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Merger highlights school year |
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Thursday, 31 December 2009 |
Superintendent’s leaving
doesn’t cloud advances
of independent learning
By Diane Eagle
Mammoth Times Editor
A tumultuous year in the Mammoth school district ended with a little extra added tumult.
What appears to have been a rocky relationship between school superintendent Frank Romero and the Mammoth Unified School District has come to an end.
Just before Christmas a brief press release from board president Gloria Vasquez stated Romero would not be returning to his post after the holidays.
It’s been a hard year juggling budget cuts handed down by the state ($800,000) and diminishing property taxes. As a basic aid district, Mammoth schools are supported by property taxes. These taxes in Mono County are currently delinquent by up to 11 percent (compared to 4-5 percent in past years), according to district business manager Jim Maxey.
Romero cited strategies such as control over expenditures, monitored revenue postings and conservative fiscal projection as resulting in a balanced budget and bringing down a $300,000 deficit. “We’re going to make it this year and we’re going to make it next year,” he said in May.
Independent Learning
Days before the school year started, a dramatic board decision dissolved the charter of Mammoth’s Charter School, and brought the program inside the walls of Mammoth High School, as the Independent Learning Center. While the discussion had been going on since budget troubles descended on the district, the swift action in August was brought about by presentations from concerned parents Dan Dawson and Rusty Gregory, who encouraged a new vision for Mammoth High School.
The move has resulted in charter school students being able to enjoy the benefits of the high school, including attending school with friends, going to school dances, and feeling a part of the greater whole. In addition, classes have been made available to general high school students that were not previously available, including AP Calculus, pre-Calculus and Algebra II.
Health Science Academy
In April, a Health Science Academy within Mammoth High School received funding, and with MHS teacher Mike Boucher at the helm, the academy launched in August. The academy uses mentoring by local health care professionals to guide about 22 students a year through a program specifically designed to show the connections between school and the real world on a day-to-day basis.
Middle School ‘Distinguished’
Also in April, Mammoth Middle School was named a California Distinguished School, one of 136 in the state. To qualify for the distinction, schools must demonstrate that they have increased the achievement of all their students and closed achievement gaps. The status stands for four years.
Foundation to support district
Romero envisioned and was able to set up the Mammoth Schools Now Education Foundation. It is based on the idea that “public school districts are turning increasingly to foundations to support programs that are longer possible due to decreasing expenditures on education by the state.”
Bonnie and Rusty Gregory, through the foundation, were able to pledge an initial gift of $250,000 to fund the Independent Learning Center and the hiring of two teachers to support the program.
Star test scores
According to a column by Romero on Sept. 18, the 2009 STAR test results showed progress at all levels. Generally, he wrote, Mammoth school district improved over 2008 results by 9 points. Mammoth Elementary School’s Academic Performance Index (API) rose 24 points and the Middle School’s API rose 25 points. The High School, however, dropped 15 points, yet “it achieved its Adequate Yearly Progress rating with school-wide proficiencies that met the federal standard,” Romero wrote.
“Overall, considering the doubling of percent proficiency standards from two years ago, Mammoth schools showed great improvement in all categories,” he added, “including the difficult categories of English learners and socio-economically disadvantaged.
Go Huskies!
Mammoth High School football sustained a blow this year, with the cancellation of the varsity season due to ineligibility. But they managed to play some eight-man scrimmages while the JV team played a regular season.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 04 January 2010 )
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