When the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) released its school report cards Thursday, officials in New Haven Community Schools were thrilled to see their district had not only made Adequate Yearly Progress, but New Haven High School had been dropped from the state’s list of “priority” schools.

Previously called persistently lowest achieving schools, “priority schools” are now identified as those in the bottom 5 percent of the annual top-to-bottom ranking and any high school with a graduation rate of less than 60 percent for three consecutive years.

“We’re very excited (by the results), but I think this is just an indication we are on the right track but we’re not there yet,” said Superintendent Keith Wunderlich. “We have a lot of work to do.”

Although the district made AYP last year, it did not meet goals in middle school reading and high school math. As a result, the district developed a series of new programs to strengthen its instruction in those areas.

“We’re going to continue with our plan at the high school even though we’re not on the priority list anymore,” Wunderlich said. “Our plan was to extend the school day at the high school and that’s going to work two ways.

The Bismarck School Board will find out Sept. 18 how voters feel about a proposed $ 86.5 million bond issue that includes building two new elementary schools and a new high school.

A portion of the bond — $ 5.3 million — would address disparities among the schools. To pass, the bond issue needs approval from 60 percent of the voters.

Business manager Ed Gerhardt said Bismarck’s upcoming election is “by far” the largest bond issue the district has ever put to avote. It is also the first time a plan for building multiple schools has been included in the same bond issue.

“If a person looks only at the number, it’s a large number. But if you look at the issue and take time to understand the issue, it’s a conservative bond and it’s wise in its construction,” Bismarck Superintendent Tamara Uselman said.

Administrators are working with a Realtor to find a site for the new high school. One of the proposed elementary schools would be east of Washington Street and south of 57th Avenue. The other proposed elementary school would be north of Lincoln Road and west of 66th Street in Lincoln, which is part of the Bismarck School District.

Uselman said three factors have come together to create a “perfect storm” of reasons for proposing the new buildings.

The first is overcrowded classrooms, made worse by the population growth Bismarck is experi…………… continues on Bismarck Tribune

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