The state Board of Education
granted local control back to the Grant
County
“It always comes as a surprise. We
were certainly hoping for good things and good things happened,” Grant County
School Superintendent Deedra Bolton told MetroNews Thursday.
Five years ago, the state board
stepped in when a 130-page report cited “serious deficiencies” within the
school system including a break down in leadership, a lack of advanced
placement and honors classes as well as individual schools failing to meet
Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, five years in a row.
“When the state intervened, Grant
County Schools was in a state of confusion,” explained Bolton .
Over the last five years, with the
help of the state Department of Education, Bolton
said the school system has made large strides to correct those problems and
putting things back into focus.
“I think the state Board of
Education realizes that Grant County Schools, especially the board of
education, is 110 percent unified with it’s focus on students,” stressed Bolton .
The school system has continue to
focus on three key areas: Increasing student performance with high
expectations, implementing a 21st Century learning agenda and maintaining safe
and healthy schools.
“The leadership from the board of
education to the central office, the administrators to teachers and all the way
down. Everyone is focused on students. It’s very crystal clear what we need to
do and what we’re about. That’s the kids,” said Bolton .
The state Department of Education
has made it clear, the school system could be taken over again if any of the
original problems crop up again in the next five years.
