at attendance issue

SPRING VALLEY — Attendance continues to be a problem for students at Hall High School. The administrative staff continues to look for ways to combat this growing issue.

Principals Eric Bryant and Angie Carpenter explained to the board many new ideas have been implemented. Parents are notified each time their child is not in attendance. Students receive Saturday detentions for unexcused absences.

Even with these steps, average daily attendance is continuing to drop. The main concern for the administrative staff is they see a direct correlation between attendance and grades. Students need to be in school.

On a positive note, student discipline referrals have dropped 13 percent since last year.

Carpenter provided the board with the Explore Test results. This test checks for progress in the areas of reading, math and science. This same test is given to students in eighth grade, the beginning of freshman year, and at the end of freshman year. The tests provide the staff with valuable information.

In other business, the board unanimously approved renewing the employee dental care and life insurance at a 1 percent increase.

Superintendent Mike Struna provided information to the board on the budget for furniture, fixtures and equipment in the new building. Struna has spent a considerable amount of time looking through the classrooms in the current building to find furniture that can be taken to the new building. By keeping furniture, Struna has been able to reduce the budget by $125,414 which then can be used for technology improvements.

A school salvage company will be contacted to help sell items that are not needed in the new school building.

Struna shared with the board an idea concerning bricks from the current Hall High School. Bricks will be salvaged during demolition. Interested parties will be able to purchase a numbered, commemorative brick which will have a picture of the current school with the years 11/9/1914 to 5/12/2014 inscribed on it.

In other business:

• State Farm agent Cody Burroughs presented the board with a check in the amount of $25,000 for the Celebrate My Drive Contest.

• The board recognized Illinois State Scholars Hayley Cessna, Josephine Wales, Lindsey Choate, Alberto Baldonado, Luke Lee Brown and Tyler Pullman.

• Tony Orlandi of Leopardo Construction gave the monthly construction update. The project is currently working within its budget and time parameters. Orlandi said that the design team met on Monday to finalize color schemes.

• The board authorized Struna to schedule a joint board of education meeting with the Spring Valley Elementary District. Ladd, Dalzell, Hall and Spring Valley Elementary will be included in this meeting.

• There are 115 freshmen expected to be registered for next school year. This is a significant jump from current enrollment.

The next meeting will be Feb. 18 in the library.

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