Lorenz, Perrien provide attendance center update to board
The Red Oak School Board heard an update on its attendance center and course enrollment data.
Superintendent Ron Lorenz said all districts were required to compile, collect, and review the data to ensure there are no gender, racial, or disability segregations, and make corrections if necessary. Lorenz said according to the numbers, there were no concerns.
“We have a relative balance in all of our subgroups, at all grade levels, and or secondary course enrollment. Data doesn’t suggest any discrepancies, so we don’t have any corrective action issues. This was more to allow you to see the number of students that are enrolled in the specific classes,” Lorenz explained.
High school principal Nate Perrien said that the only thing the district needed to be careful of were classes that traditionally were only ones male or female students would enroll in. Lorenz agreed and said some of the college courses were areas to watch.
“Classes like college welding, and industrial safety, in some cases those only have four students enrolled, so it’s hard to say there’s a discrepancy. But every one of those four kids is male, so we do have to be mindful of recruiting, and opening doors for females to be in those classes, and for males to be in classes that typically have a female enrollment,” advised Lorenz.
Perrien said while the district needs to pay attention, a lot of the data is tailored towards larger, more diverse school districts to make sure those larger districts are not ignoring or excluding certain sub groups of students.
Lorenz said overall, he was pleased with the numbers and the balance shown in classes over the entire district. As the data was merely for review, the board took no action.
Inman Elementary principal Jane Challie advised the board that the district had started their fifth intervention-based teacher at the school.
“I’m really excited about the difference that’s going to make, and how they are going to support the students who are on the edge with math. We’re going to be targeting kids that are right on the bubble for this first go-round of intervention support,” Challie explained.
Challie said she and all of the Inman instructors remain busy trying to support the students and their needs.
Lorenz also discussed the possibility of a board work session, in an upcoming month where the business side of things could be taken care of in the first meeting, and a work session would follow with the other monthly meeting.
“A lot of districts do that, a lot of districts have a business meeting, then a work session, almost every month, and maybe we need to look into doing that ourselves,” commented Lorenz.
Lorenz added that he feels the district has been doing well at using its time effectively, though there was the potential for more.
“Perhaps it’s something we should discuss during our organizational meeting, and use that meeting for some of this big-picture and planning stuff, but that’s something that needs to be decided in the organizational meeting, because we would have to set a schedule for the following year, but it is not uncommon,” Lorenz said.
Further discussion on implementing board work sessions is planned at a future meeting.