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Manhattan students score on SAT9
All of Manhattan’s schools scored in the top 50th percentile or above in the SAT9 academic tests in all subject areas administered last spring, the Manhattan Beach Unified School District board was told on Monday.
Representatives from the district said that the elementary schools did the best with 88 percent of students scoring at or above the 51st percentile. Ninety-two percent of the second graders scored in the top 51 percent or higher, as did 85 percent of third graders, 88 percent of the fourth graders, and 93 percent of the fifth graders.
The middle school also received high marks. Eighty-eight percent of eighth graders scored in the top 51 percent or higher, as did 86 percent of the seventh graders, and 89 percent of the eighth graders.
At Mira Costa High School scores were a bit lower, but district officials attributed this to the fact that more than 50 percent of the school’s population came from outside the school district. In the ninth grade, 68 percent scored at or above the 51st percentile, in 10th grade 63 percent, and in 11th grade 62 percent.
The report stated that the most significant findings from the test results were district-wide gains in grades 2 and 3 in reading, math and language. Other important findings were a seven-point gain in grade 11 math and a nine-point gain in grade 2 spelling scores.
The board also received a report from GKK Architects regarding Pacific Elementary School modernization. Plans were submitted for additions to be built to the existing administration building, improving the library or building a new one, and increasing parking on-campus.
Total costs for these three projects was projected at about $600,000.
The Assistant Superintendent requested that bids for these improvements be added to the costs of other campus modernization to ensure that the district would get the most for its money from contractors.
Board members also asked the architects to consider a more cost-effective way of improving the administration building and to find a better method for increasing parking. They said that the current plans had little chance of making it past the city’s planning commission due to too many parking spots being located in the front of the campus.
The board meeting also saw the election of new officers were elected for the coming 12 months.
The board recognized outgoing the president, Lynette Campbell, for her accomplishments throughout her term. They then elected their new officials who will serve from December 2000 to November 2001. Peter Alfvin was made board president, Tracey Windes was named vice-president, and Teri Greene was chosen board clerk. Greene was also chosen as the board’s representative to the Los Angeles County School Trustees.
Several people spoke during the meeting’s audience participation portion to address the board’s new policy of requesting advance notice from members of the public who wish to speak at the beginning of the meeting.
The board said that they were always open to commentary from the public, and that people who did not file beforehand were allowed to speak at the end of the meeting.
Superintendent Jerry Davis announced that acceptance letters for a Mira Costa oversight committee had been mailed out earlier that day. He said that an official announcement of its members would be made at a later date once members had received their notification of acceptance.
The board’s next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 17. ER