Student develops program in support of FL shootings

By Staff, 04/18/18 1:57 PM

PRESCOTT – Wanting to show support for the students at the Florida school where a recent shooting occurred, a Prescott High School student considered organizing a walkout.

Instead, after talking with administrators, it was decided a project, K-12, be done involving 17 acts of kindness, one for each child lost in the shooting. Each class, said Priscilla Garcia, will be involved with the class doing the most acts winning.

Robert Poole, superintendent of the Prescott School District, said this went from a negative to a positive, adding Garcia learned from the process and it’s helped her grow as a person. “We want all children to be safe,” he said, “and this is the proper way to do things as more results will be obtained this way.”

Missey Wally, school improvement coordinator, updated the Prescott School Board, at its April meeting Tuesday, on the Professional Learning Culture (PLC), saying the idea is to ensure the highest level of learning for all children, what they learn, how the district knows they’re learning, what to do if they aren’t and what to do if they are.

Weekly meetings are held to discuss the curriculum and look at each piece and making sure the plan is being followed.

This is a learning process, Wally said, and a growth process, but the district has come a long way. She asked for, and was granted, a day of early release so all teachers could meet at one time, instead of having instruction time interfered with for meetings. Starting in the 2018-19 school year, school will be let out at 2:15 p.m. each Wednesday. This will give teachers a full hour uninterrupted to work together and improve the learning process.

The board approved paying $12,695.19 for bus repairs made by Pro Auto.

It also approved a resolution for electronic fund transfers for the dispersing officer, as required by the state.

The board also approved an addendum to the roof work scheduled for PHS this summer. This was required so bids can be let in May, though they’ve already been advertised, and work can begin so a new roof will be on the high school when school resumes in Aug.

The transfer of a student from Blevins was approved into the Prescott district as well.

With the district returning to three campuses, with an elementary, middle and high school, the board approved a salary index increase for the middle school principal, putting it on par with that of the primary school principal.

Enrollment in the district is at 978, with 526 in Prescott Elementary School and 452 in PHS. This is an increase of five students in the last two months.