Flatwoods Elementary reports large gains in reading and attendance at Braxton County Schools meeting

At the Braxton County Schools board meeting on Oct. 7, a presenter from Flatwoods Elementary reported substantial academic and attendance improvements and outlined plans to expand elementary CTE and career awareness activities.

The presenter said the school’s state assessment results showed strong year‑over‑year gains, reporting that the school reached 41% proficiency in English language arts last year — a jump the presenter described as "a huge growth" and stating, "we blew that out of water on both of them." She told board members the school also saw reported increases in mathematics and in K–5 I‑Ready diagnostics, saying I‑Ready performance for kindergarten through fifth grade moved from 12% grade‑level efficiency in the fall to 50% by year end.

The presenter emphasized attendance and chronic absenteeism as key factors. She reported that, measured from the first day of school through Oct. 7, Flatwoods’ chronically absent rate was 2.97% and overall attendance 97.4%, and contrasted those figures with a county average she cited (14.189% chronically absent; county average attendance 94.6%). "So as of right now, we are blowing what I thought was almost the impossible goal," she said, describing a target to reduce chronic absenteeism to 5.3% over the year.

The presentation named several steps staff say contributed to the gains: target goals tied to last year’s diagnostic data (a 5% growth target for the coming year), expanded student leadership opportunities and PBIS (positive behavior support) incentives such as "golden tickets," buddy readers across grade levels, monitoring and small‑group instructional strategies tied to I‑Ready results, and school culture efforts for staff (monthly staff luncheons and a redecorated teacher lounge).

The presenter also described plans to expand an elementary CTE program and noted partnerships with local organizations and volunteers that support programming and events. She listed local institutional support and volunteers, and gave an example of a $500 donation the school received to supply indoor‑recess resources. She credited county staff and community partners — including the academic team and local volunteers — for support in rolling out new materials and programs.

Board members praised the presentation. After questions from the chair about enrollment, the presenter said the school currently has 113 students and the team expects enrollment to rise as the programs gain visibility.

The presentation concluded with an open invitation for board members and central office staff to visit the school to see the programs and CTE preparations in person. (Presentation began in SEG 047 and concluded SEG 509.)