The AYP (Adequete Yearly Progress) strategy is working in Verndale.
Under the federal government's No Child Left Behind program, all public schools must show that students are making the grade in math and reading. Graduation and attendance rates are also watched. If AYP standards are not being met, the school must execute a plan to see that they are met.
Principal Justin Sperling informed the Verndale school board at their October meeting Monday night that the district is one year away from not having to create another school improvement plan. They are officially out in reading and they are one year away from being out in special education math. Elementary reading is no longer a problem and Verndale has one foot out the door in elementary math.
"As I shared with the committee and as I shared with one of the regional coordinators I said I hope we don't see you next year," Sperling told the board. "I meant that in a good way because I really don't want to do this next year. Being on AYP was not necessarily a bad thing it gave us an opportunity to reflect on our programs get some different things in place. I think there were things that were available to us that we wouldn't have necessarily done if we weren't on AYP."
The board approved a number of items on the agenda including a cooperative contract in baseball with Bertha-Hewitt. The Park Region Conference had already discussed the proposal and approved it. The Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale baseball team will go into action for the first time next spring. The coaching staff of the team has not been determined but both schools will host games and practices.
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Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale is already operating under an cooperative agreement in wrestling.
