Trustland Funds for Rich Schools

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times 

RANDOLPH, Utah.  April 15, 2013. Trustlands money is given to all schools in the state.  Kip Motta, principle of the Rich Elementary and Middle School, outlined to the School Board the plans that had been made to make use of the monies coming to his school.  

The main goal is to have all students reading and writing at grade level or above.   The purchase of general supplies and the software for RCBM reading in the Jr. High as well as AR programs for the elementary will be made.   

The second goal is to improve math scores.   Monies will be spent on professional development, classroom materials for math, and Ames Webb computer software. 

The third goal is to increase the use of technology in the schools.  Purchases of notebook computers will be made.  There had been a carryover from last year that will be lumped in with this purchase to make getting larger numbers possible.  

The fourth goal is to get greater exposure to the fine arts.  An artist in residence program will be started along with bringing in special assemblies. 

Two thousand dollars will be spent in a literacy outreach program.  Parents will be shown the best way to help increase their child’s reading ability.  Also, parents will be taught how to get their children ready for kindergarten. 

Rick Larsen, principal of the high school, indicated that they had three goals.  The first goal is to increase reading ability.  Two thousand dollars will be spent on library materials for AR tests and updates.  The second goal is improve writing skills.  The writing lab will be open one night a week from after school until the last bus leaves.  Additional help will be present in the lab to assist students.  The third goal is to increase the use of technology.  This fall, all students will have their own computers. 

There are currently 40 laptop computers in the high school. These will go to the seniors.  They will have to have new batteries and some repair.  The school will purchase 30 Acers for the juniors.  Twenty Hewlet Packards will be purchased for the sophormores.  An additional 55 Acers will finish out the sophomore class and take care of the freshmen.  The machines will be assigned to the students, and they will have that machine throughout their high school career.  If the students take good care of them, they will have a nice machine to work with.  If they don’t take care of them, they may have problems getting everything accomplished that they need to.  That, however, will be their choice. 

Additional money will be spent on the networking management software along with assignment software that the students will need.  There will probably need to be a few more powerful computers available in a lab.

Superintendent Lamborn reported on South Rich Elementary plans.  Literacy is important so that $4,000 will be used to buy books for the library.  The elementary already has some ipads.  Additional ipads will be purchased along with software.  Mastery Connect software for testing will also be purchased.  Software that will allow the ipad to project images onto a screen will be bought. 

There are plans for professional development for the teachers along with AR testing and Star testing updates will be purchased so that students can test on any books that they read.

 

The Board approved the plans in all the schools for the spending to the Trustlands money.