During a recent school district meeting, community member Julie Wernke raised concerns regarding a significant gender disparity in test performance among students, particularly as her son prepares to enter 8th grade. Wernke highlighted a troubling trend where boys' test scores have consistently declined since elementary school, while girls' scores have remained stable or improved.

Wernke recounted her experiences attending district meetings over the years, noting that she first observed this disparity when her son was in elementary school. She pointed out that while other North Shore districts did not exhibit the same pattern, her district's boys' scores began to decline around 4th grade. Despite her inquiries into the reasons behind this trend, she received vague responses indicating that the district was unaware of the causes and would investigate further.

In 2021, Wernke learned from former board members that there had been intentions to address these gender disparities prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but those efforts were sidelined. As her son approaches high school, Wernke expressed her concern about the implications of these disparities on boys' academic futures, particularly as test results for elementary students continue to show girls outperforming boys.

Wernke's comments underscore a pressing issue within the district, prompting a call for a focused examination of the factors contributing to the gender gap in academic performance. As the district prepares to discuss test results further, the community awaits clarity on how it plans to address these disparities moving forward.