Students of the Batavia Local School District will be feeling the heat this year as the district plans to kick academics up a notch. Presenting the “212 Degrees” theme this year, the district is hoping to perform well enough on the state district report card to reach excellence status.
“I’m proud of our staff and students,” said Batavia Superintendent Barbara Bradley. “We’ve gone above and beyond. Our theme is 212 degrees, which is where water boils, and when water boils it produces steam. Steam produces the power to make trains work, and we plan on being a power to be reckoned with.”
The district currently rates effective, according to the state report card, which is one step below excellent. Even more encouraging for the district is how close they are to excellent.
To be named excellent, a district must pass at least 24 of 25 indicators or score over 100 on a performance index score of student ability. Currently, the district has 23 indicators and has scored 98.6 on the performance index.
“We missed fifth grade math and seventh grade math,” said Bradley. “We’re addressing that. We have a large group of staff this summer go for professional development. We’re changing the way we present material so we give the kids the instruction they need to be successful.”
The district has remained close to the excellent rating for a few years now. Schools on the report card also receive individual ratings. In that respect, both the high school and elementary are rated excellent. Efforts by the district are hoped to bring the middle school up to speed as well.
“I can’t say enough about the effort being made,” said Bradley. “Our staff members have made the commitment of making us an excellent school district. We have a theme this year of ‘212 degrees’ where we’re going to turn up the heat. No one is ever pleased – or should be – with effective. Effective to me is average. We’re not average, we are a district dedicated to excellence. We’re happy with what our teachers have done, we’re happy with what our students have done, and we’re happy with the direction we’re going and the progress we’ve made. Our goal, though, is to make excellent.”