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Superintendent: midyear assessments show growth; district highlights teachers, upcoming events and student concerns
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Summary
Superintendent Dr. Bekotes told the board midyear assessments show strong growth in grades 3—6 and identified about 42 teachers with high or high-average growth; she announced awards, upcoming fundraising and events and a Polar Plunge for Special Olympics, and a student representative reported lingering heating and line supervision issues.
Superintendent Dr. Bekotes opened the district report at the board's January 2026 meeting by saying the district is in the middle-of-year assessment stage and that students in grades 3 through 8 have shown "strong growth" in mathematics and English language arts. She told the board that about 42 teachers across the district had demonstrated high or high-average growth on those assessments and said the district will formally recognize K teachers once results are finalized.
Dr. Bekotes thanked staff for their work and highlighted several local recognitions and events: a Red Apple Well-Being Award connected to district participation in the health care trust; recognition of Sophia Lewis, a sixth-grade teacher at Penwood High School who will be inducted into the Delaware County Athletes Hall of Fame; the Penwood Foundation's dress-down scholarship fundraiser on Feb. 20; and an Evans Elementary Black Business Expo on Feb. 26. She also encouraged board participation in a Polar Plunge scheduled for Feb. 20 to raise funds for Special Olympics, asking for at least three board members and district administrators to participate.
Student representative Eli Faber reported that building heating "has generally been fixed," but that cold spots remain in some classrooms and that there are increased incidents of students cutting in morning lines; she said she had raised the matter with high school administration. In public comment, Mary Louise Faber asked for volunteer stage crew help for upcoming theater productions and provided contact points for parents and community volunteers.
During public questions on the treasurer's report, staff member Melinda Tax asked whether the "regular programs" line item includes brick-and-mortar schools, charter schools and out-of-district placements; administrators confirmed that those costs are included in the line item that was referenced in discussion as $20,000,000. Tax also sought clarity on whether "other support services" (appearing in the treasurer's report) referred to administration or student DCIU programs; the treasurer said those are student programs passed through the Intermediate Unit and referenced an amount of $476,000. The meeting record shows these clarifications but does not include detailed budget documentation in the public minutes.
