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New Lisbon meets or exceeds expectation on school report cards, parents express COVID concerns

WiscNews - 12/16/2021

Dec. 16—The New Lisbon School District received their annual Department of Public Instruction report cards, with the elementary school receiving a meets expectations grade and the high school exceeding expectations.

This year's report cards are the first since 2019, as last year report cards were not released due to COVID-19.

Members of the administration team shared the results of the report cards at a meeting of the New Lisbon School BoardDec. 13. The report cards compile an average using scores for achievement, growth, target group outcomes and on-track to graduation.

The New Lisbon Elementary received a score of 62.8, which falls into the "meets expectations" grading category. Elementary Principal Scott Hickey said the school fell below the state average for achievement and growth, while the numbers for on track graduation are about at the state average.

"These two areas we need to look at where we can improve," Hickey said.

Scores in English Language Arts came in about 10 points lower than the state average and 24 points lower than the state average in math for the achievement section.

"It doesn't tell the whole tale but that's the measuring stick the state uses," Hickey said.

According to Hickey, the district is currently in the process of revamping the curriculum for all grades.

"The goal is to get to where we're able to have more organization not only to help the teachers, but look at the data... look at who's excelling and figure out how we can transfer that to areas where we might not be having as much success," Hickey said. "(We want to) help our teachers be as successful as they possibly can."

Of neighboring and comparable districts Royall Elementary had the highest score at 73.8 and Necedah Elementary the lowest score at 55.3

In the high school the report gave a grade of 70.4, which is in the "exceeds expectations" category.

High School Principal Mark Stamper said the school was above the state average in the growth and on track graduation categories, with students scoring about 15 points above the state average in the math section of the growth category.

Like the elementary school, the high school scored below the state average in achievement.

"Student achievement is below in all schools," Stamper said. "It's an area of focus."

Of neighboring and comparable districts at the high school level Wonewoc scored the highest at 76.4, and Hillsboro the lowest at 60.2.

COVID concerns

Several parents used the period of public comment during the school board meeting to voice concerns over truancy letters recently received for students who followed the school's COVID-19 protocols. Current protocols at the New Lisbon School District indicate that if a student is experiencing two or more symptoms of COVID-19 parents should keep the student home.

Each of the parents stated they called the school each day to tell them their students or students would be staying home, but still received letters warning of potential truancy action. One parent questioned why if they are following the policy put in place by the school that they are still receiving the letter, stating in a "non-pandemic it would be different."

"I don't have time to pick them up and take them to the doctor every time they have a sniffle... we took a more practical approach and kept them home with symptoms," a parent said. "It's just not OK. It's kind of crappy to be threatened with truancy for trying to do the right thing for our community and our kids."

District Administrator Adam Englebretson said the district currently has zero staff with confirmed cases of COVID-19, and either six or seven students with confirmed cases. He explained that the process for quarantining students is handled by the Juneau County Department of Health, with health officials telling the district whether students, classes or entire grades should quarantine.

"We are turning names over to the county and from there the county is the one quarantining... they don't want us doing that," Englebretson said. "We have the information we get from the county and respond appropriately."

Hickey said students have the option of virtual schooling if kept home or picking up work in the office.

"There are a number of students we've had work for them in the office during their quarantine and no one comes and picks it up," Hickey said. "But also a large number of students who are doing it as well."

According to Hickey "anybody quarantined by the county or tested positive" do not have absences counted against them for the purposes of truancy, and said that since the school district is not quarantining students instead of the county "we don't always have the most accurate information."

When asked by board member Nancy Walker if students who are kept home for having two or more symptoms count as truant, Hickey responded that they count as truant "unless they communicate." Each of the parents present who previously spoke stated that Hickey's assertion was not accurate, as they had each communicated by calling the school yet still received the letter.

Board of Education President Colleen Woggon said the administrators would address the issue.

"Let's be fair, I think we've acknowledged there is some disconnect, definitely," Woggon said. "So I think we need to give them a chance to work on it, and... reach back out to them."

Other action

In other action before the board, the board:

— Held a first reading of NEOLA policy updates.

— Approved travel for the band and choir to the Dorian Festival at Luther College.

— Approved changing the student Iceland trip to a trip to Hawaii due to COVID restrictions in Iceland.

Reach Christopher Jardine on Twitter @ChrisJJardine or contact him at 608-432-6591.

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