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Superintendent outlines 'State of the Schools': academic gains, increases in extracurricular participation and staffing improvements amid budget pressure
Summary
Superintendent Murphy presented a State of the Schools on Oct. 20 highlighting academic gains, higher extracurricular participation, improved staff retention and rising substitute coverage, alongside plans for health and behavioral supports and ongoing curriculum work. He warned that budget pressures remain an urgent challenge.
Superintendent Murphy used the Oct. 20 board meeting to deliver a State of the Schools presentation that highlighted academic improvements, operational changes and expanded student supports while acknowledging continuing budget pressures.
The presentation listed measurable gains and new initiatives across academics, student supports and human capital — and included department‑level updates from operations, human resources, curriculum and athletics.
Key highlights
- Academic performance: the district rose from 2.5 to 3 stars overall on the state report card, with gap‑closing improving from 2 to 3 stars and early literacy from 1 to 2 stars, according to the district presentation. - Curriculum and instruction: the district completed curriculum maps and is implementing a standards‑aligned approach and MTSS (Multi‑Tiered System of Supports). The district is using walk‑throughs and diagnostic tools to align professional development to classroom needs. - Enrollment: district enrollment rose by 54 students since the end of the prior school year; most of the gain is at Harding High School. The district cited Lincoln Academy — a credit‑recovery/alternative program with 25 enrolled students — as one factor in retaining students who otherwise might have transferred to other options. - Student supports: the district expanded behavioral health partnerships (RFS and Village Network) and is pursuing a school‑based health center grant in collaboration with Center Street Health Center; it reported clearing the first stage of the grant process. - Human capital: staff retention rose (cohort retention increased about 10 percentage points over two years), the substitute pool grew by about 60% and the district raised daily substitute pay from $125 to $135 to boost coverage. The district also launched employee resource groups and an employee assistance program. - Extracurricular engagement: participation rose from 1,247 to 2,638 students district‑wide year to year; the district is adding youth clinics, middle‑school swim and new clubs to increase engagement.
Department updates presented to the board
- Operations (Kevin Haynor): reported enrollment increases in five schools and noted lost instructional days from removals and suspensions have declined. Haynor described collaborations with Marion County Family Court on attendance interventions and a new attendance dashboard to track chronic absenteeism. - Human Capital/Talent (Dr. Julie Kitty): reported that 99% of tested teachers are fully licensed, new‑hire cohort retention improved, and that daily substitute availability improved markedly (113 active subs with about 93 available on a given day). - Curriculum/Instruction (Dr. Ogden): described the district’s new instructional frameworks, the teacher walk‑through process tied to a CLSD grant and district dashboards that publish curriculum pacing guides and progress indicators for transparency. - Athletics/Extracurriculars (Athletics Director): described new programs like middle‑school swim, youth soccer and a planned girls flag‑football program along with partnerships to provide refereeing and career pathways for students.
Superintendent Murphy emphasized that the district’s operational and instructional improvements are mutually reinforcing and said the progress gives the district momentum it can use in community outreach and potential revenue requests.
He also said some initiatives — such as a proposed school‑based health center and expanded behavioral health supports — will require additional partnership development and funding.
What the board asked for
Board members requested continued updates and implementation metrics for curriculum, MTSS and staff support efforts. Several trustees said the State of the Schools presentation would help with future communications to the public about funding needs.
No formal board action was required on the State of the Schools presentation itself; the presentation functioned as an informational update and a framing document for subsequent committee work and budget planning.
