Eight Pierce County schools are on the state’s annual “persistently lowest-achieving” list, a label based largely on graduation rates and state test scores in reading and math.
Four are Tacoma schools; there’s one each in the Clover Park, Bethel, Franklin Pierce and White River school districts.
In past years, schools that made the list could apply for federal grants to help pay for reform efforts. But no money is available this year for newly identified schools.
“State law requires us to put out this list,” state school Superintendent Randy Dorn said in a statement Monday. “But that law was also based on the assumption that schools would receive more funding in order to improve. To me, it’s completely unfair to call out these schools without giving them additional resources, but that is the world we live in now.”
The Tacoma schools on the list are Roosevelt Elementary School and Baker, Giaudrone and Stewart middle schools.
Roosevelt is new to the list, but “the others were on it before, and we’ve been working on turning those schools around,” said Dan Voelpel, Tacoma Public Schools spokesman.
“They’ve got programs in place to improve test scores.”
He noted that Jason Lee Middle School isn’t on the list this year. Jason Lee was included previously and, like Stewart and Giaudrone, is receiving millions in federal grant money for ongoing reforms.
Roosevelt, an East Side school with 250 students, was on the School Board’s short list of possible elementary closures last spring. Nearly 90 percent of its students qualify for free- and reduced-price lunches, a sign of poverty.
Voelpel said Monday the district hadn’t had a chance to look closely at Roosevelt’s inclusion on the state’s list.
“We need to do more work identifying the issues there,” he said.
A year ago, Baker was the lone Tacoma school represented on the list.
The other Pierce County schools branded as low achievers are Mann Middle School in Lakewood, Spanaway Junior High School in Spanaway, Keithley Middle School in Parkland and Collins Alternative Programs in Buckley.
Spanaway is a repeat from last year’s list, and Keithley is on it for a third straight year.
Statewide, 57 schools were tagged as low performers this year. Most have sizeable populations of students living in poverty.
“These schools are dealing with very challenging populations,” Dorn said. “I know we’re in the middle of an economic crisis, but the past three years the Legislature has chiseled away at basic education resources. Those schools – in fact, all schools – need additional resources.”
Sara Schilling: 253-552-7058
sara.schilling@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/street
COMPLETE LIST: The state's list of low-performing schools
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