Union board adopts Strong Readers policy, approves career‑tech and dual‑credit agreements and several operational measures

The Union school board on an evening meeting adopted a board policy implementing the state'required Strong Readers (Reading Sufficiency) Act, heard an annual report on college remediation rates and approved multiple operational contracts and appointments, including funding agreements with the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education and Tulsa Community College.

The adopted policy, numbered 5034 and described at the meeting as the Strong Readers Act, directs the district to use an approved dyslexia screener and other state‑approved screening instruments, provide reading intervention and professional development, notify parents of student progress, and post a statutorily required annual report on the district website by Sept. 1 with specified counts and percentages by grade. "This is the Strong Readers Act that is required by law," said Miss Kiger while presenting the new policy and its reporting requirements.

The policy passage followed a presentation explaining that the posted report must include, by grade, counts and percentages of: students who did not meet grade‑level targets on the approved screener; students enrolled less than two years in the district; students who demonstrated grade‑level proficiency on the screener; and students on individualized education plans (IEPs) who demonstrated grade‑level proficiency. The board moved and approved the policy by voice vote; several members recorded "yes" during the roll call.