Weatherford Public Schools Superintendent Jill Henderson said the district’s revenue is up and funds are in good shape during her monthly report to the school board.
She said the total state revenue is up more than 14 percent for the first quarter of the 2021-22 fiscal year. State sales tax also is up about 13 percent and use tax is up almost 20 percent.
Additionally, other sources of revenue such as gas and diesel taxes revenue are up.
“So, we are significantly higher in revenue compared to the 2019-20 fiscal year,” Henderson said. “We also continue to have a healthy collection of local revenue.”
Fall accreditation went well.
Weatherford High School students had a chance to take the ACT for free October 5. Henderson said about 230 students participated.
Construction crews are preparing to install utilities at the new school sites.
The OSSBA Region 9 meeting was Tuesday at Clinton.
The Weatherford school site administrators also gave a brief update on this month’s activities.
Burcham Elementary Principal said the after-school reading intervention program has begun. She said it is going very well and is helping many children.
East Elementary Principal Brad Howl said East and West also have begun their after school programs for the first time since COVID-19 began.
Vision screenings were Tuesday and Wednesday.
East and West also are beginning to implement small groups and Care and Response teams. The goal is to bring the Project AWARE Counselors and classrooms teachers into small groups to create individual plans for children in need of intervention.
West Principal Meagan Merkey said teachers were able to meet with about 94 percent of parents during the recent round of parent/teacher conferences.
She also said students have begun collecting for the annual Custer County Conflict Food Drive. The winner will be announced during the game next Friday. Proceeds will go toward Connections Food & Resource Center in Weatherford.
Weatherford Middle School Principal Dru Svitak said the number of students required to attend after school ELA tutoring has decreased.
Seventh grade DARE classes were this week.
Three WMS students, along with their unified partner, participated in the Special Olympics cornhole tournament. They brought home “first-place ribbons and a smile.”
Weatherford High School Assistant Principal Danny Cliftton said the Marching Eagles attended the Oklahoma Band Association contest Saturday for the first time and qualified for the finals. This is very rare. The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association competition was Wednesday. Results were pending as of press time.
There were 40 attempted blood donations by students, unfortunately some were underweight or did not have enough iron.
November 3, WHS will host the District 12 Students Council Convention.
Jeanne Minton, director of special programs, alternative education, Eagle Virtual Academy, gifted and talented and the English language learners program, said she currently has seven elementary students, two middle school students and 14 high school students.
Minton said one virtual student was not performing well, doing work and seemed depressed. They have since been moved to the alternate education program where they are able to come in everyday and interact with others. She said this student now is getting work done and seems happier overall.
There are 16 students enrolled in the alternate education program.
Gifted and Talented is moving smoothly. Minton said there are more than 500 students in the program.
There are more than 200 students in the ELL program. Minton said 88 percent speak Spanish, 4 percent speak Chinese and the remaining 7 percent speak other languages. Student Resource Officer Justin Bushong said he recently went to a training by criminal profiler Phil Chalmers. One of the main focuses of the course is to signs and drives behind mass murdered and serial killers.
Bushong also said the course included interviews with a child killer and serial killer. Bushong received tickets to this training from the DARE counselors.