Iowa Department of Education deems Columbus Junction elementary, middle schools Acceptable

Jim Rudisill
·3 min read

COLUMBUS JUNCTION — Like nearly all report cards, there was good news and bad news in the 2021 Columbus Community School District’s Iowa School Performance Profile, which district curriculum director Kristen Payne distributed Monday to the school board.

“This is our report card for the school,” Payne told the board, explaining all school districts had similar profiles released through the Iowa Department of Education late last month.

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Payne said the state developed the report by basing a school’s performance on several accountability measures.

Among those measures are student participation on state assessments; academic achievement that measures proficiency and performance scores in English language arts, reading and math; student academic growth; high school graduation rates; progress in achieving English language proficiency; and conditions for learning.

Using the measures, the IDE then establishes a rating that places a school district in one of six rating categories: Exceptional, High Performing, Commendable, Acceptable, Needs Improvement; or Priority/Comprehensive.

Columbus’ Roundy Elementary, Junior High and High School each received a rating based on their accountability measures scores. Payne said based on the scores, Roundy Elementary received a commendable rating with a total score of 58.81, just slightly above its 2019-20 score of 58.6.

Columbus Middle School had an Acceptable rating, with a score of 54.2. The middle school’s rating category in 2019/2020 was also Acceptable, but its score had only been 50.94, Payne pointed out to the board.

The Columbus High School provided the report card’s bad news, with a total score of 48.89, which dropped it into the Needs Improvement category. The high school had been ranked commendable in 2019/2020 with a score of 55.59.

Payne said district staff will focus on assessment participation, math and ELA proficiency, school climate and other areas in the high school to move out of the Needs Improvement category.

She also reported the junior high will focus on math and ELA proficiency and school climate; while the elementary staff will concentrate on math growth and proficiency, ELA proficiency and other areas.

The board also accepted a $109,285 bid from Odessa Mechanical, Wapello, for an HVAC upgrade in the middle school gym and auditorium. The bid was the lowest of three submitted for the work.

Superintendent Jeff Maeder also reported the doors and other equipment for a replacement project had arrived, but no firm date has been set for work to begin. The $45,000 project is part of an effort to comply with a state fire marshal directive.

The board also:

  • Tabled a decision on transferring $152,267 from the Debt Service Fund to the Physical Plant and Equipment Fund after school officials differed on their reading of the Iowa Code;

  • Agreed to sell several pieces of surplus school property, including a water tank, tires and a wheelchair lift;

  • Agreed on a 3-2 vote to purchase a used van using federal ESSR funds up to $50,000;

  • Learned the district’s swimming pool generated a $6,529 profit in 2021;

  • Accepted a $42,256 carpeting bid from Carriage House Carpet One, Muscatine, as part of an asbestos abatement tile replacement project in the high school.

In final action, the board agreed to a $9,750 upgrade of the district’s Hudl Software subscription. The upgrade will provide additional cameras and other improvements.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Columbus School District schools ranked acceptable, need improvement