Red Apple principal reports literacy gains, plans move to new building in early 2026

Scott Campbell, principal at Red Apple School, told the Racine Unified School District Board of Education on Feb. 17 that the school has made measurable progress on early literacy and school-growth metrics while adding sixth grade this year.

Campbell said Red Apple’s local K–3 early literacy measure was 73 percent last year and that local assessments this school year show early literacy moving from about 36 percent earlier in the year to roughly 48 percent. “We hit 73 percent,” Campbell said of last year’s local literacy measure. He also noted that the school’s Wisconsin Forward Exam score for the relevant grades was 36 percent, which he said is roughly 20 percentage points higher than two years ago.

The presentation placed those gains in context: Red Apple’s school report card measures showed modest movement in several categories, including overall achievement and growth. Campbell cited numbers from the district report card showing school achievement edging from 41.7 to 42.0 and growth indicators moving from the low 40s into the high 40s and mid 50s for some measures. He also reported that third‑grade reading proficiency and ELA scores were in the 30s.

The principal described strategies the school uses to support reading growth, including targeted interventions, classroom scoreboards for K–3 teachers, monthly and quarterly attendance and behavior incentives (lunch with the principal among them), and the use of the Amira program for benchmarking oral reading fluency. “We’re making great strides in reaching that 75% goal with that strategic plan,” Campbell said, referring to the district literacy target.

Campbell said Red Apple added a sixth grade this year (about 54 sixth‑grade students) and that the school intends to open two seventh‑grade classrooms next year. He told the board the “progress of the building is incredible” and that administrators plan to move into the new facility in early 2026.

Board member Mister Coe asked about math interventions and how the school determines proficiency on measures such as nonsense words and oral reading fluency; Campbell explained that proficiency cutoffs are a “moving bar” through the year and described benchmarks used in different grade levels. Coe also praised the school’s classroom culture after recent visits.

The presentation concluded with the board thanking Campbell and noting the school’s next steps, including continuing literacy interventions, monitoring math data, and preparing for the building move.