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School board member reports gains in Lantana kindergarten readiness, highlights reading challenges
Summary
School board member Edwin Ferguson told the Lantana Town Council that kindergarten readiness rose to 40% (from 20% two years prior) but flagged ongoing struggles in third‑grade ELA, math and science that staff link to reading comprehension; he urged volunteer engagement and county partnerships.
Edwin Ferguson, an attorney who represents District 7 on the Palm Beach County School Board, presented academic results for Lantana Elementary and Lantana Middle School during the Oct. 13 Town Council meeting and pressed the community for help on early literacy and volunteer support. "Kindergarten readiness in Lantana, we're at 40 for this year," Ferguson said, noting that the figure doubled from 20% two years earlier.
Ferguson walked the council through class‑level proficiency numbers and pointed to a link between early literacy and later outcomes: "If you can't comprehend what's being read, it doesn't matter if you can sound it out," he said. He reported third‑grade ELA passing rates in the mid‑30s at some local schools and district‑level math passage rates he described as low; he attributed much of the deficit to reading comprehension rather than pure numeracy skills.
Ferguson urged parents and residents to join PTAs, volunteer in classrooms and engage with programs that support kindergarten readiness. He also described county and state efforts to create career and technical pathways and suggested municipal and county partnerships to help retain teachers and first responders through housing set‑asides or other incentives. He said he will follow up on a range of district questions raised by council members, including dual‑language supports and the number of mental‑health providers assigned to schools.
The presentation concluded with council thanks and agreement to seek further detail from school principals and district staff; Ferguson offered to supply documents and follow up via email.
