Board hears Special Services spotlight and academic updates showing NWEA gains, tutoring and School of Choice data

At the Jan. 27, 2025 Romeo Community Schools Board meeting, staff presented a Special Services spotlight and academic updates that included NWEA reading benchmark gains, a high-dosage tutoring program and School of Choice enrollment data.

Why it matters: The presentations outlined academic progress and support plans that influence instructional programming and allocations for interventions and summer offerings.

Mary Selden and Paul Essian, with staff and students, presented an overview of Special Services Programs and shared photographs and parent testimonials illustrating typical classroom and playground activities. Board members praised staff for their work; Ms. Bowman and Mr. Boyer specifically commended the programs during public comment.

Elementary updates: Mr. Murray reported NWEA reading benchmarks and growth showing that the district’s lower elementary made gains beyond upper elementary for a second consecutive year. He described ongoing at-risk supports and an intervention program that is producing "outstanding gains" and noted a high-dosage tutoring program scheduled to run for 10 weeks, modeled on a program that produced significant gains last year. He also said summer skills planning targets grades 1–3 for in-person learning, with grades 4–5 using IXL for ELA and math.

Secondary updates: Ms. McFarlane said the district is leveraging grants to fund high-dosage tutoring and summer programs; she noted NWA testing had been delayed by recent cold days and that the district will share testing data at the next meeting. She summarized proposed course guidebook adjustments including two new courses, CTE description changes and moving Time Advisory from third to first period.

School of Choice: Dr. Robinson reviewed interdistrict SOC (105/105c) statutory requirements and recommended board approval for unlimited interdistrict SOC for grades Y5–8 and limited SOC for grades 9–11. The board also discussed intra-district SOC procedures; the minutes state that approval is not legally required for intra-district SOC but is approved historically by the board.

President Eichhorst thanked Croswell and Hevel staff for their Special Services work and cautioned the public against relying on social media for factual information, reminding residents that "the board and administrators' emails are always open for questions." The board later moved into a closed session for negotiations and returned to open session before adjournment.

Next steps: Administrators will present testing data and implementation details for tutoring and course changes at future meetings; School of Choice application processes will be managed under the approved policy for 2025–26.