EDUCATIONAL UPDATE: JACKSON BOARD LEARNS ABOUT TWO PROGRAMS

JACKSON -- At this week's meeting of the Jackson Board of Education, board members were updated on two educational programs in the district: Chapter One Remedial Reading, and Early Childhood Education for the Handicapped.

In his report to the board, Assistant Superintendent Fred Jones said the focus this year of the district's remedial reading program has been switched to the primary grades, 1-3.

"We're trying to concentrate more on the primary level," Jones said. "We still have the fourth and fifth grade remedial reading classes, but they are on more of a group, or class-within-a-class setting."

Jones said, with the change in direction, more attention will be focused on the younger children, where remedial reading teachers will work in a tutorial-type setting.

Jones said the administration and faculty are watching with interest the progress of a new remedial reading program now under way in the Cape Girardeau Public Schools.

The program is called Recovery Reading and was developed in Australia. A pilot program is now in use in the Ohio public schools, Jones said.

He said a member of the education faculty at Southeast Missouri State University went to Ohio recently to learn about the Recovery Reading program. That faculty member is now training teachers for the new remedial reading program in the Cape Girardeau schools.

"It's going to eventually filter down to area schools in the region," said Jones. "We're very interested in it. It sounds like a fantastic thing. It goes along with the Chapter One concept of early intervention for those kids who really need it (remedial reading), but it goes one step further with an intense one-on-one remediation with the students."

Jones said the program is designed for first graders only. "After the first grade, they do not need remedial reading," he explained. "Right now, we have some students that require remedial reading as they move through the elementary grades."

Jones said the concept of the Recovery Reading Program is to intervene early and teach a child how to read correctly in the first grade. By learning how to read and learn early, they will not need additional remedial learning instruction in the upper elementary grades, he said.

"It's a real intense, tutorial program, with one teacher and one student who are together for one hour. They (students) learn how to learn," said Jones. "We're anxious to see how it works."

Jones told the board that the district's early childhood special education program is "off and running." He said the district has contracted with the Easter Seal Society in Cape Girardeau to provide the federally mandated services to 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old handicapped children.

Jones said there are currently four to five children enrolled in full-service classes at the Easter Seal center, while two children are enrolled in the speech language class.

Because of the low number of handicapped children at this time, Jones said it was more appropriate to send them to the Easter Seal center. But he noted that as the district continues to grow, it will likely implement an early childhood program, with its own instructors, facilities and teaching materials.

Jones said the cost of the special education program this year to the district is about $4,500 per student. That's somewhat higher than the district's current annual tuition rate of $3,000 per student.

Originally, the state was supposed to pay 67 percent of the cost, with federal aid paying for another 23 percent and the district picking up the remaining 10 percent.

But Jones said the state reduced its share to 34 percent, forcing the district to pick up the difference. "They (state education officials) have told us they will go back to the legislature in January to ask for more money," he added.

To participate in the program, Jones said children must be 3 to 5 years old, not currently in kindergarten, and have some type of a physical or mental handicap.

Superintendent Wayne Maupin told the board that construction of the district's school bus transportation facility near Orchard Elementary School is nearing completion. "If all goes well, the facility should be completed by the end of this month," said Maupin.

When completed, the transportation center will be used to park and service the district's fleet of buses in a secure facility.

Maupin said this year's increase in school lunch prices should generate an additional $52,000 for the district's deficit-ridden school lunch program.

He said the district's revised 1991-92 budget will be ready for the board's Oct. 1 meeting.

"I'm glad we waited a bit on that budget," said Maupin. "As you know, it appears there will be another round of cuts made to the elementary and secondary schools.

"We really don't know what that's going to mean dollar-wise, for us, specifically. Obviously, it will amount to some reductions in state receipts. We're very concerned about the cuts," he said.

The superintendent updated this year's enrollment figures in the Jackson district. He said enrollment at West Lane Elementary School now stands at 613. Maupin said if it were not for the new Orchard Elementary School, enrollment at West Lane would have been about 690 this year.

He said the district has 11 sections of kindergarten this year, with about 25-30 students in each class. Maupin said the number would have been even higher except that Immaculate Conception Catholic School opened its kindergarten class for the first time this fall.

Maupin said the University of Missouri conducted a study of the Jackson School District several years ago using a number of different methods to project school district enrollment though the end of the decade.

"I reviewed the study the other day," he said. "Our enrollment each year since the study was made has exceeded their projections. It kind of gives you a picture of where we're headed as far as enrollment is concerned."

The board voted to cancel its Sept. 24 meeting.