By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
The state’s local report card for Galion City Schools was discussed Wednesday night at the Board of Education meeting.
In her report Dr. Sandra Powell noted that while Galion had received decent in Achievement (C), Progress (A) and Graduation Rate (B) the school received an F in Gap Closing, which shows how well students do no matter what sub group they belong to.
Powell said math was the weakest category which contributed to that F grade. Powell said a plan will be developed to improve the Gap grade.
“We will be meeting actually next Tuesday afternoon to work with teams of teachers at every school building to determine what are going to be some strategies that we will use with students and teachers to close that gap and raise our score.”
The Gap Closing Grade was the weakest grade of most Crawford County school districts with four of the six schools receiving an F grade on their local report card.
Galion Superintendent Mark Stefanik noted that if Galion were to raise its scores five to six percent across the board that the school’s grade would jump from an F to a B.
Full report cards for each school district in Ohio can be found by visiting the Ohio Department of Education’s website at http://education.ohio.gov.
The Galion City Schools Board of Education approved designating casino revenue as Permanent Improvement Funds. If the Permanent Improvement Fund Levy passes in November the School Board will reverse the move, and all casino funds will be put back into the general fund.
At the beginning of the meeting the board of education gave recognition to Galion Boy Scout Troop 304 for the completion of the nature trail behind the Galion Elementary School. The project took two years in which the troop volunteered over 500 hours of work digging 300 yards of trench, clearing a quarter mile path, and laying over 60 tons of gravel. The troop plans to maintain and improve upon the nature trail as well.