According to school officials, 110 third-graders, 330 fifth-graders and 440 eighth-graders were affected. The school system is providing additional remedial instruction for these students through June 17. They will then be given an opportunity to retake the test. If students score high enough, they will pass to the next grade. If not, they will be retained.
According to Griffin-Spalding County School System Finance Director Jim Smith, the total cost of the additional instruction is projected at $160,000, with $30,000 being paid from Title I funds.
The budget increase will cover salaries and benefits for 61 teachers and more than $25,000 in transportation costs.
The board also voted to change 2009 spring break dates from the originally scheduled dates in March to April 20-24.
Director of School and Community Services Anna Burns told board members that the change will be beneficial to students and teachers.
During the meeting, board members also approved a number of bids for the 2008-2009 school year and heard a presentation from Joseph Martin, executive director of Consortium for Adequate School Funding in Georgia, where he asked the school system to join the consortium and other Georgia school systems in sponsoring a lawsuit against the state that, if won, would force the Georgia General Assembly to provide adequate funding for Georgia’s schools.
The cost of joining as an affiliate would be $1 per year per student. Regular membership is shared among all consortium members. Last year’s membership was $8 per student. Griffin-Spalding has approximately 10,900 students.
“We’re talking about the state living up to its responsibility in every system,” Martin said.
The board made no decision on joining the consortium.
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