Superintendent's Corner

Blaine County School District Extends Contract for Superintendent of Schools, Renews Contracts for Administrators

UPDATE: February 24, 2012

Steve Guthrie, Blaine County School District Board of Trustees Chair, announced last night that the Board of Trustees approved a three-year contract for Dr. Lonnie Barber as Superintendent of the Blaine County School District.  The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to renew the contract following its annual performance evaluation of the Superintendent.  The Board also approved contract renewals for all District and school administrators.

Dr. Barber was hired as the Assistant Superintendent in July, 2007 as part of a leadership succession plan. The Board hired Dr. Barber two years later to become the District Superintendent following Dr. Jim Lewis’s retirement. 

In a subsequent press release, Chairman Guthrie cited the progress made during Dr. Barber’s tenure in achieving the goals of the Blaine County School District’s Strategic Plan.  “Under Dr. Barber’s leadership, the goals of our Strategic Plan have been accelerated.  Dr. Barber has worked closely with the Board of Trustees, staff, and the community at large to implement the Strategic Plan, which was based on unprecedented community involvement.  We believe Dr. Barber will provide the leadership we need to continue carrying out the community’s plan,” said Guthrie.

The annual evaluation process of the Superintendent is part of the District’s commitment to ongoing performance evaluation of all staff.  Said Dr. Barber, “the evaluation process is seen as an opportunity to improve on all levels, from custodians to the Superintendent.  We have a process in place to help all staff grow and improve. I always learn something from my evaluations and I’m committed to implementing the feedback the Board has given me based on the parent and staff survey.”

Chairman Guthrie spoke about the process involved in the Superintendent’s evaluation, “One of the most critical jobs of the Board is to evaluate the Superintendent.  It’s a continual process, as it should be.  The Board spent many hours and held several meetings to accurately and successfully evaluate the Superintendent and document our process. We work closely with the Superintendent and have ongoing discussions about progress and expectations.  We’ve also worked with Liz Kilpack of the Idaho School Boards Association, who provided input and guidance throughout the process.   This is a team effort and we believe we are moving in a positive direction.”

Dr. Barber continued, “I’m looking forward to continuing to serve the Board of Trustees and the students, parents, teachers, staff and community members in Blaine County.  Public education is at a critical crossroads right now and in Blaine County we have the opportunity to do it right, to really deliver for the diverse student population we serve and to give every student the opportunity to fulfill their dreams.  I’m humbled by the chance to help students become the best that they can be through the Blaine County School system.”

In the past four years, the Blaine County School District has among other things:

• Approved the BCSD Strategic Plan based on unprecedented community and staff input, leading the way to 21st century learning.

• Passed a Plant Facility Levy that preserves the General Fund for the cost of educating students and uses Levy funds to maintain and modernize facilities.  The Levy also provides innovative technology used by teachers and students every day.

• Implemented the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme in grades 6-10 at Wood River Middle School and Wood River High School. 

• Helped teachers bring Project Based Learning to every student.

• Began offering all-day Kindergarten, helping more students prepare for 1st grade.

• Expanded the college counseling program throughout the District, resulting in increased numbers of students applying to college.

• Began offering SAT prep for all students and expanded dual credit and Advanced Placement offerings.

“This is a team effort, and our accomplishments are the result of a very dedicated staff who want to see the District move forward in a direction that makes a difference for students.  It’s our teachers who are responsible for our success,” said Barber.

Blaine County Schools Perform Above State Average but Miss Adequate Yearly Progress

UPDATE: August 26, 2011

Dear Community,

Welcome to a new school year.  We would like to update you on Blaine County School District’s progress toward State goals in academic core areas as reported by the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). 

Each year, all districts are mandated by the Idaho State Department of Education to reach 41 different prescribed goals in the areas of Reading, Math and Language Usage.  Based on the 2011 spring ISAT scores, Blaine County School District made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 39 out of 41 required target areas.

The district must meet the benchmarks established by the State Department of Education in all 41 areas each year.  This year Blaine County School District did not meet the State prescribed academic targets in two areas.  The first was in the area of Reading for Students with Disabilities, even though Blaine County School District students scored 14.7% above the State average in this area, and once again ranked first in the State of Idaho with an 81.3% proficiency level among the 31 largest districts.  The second target area was in Math for our Limited English Proficient (LEP) students.  Again, Blaine County School District students in this category were significantly above the State average by more than 10% points.  This ranked Blaine County School District 4th in this category in the State of Idaho, of the 31 largest school districts. 

