FYI Your Schools

Larry Brown, who retired from Snohomish High School in 2003 after four years as principal there, will fill in as principal at Granite Falls High School this coming school year.

A search for a replacement for Gerald Edwards, who retired, got a late start and yielded few candidates, district spokeswoman Kathy Grant said. A new search will start in February.

District sees gains from summer refresher classes

Stanwood-Camano School District is in its second year of a free program called “Jump Start,” which in August will help 105 students struggling in math and reading by giving refreshers before the new school year.

The program was expanded to include eighth grade this summer, now serving students going into second through eighth grade.

There are no hard data on whether the program made a difference for last year’s students, though administrators recently told school board members that anecdotal evidence is encouraging.

Older children in particular made gains from the start to the end of the summer program. And in a survey, 65 percent of parents felt “very much so” that the program helped prepare their child for 2004-05.

School board member Ken Christoferson said the goal now is to find more than just “feel-good statistics” by looking at WASL or other test scores.

Timber money to pay for Monroe school vehicles

In a funding pretzel, Monroe School District will issue a limited general obligation bond in order to use state forest funds to buy vehicles.

Timber money deposited to the district’s debt service fund only can be used to pay off long-term debt.

Meanwhile, the district has put off motor pool purchases, buying only a tractor and a van in the last two years, finance director Mark Spangenberg recently told the school board.

The one-year loan would top $240,000 and pay for:

* Seven eight-passenger vans,

* Two mid-size, four-wheel-drive sport utility vehicles,

* A 1-ton pickup, capable of towing tractors and trailers,

* A 4WD all-terrain vehicle for field grading and grooming.

One SUV would be for the transportation director’s use.

Several school board members questioned whether the plan provides for future needs, especially since the loan would mean using $9,000 more in timber money solely for interest.

They suggested adding a van or two to the purchase list. The board won’t vote on a proposal until later this summer.

What’s up at your school? Call us at 425-339-3036 or schoolfyi@heraldnet.com.

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