2007 Lane County Federal Priorities

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Fec~era~ Priorities -2007 Education ~ Pubic Hea~t~Z ~ommunit Su ort .' Y PP , j Springfield is quickly becoming a hub for the arts. in the Willamette Valley. Internships, mentoring opportunities, and guest artists give students the opportunity to work side by side with area theater. and arts professionals, supporting high standards of excellence. A3's downtown Springfield location has enabled partnerships with the newly renovated Wildish Theatre, which ' opened thanks to general federal and community support, and the Emerald Arts Center, " ensuring A3 a key role as a catalyst in the .resurgence of the Arts in .Springfield.: Funding History In 2004, Springfield Public Schools received a $312,000 grant to plan } the Academy of Arts and Academics. These funds, awarded through the Oregon Smaq Schools Initiative by the Bill and Melinda. Gates Foundation and the Meyer .Memorial Trust, .were used to research and design curriculum, .assessment strategies, staffing plans, and governance structures. ~ ~'~ _, Through a combination of District funds and local support, the school was able to open in September 2006 for 90 ninth- and tenth-grade I students. Thanks to a $500,000 commitment from the District, an j existing District property in downtown Springfield was renovated to house the school; the students officially moved into the new facility in December 2006. As a result of District funding and support from community foundations and businesses, the District was able to reduce the amount of funding required for full implementation to the requested $600,000'. These federal resources are vital to enable the District to move the school ' from its current small scale to a rigorous arts-based small high school serving up to 250 ninth- through twelfth-grade students. Funds will be used for a variety of startup expenses, including classroom equipment, computer hardware and software, audio-video .equipment, art supplies,. professional development and teacher release time, guest artist stipends, afull-time coordinator position, and other program expansion costs-components essential to A3's lasting success. - ~ =; j , Once these resource needs are met, the District will be able to support A3 completely through '~ ' its state school fund allocation and local support. %• About the District The Springfield Public Schools' student population of 11,000 includes an increasingly diverse and high-needs population. About 56 percent of the students qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch program, up 10 percent over the last five years, and 17 percent qualify for Special Education. Growth in En lish Lan ua a Learners is avers in 15 ercent a ear and the 9 9 9 9 9 P Y, number of Hispanic students has .doubled in .five .years. In spite of the increased strain on ~ ' resources in the last five years, District students have shown significant progress in ; achievement in the. spirit- of the No Child Left Behind Act, with the implementation of..the Springfield Quality Education Model and unique programs like A3. Recent testing results show a ~ remarkable growth in reading scores as a result of a variety. of literacy initiatives, as well as substantial gains in most other areas to bring scores in line vvith, or exceeding, state averages. I ~'_~~ 20 I __ __ __