This year, both Wood River High School and Carey High School reached proficiency in all 41 prescribed goal areas and made AYP.  The five other schools in the district missed AYP in a limited number of areas of State prescribed goals.  Hailey Elementary, Woodside Elementary and Wood River Middle School each missed their AYP goal in only one of the State prescribed areas.  Hailey Elementary missed the State prescribed goal in Limited English Proficiency Reading.  Woodside Elementary missed the State prescribed goal in Economically Disadvantaged Math despite increasing the percentage of students meeting proficiency benchmarks in this area.  Wood River Middle School missed the State prescribed goal in Limited English Proficient Math despite increasing the percentage of students meeting proficiency benchmarks in this area as well.

Bellevue Elementary and Hemingway Elementary did not reach the State prescribed goals in three areas.  Hemingway Elementary did not meet the State prescribed goals in Hispanic Reading, Limited English Proficient Reading and Economically Disadvantaged Reading.  Bellevue Elementary did not meet State prescribed goals in Hispanic Reading and Math, Economically Disadvantaged Reading.  For more information about AYP data, contact your neighborhood school or go to http://apps.sde.idaho.gov/ayp

Blaine County School District does not taking missing any prescribed goal lightly.  Our staff and administration is committed to the continuous improvement of each school and the district.  We are dedicated to employing the most effective strategies and practices to help each and every student reach their fullest potential.

To that end, we have further sharpened the focus of our district improvement efforts around the education of the Whole Child, 21st Century Learning, Project Based Learning Practices, Curriculum Mapping, early intervention and effective follow-up practices. 

If you have any questions regarding Blaine County School District AYP status, or would like additional information, please do not hesitate to call the Blaine County School District office at 208-578-5000.

An investment in public education is an investment in our community

UPDATE: May 10, 2011

“In America there is a place to take a stand, it is public education. It is the underpinning of our cultural and political system. It is the great common ground. Public education after all is the engine that moves us as a society toward a common destiny . . . It is in public education that the American dream begins to take shape.”  - Tom Brokaw

What is the taxpayer return on investment for public education? On Tuesday, May 10, the Blaine County School Board will consider approving the 2011/12 Master Agreement, which will include a 2% cost of living increase for teachers and staff. The Blaine County School District appreciates the support of Blaine County voters and taxpayers. It comes at a time when the local economy is still suffering, and some may wonder about the social and fiscal return on taxpayer investment.

Consider this:

Your tax dollars go back into the local economy

• The total payroll for the district is $30,874,300 for 539 employees.  Please click on the graph for larger version

• According to the Idaho Mountain Express, every $1 spent locally equals $10 to the community. For example, if 15% of the total BCSD payroll is spent locally, that’s $46,311,450 back to the community.

Your tax dollars invested now save money in the future

• Studies show that investing in public education is more cost-effective than paying for the social and economic consequences down the road. Individuals who graduate and have access to quality education are more likely to find gainful employment, have stable families and be active and productive citizens. They are also less likely to commit serious crimes, less likely to place high demands on the public health care system, and less likely to be enrolled in welfare assistance programs (www.all4ed.org and www.elc-pa.org)
• For example, high school dropouts are more than twice as likely to be unemployed and three times more likely to receive welfare assistance.
• Improved education and more stable employment greatly increase tax revenue, such as a return of at least seven dollars for every dollar invested in early childhood education.
• 75% of state prison inmates do not have a high school diploma.
• The average cost to house inmates in prison is $22,600/year.
• Graduating from high school improves the quality of health, reduces dependence on public health programs by 60%, and cuts rate of alcohol abuse by six times.

Your tax dollars contribute to economic growth

•  Increased property values correlate with the quality of public schools.
• Companies like Power Engineers, Webb Landscaping and Smith Optics have stated that high quality public schools are a recruitment tool for the growth of business.

Your tax dollars are leveraged through second-home owners

• For every dollar in property taxes paid by full-time resident homeowners who claim the Homeowners Exemption, owners of second homes (as well as owners of commercial, industrial and agricultural property) will pay three dollars. Residents’ tax dollars are leveraged to support public schools.

What do Blaine County taxpayers receive specifically from their schools?

