DELTA: LITTLE CHANGES MEAN LOT IN SMALL DISTRICT (RATING OUR SCHOOLS; SECOND IN A TEN-PART SERIES)

DELTA -- Small shifts in population or enrollment can mean big changes in statistical data when the school district is small.

Take, for example, the drop out rate at Delta School District, which has an enrollment of about 340 students. The small district's dropout rate was reduced annually from 10.7 percent during the 1994-1995 school year to 1 percent last year.

The change marks a decline in the number of students who decided to quit school, but Superintendent Tom Allen said it's a small number of students to begin with.

"We're pretty small, and in a district our size one or two students can cause a quick jump or reduction in the statistics," said Allen. "It's one of those situations where you just never know what's going to happen from year to year."

Overall, Allen said he found few surprises in the school district's annual report card.

Missouri law requires school districts to release annual reports regarding financial and educational data.

Delta's report was distributed to district patrons in a brochure last week.

"There wasn't much that changed from the previous year," said Allen. "I don't think there's anything in there that would attract someone's attention."

Like many area schools, Delta teachers were paid much lower than the state average salary.

The district just isn't able to pay any more than the current salary schedule, Allen said, and because of that, the district attracts younger, inexperienced teachers who generally leave in three or four years to go to a neighboring district that pays more.

"We're doing the best we can do, but that means we don't attract many veteran teachers, and the younger ones end up going to one of our neighbors," Allen said. "It will eventually begin to affect our students."

The average years of experience for teachers has slowly reduced from 18 to 16 in recent years. Allen suspects those numbers will drastically change within the next five years.

"We've only got a handful of veteran teachers, and within five years I expect they all will retire," he said. "It's just a situation where something will have to happen soon so we can become more competitive and attract and keep veteran teachers."

One factor not included in the district's report card but which Allen is proud of is the completion of several capital projects last year.

In 1997, voters approved a $200,000 bond issue to build a new bus barn, repair damaged sections of roof and heating and cooling systems at the high school, and purchase new furniture for the elementary school. All of the projects were completed last year.

"We want our voters to know we did exactly what we said we would do with the money, in the time frame we promised to do it," he said.

COMING TUESDAY: A LOOK AT JACKSON SCHOOLS