J-D discusses impact report, construction update

JAMESVILLE-DEWITT CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT –  At its most recent public meeting, the Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District’s board of education discussed its 30-week impact report and an update on construction at its schools.
The impact report focused on attendance data, referral and suspension rates, marking period grades and, at the high school, extracurricular participation as the school year hits the 30-week stage.
Within the district, “chronic absenteeism” has increased since the 20-week point according to Nate Franz, the assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and equity.
Though the daily attendance rate stood at 93% at the start of the week, Franz said that one in five enrolled students are currently categorized as chronically absent, meaning they have missed at least 10% of the school days in the year so far.
Since that classification counts both excused and unexcused absences, Franz said the district is working on taking into account certain “nuances” like COVID-related quarantines and difficulties getting to school in the morning because of a lack of transportation.
He said the district’s access liaison can also help to connect parents with problem-solving resources pertaining to attendance and referral concerns as part of J-D’s partnership with Onondaga County’s mental health plan.
Franz additionally stated that students have the “potential to move” either into or out of chronic absenteeism on that percentage-based attendance-measuring scale depending on how many absences they accumulate by the time school lets out in June.
The impact report further acknowledged that there have been referrals resulting from 1,037 separate disciplanary incidents this year to date, with 344 students having involvement in at least one incident. Of those 344 students, 195 received two or more referrals or suspensions, Franz said.
The construction update brought up later in the April 18 meeting made mention of the framing work and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system upgrades to the science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) wing being added to the high school.
The same system installments are being made in the middle school’s soon-to-be-revamped House 3, which has also had new windows put in place, while Jamesville Elementary School will see additions like a new access ramp to its reconstructed playground that will accommodate students with disabilities.
Though he describes the move-in-dates he has in mind as “optimistic,” Superintendent Peter Smith said the district is asking the hired contractors and construction management crew to “put the accelerator down” for the spaces so that the new House 3 and STEAM wing can be finished by September.