Central Schools To Move Offices To Old Starkey

CENTRAL— The Central Community School Board Monday agreed to move the school system’s central office from 13431 Hooper Road to the former Starkey Academy at 10510 Joor Road effective Jan. 3, 2013.

Supt. Mike Faulk said the board’s staff of 30 full-time and part-time employees is so cramped for space in the current 5,000-square-foot office that work is often done in the waiting room.

Faulk said the new facility will provide about 15,000 square feet for $75,000 a year, which is $21,000 more than the system currently pays.

The new facility will provide space for the school board’s central staff, including special education and federal programs.

The current office has been leased from Newell Whitney, and the new office will be leased from David Starkey, Faulk said.  He expects to stay in the new space for two years, he said.

***

School Performance Scores. Central schools Supt. Mike Faulk said Tuesday the Louisiana Department of Education will announce Central’s school performance scores in October.  The system is currently ranked No. 5 in the state.

Faulk said it is difficult to predict how the system will fare in comparison with other school systems around the state.  However, he said it is clear that Tanglewood Elementary will once again be highly rated and that Central Intermediate and Central Middle School will show improvement.  Preliminary numbers show some of the other top school systems declining somewhat.  So there is a chance that Central will move up in the ratings this year, Faulk said.

***

Strategic Planning Meetings. The Central School Board held an informal meeting Wednesday to review a draft of the school system’s performance objectives.

Supt. Mike Faulk said the objectives would include fewer students performing unsatisfactorily on statewide tests, higher scores on end-of-course testing, higher ACT scores, and stronger advanced placement results.

Central students now average 21.3 on the ACT test.

The system is not ready to set targets for National Merit Finalists and Semi-Finalists, he said.

***

Communications Policy. The Central school system is considering adopting a new communications policy, Supt. Mike Faulk said.  The policy will include better ways to reach parents and the community, eblasts, and use of the websites of the school system and of individual schools, he said.