District reports sharp reduction in third‑grade students 'at risk' after targeted work

During the retreat the facilitator and superintendent highlighted third‑grade literacy as a central metric the board should watch. Mr. Poor asked aloud for the figure and the group discussed the data: "We started the year with about 49% of kids not at grade level to start the school year," a presenter said, adding that staff "brought them all the way down to 7.5%." The presenters framed that improvement as a systems issue — pointing to pre‑K, kindergarten through second grade interventions and targeted in‑class instruction — rather than a single cure.