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Invitation to be part of the solution |
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December 21, 2016 |
Thank you, Mr. Bauer, for your
letter to NewsBF.com
regarding the Go-On rate of Bonners Ferry High
School students.
First of all, we'd like to ensure the data is
correctly reported. Bonners Ferry High School's
"Go-On" rate for 2015 was 45%, up from 41% in
2014. (Go On Trends in 12 Month Rates,
https://www.idahoednews.org/news/idahos-go-woes-happened-happens-now/).
We appreciate your concern and interest in this
subject. Whenever someone takes the time to
discuss education, we welcome the feedback and
are happy to engage in a constructive
conversation. As the cliche goes, "It takes a
village."
Quality education for all students in Boundary
County is our number one priority, and we love
it when the community steps forward to provide
support and suggestions for making it better.
The Go-On rate is not only a Boundary County
concern, but a state-wide concern (visit
https://www.idahoednews.org/news/idahos-college-go-rate-drops-50-percent/).
However, the numbers are deceiving.
As you noted Mr. Bauer, this rate does not
include the students who joined the military. It
also does not include the students who chose
mission work immediately after high school,
prior to embarking on their college education.
Both the military and the mission field are
respectable post-secondary decisions, which we
whole-heartedly support here in Boundary County.
Oftentimes, a strong job economy also lures
individuals away from pursuit of a college
career. As noted by Matt Handelman,
Superintendent of Coeur d'Alene School District,
in the aforementioned Idaho Ed News article,
“People are just sort of following what they
need to do individually. They’re not going to
pay attention to the goal of the state.”
In Boundary County, we saw many of our former
students (and other local individuals) flock to
North Dakota and oil-rich areas during the boom
between 2012 and 2015. Many of these students
have come home and are pursuing their education,
while others are still successfully working in
those states.
We are proud to highlight the extensive efforts
which are underway in BCSD supporting
post-secondary college and career readiness. The
grant-funded GEAR-UP initiative (Gaining Early
Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs) was implemented five years ago with a
cohort of sixth and seventh graders, who are now
juniors and seniors at BFHS.
Within the next couple years, we will begin to
see the benefits of this program.
We have a team of admin, counselors and the
board working diligently to find ways to
financially sustain the GEAR-UP program when the
grant funds run out with the graduation of the
Class of 2018. Paula Petesch, Jacob Garrison and
Jaycee Atkins are to be commended for their work
with the GEAR-UP cohorts.
Jennifer Mackey was hired this year at BFHS as
counselor with her focus and emphasis
specifically on advanced opportunities and
post-secondary education. She is proud to share
that 94 of BFHS's 99 seniors have already
applied to at least one (most have applied to
more than one) post-secondary institution.
Keep in mind, some of these students may choose
to join the military or a mission effort prior
to entering an academic and/or technical
program.
We would also like to invite you to join the
social media group on Facebook, BFHS Counselor
Department.
You will see that page serving as an outlet to
make students, parents, and community more aware
of scholarships, application deadlines, and
other "Go-On" opportunities.
Not only are we proud of the efforts being made
at the high school level, but at the middle and
elementary levels, as well. We know a strong
educational foundation begins in the home, but
we are taking great strides to guide and support
our students to futures beyond their dreams.
Again, thank you for taking an interest in
Boundary County's Go-On rate and the quality of
education in our schools. We invite you to be a
part of the continued efforts in the quest of
making Boundary County schools a beacon of
educational excellence.
Our goal is to be "at the top of the state," in
more ways than just geography.
Please join our team at the next Advanced
Opportunities meeting at Bonners Ferry High
School in January (date and time TBA) to share
your thoughts and suggestions. We look forward
to working with you and any other community
members who wish to be part of the
collaboration.
Always Learning, |
Robin Merrifield
Director of Curriculum, Instruction and
Assessment
Boundary County School District 101 |
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