PSS gets over $9.8M for ’04

The Public School System recently had its consolidated grant application for school year 2004 approved by the U.S. Department of Education.

With the approval, the PSS would receive a total of $9.84 million, to be expended in three categories, with $7.32 million going to innovative programs, $1.91 million for state assessment, and $606,862 for the Safe and Drug Free Schools programs.

Further, the PSS is seeking an increase in grant funds for next school year, proposing a total of $10.07 million that is expected to contribute toward improving student academic achievement and improving the quality of education for students.

Among others, the 2005 grant application proposes $1.2 million for assessment and another $199,598 for state administration. The remainder would provide a total of $1.13 million for programs dealing with professional development and accreditation; $927,461, to be allocated for public schools; and $203,590 for private schools.

The PSS indicated that the $927,461 would support its statewide educational reform efforts “such as promoting flexibility and accountability at the school level by using technology and focusing our educational efforts on a few crucial outcomes,” dealing with mastering reading, writing, and mathematics skills, as well as supporting school improvement programs such as accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

The remainder of the proposed grant—some $7.54 million—would again be divided between the public and private schools, with $6.18 million going to public schools and about $1.36 million allocated to private schools. This is based on the overall ratio of 5 to 17-year-olds enrolled in public and private school versus the number of 5 to 17-year-olds enrolled at private schools.

The amount allocated to the public schools would again be expended in three categories.

About $2.82 million would support programs for the development, acquisition and use of instructional and educational materials, computer hardware and software, and other curricular materials essential to improve student academic achievement.

The remainder of funds would be used for class size reduction and for professional development.

According to the PSS, $3.06 million would be used to reduce the class-size student-teacher ratio to 20-1 by hiring up to 65 “high-quality” classroom teachers.

Currently, large class sizes range from 25-30 students per teacher, which the PSS says results “in teachers having much less direct contact time with individual students.”

In meeting its goal of having 80 percent of students reading on or above grade level by 2008, the PSS found it vital that the class size reduction be implemented due to its ethnically diverse student population. “With this ethnically diverse student population, English is, in almost all instances, a second language.”

The remaining $300,000 would be utilized for professional development, which would give teachers, principals, and administrators the knowledge and skills necessary to guide students in exceeding academic standards.