• Average district class sizes of 19.56 students per 1 teacher
• Average year of experience for a teacher is 14
• Over half of our teachers have Master’s degrees
• Nationally recognized performing arts programs
• Internationally competitive robotics team
• National Merit Finalists every year
• Increased Advanced Placement classes and overall test scores
• ACT scores above state and national average
• 99% of current seniors applied to college
• Programs like The Leader In Me, International Baccalaureate, Dual Language Learning, Advanced Placement, and Dual College Credit.
• Extensive Special Education services, including Autism Spectrum Disorder services for the entire community supporting children in both public and private schools.

The future of our economy depends on educating every child to his or her fullest potential. In a speech to the National School Board Association recently, former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said, “Education is a national security issue, not just because we need an educated military, or that our ability to compete globally depends on it, but because what holds us together as a nation is our belief that we can start from nowhere and go somewhere.”  

Schools cannot do this alone. We depend on you for financial support but we also need your involvement. We need a public who understand the complexities of education, and who want a school system that will rise to the challenge. Please, come to a school board meeting, join your PTA, or attend a public meeting. We are grateful for your investment in the future of our community and we look forward to working together to build a better world, one child at a time. 

Negotiations in Blaine County: A new road map

UPDATE: April 7, 2011

The 2011 session of the Idaho Legislature saw sweeping educational reforms, sponsored by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna, and recently signed into law by Governor Butch Otter. The reforms, titled Students Come First are centered on three pillars of reform and have been touted as A plan to educate more students at a higher level with limited resources. The three legislative bills that drove the reform are Senate Bill 1110, which established a pay for performance system for teachers, Senate Bill 1184, which will force a reduction of the number of teachers and para-professionals in Idaho by over 1000 in order to support more technology in the classrooms, and Senate Bill 1108, which has been labeled as a labor relations and employee entitlement bill.

While I personally believe that each of these bills contains some parts that are detrimental to the education of our children, I would like to focus at this time on some of the implications that Senate Bill 1108, the labor relations and employee entitlements, has for our school district. While State Superintendent Luna has said that this legislation returns decision-making powers to locally elected school boards and creates a more professional and accountable work force, others have labeled it as a “union-busting” bill. The bill in effect does the following:

• Phases out continuing contracts for all current and future teachers who have not yet earned it (have not completed three full years of successful practice in the district), to be replaced by one or two year contracts.

• Eliminates seniority as a factor in the RIF, reduction in force (staff), decisions made by the Board of Trustees.

• Creates a requirement that feedback from parents and objective measures of growth in student achievement are factors in the performance evaluations of professional staff.

• Gives principals more control over the new professional staff assigned to their buildings.

• Eliminates the Early Retirement Incentive Program for certified teachers.

• Limits the length of negotiated agreements between the school district and teachers to one year.

• Eliminates the “evergreen” clauses from negotiated agreements, which means that master contracts that have guided districts and teachers for many years can no longer be carried over from year to year.

• Requires unions and teacher associations to provide documentation that they represent over 50% of employees in order for collective bargaining to take place.

• Limits collective bargaining (negotiations) to compensation (salaries and benefits).

• Requires that all labor negotiations be conducted in public meetings.

The Blaine County School District and the Blaine County Education Association have a long history of effective partnerships in our district, including the negotiations process. While negotiations have in the past been conducted in private, I am confident that our negotiations will continue to benefit both the district and our teachers, whether conducted in private or in public meetings as the law now dictates. In the past, our negotiations have consisted of teams of certified teachers, and administrators and board members. This will not change. The biggest changes to our prior process will be the fact that the law now limits negotiations to discussions about teacher compensation (salaries and benefits). While negotiations are conducted between the administration and certified teachers, it has been our history that any additional salary or increases in benefit have been extended to our hard working classified employees. I do not anticipate that this will change.

Our negotiation dates will be established between the Blaine County teacher association and the administration soon. I will make the public informed of these dates as soon as we establish them. I am confident that the partnership that has existed between the Blaine County Teachers’ Association and the Blaine County School District will continue to be both collaborative and fruitful and that the new process will continue to serve our students, teachers, administrators and community well.

The children that we educate today are tomorrow’s future. Our job is to give our children the best possible education so that they are equipped to create the best possible future. We cannot do that without our valuable teachers.