RC Superintendent Tidbits
By: Mark Otten
As we are nearing the conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year, there have been many things to be thankful for. First and foremost, I am so thankful that we are still able to meet with students and staff face to face and provide the best education possible through personal interactions. The physical and mental toll has been there all year but this has been so much better than remote learning when it comes to academics as well as social-emotional well-being of the students and staff. We all came together when times were tough and that was appreciated by all.
Speaking of coming together when times are tough, the patrons of Rock and Brown counties who pay taxes in order for our school district to offer what we offer have come together and helped alleviate some of the financial strain on the district. Our numbers are looking better and we appear to be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to funding the 2020-2021 school year. Projections last summer were showing a possible need to take out a loan to pay bills in a couple of the spring months and now it is evident that we are going to make it through these months without having to borrow. The patrons stepped up and everyone is doing their part to provide quality programs and personnel for our students in the Rock County Public School district.
As the end of the 2020-2021 school year comes to a close, we have to fulfill a couple requirements set forth by the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE). We are required to MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) test our students three times each year so we will be doing a spring session of MAP testing soon. We also have to assess our students with the NSCAS (Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System) test as per NDE once per year with the window opening in the spring. These assessments are used partially to assess our school district and determine what our school improvement goals will be for future years so they do provide valuable data for us. We still have to understand that they take a snapshot on a given day so they are not the only data we use to drive decisions for the district.