PINEVILLE — All members of the Bell County Board of Education were present Monday night for their monthly meeting, and received good news regarding the academic status of the district’s Elementary School students.

Elementary schools in the Bell County School system participated in the Iowa Test of Basic Skills this year, with some schools making it into the 70th percentile in some subjects.

It was the first year that the district participated in the nation-wide assessment and the results of the test showed that the Bell County students are ahead of many of their peers nation-wide.

Third graders across the district displayed reading skills that ranked in the 60th percentile or higher, and overall, the students skill levels are competitive.

“I feel like, that for the first time that we took the test, that we did really well,” said Jennifer Jones of the county’s Department of Assessment.

Jones also noted that the tests were administered almost immediately after the annual state testing given at the end of the last school year, and that many children were no doubt mentally taxed.

Continued participation with the Basic Skills Test and higher scores are expected in the future.

The board also received a report from Bell Central Principal Greg Wilson and Frakes fifth grade math teacher Josh Trosper, regarding the implementation of the Singapore Math teaching method.

This is the first year that the method will be taught and expectations for its success are high.

“What I am really impressed with is the emphasis on problem solving,” Wilson told the board.

The presentation to the board included sample questions and Singapore methods for solution.

Chris Warren, who heads attendance initiatives for the schools, reported that enrollment is down by 40 students for the academic year compared to last year. He attributed the decline to increases in private and home schooling and a drop in the birth rate.

He is focusing, he says, on keeping kids in school and increasing regular attendance. Warren pledged to make face-to-face visits to parents of students with excessive unexcused absences.

The board voted to set tax rates for at 46.1% for real estate and tangible property, reflecting the recommended compensating rate. A decrease in the assessed value of the County’s coal supply is responsible for the suggested increase.

Increasing taxes beyond the suggested rate to supplement the district’s budget was discussed, but board members felt that an additional increase was too much to ask of residents in the present economy.

Additionally, the board took the following actions:

Members voted to approve a payment for the Vocational School construction in the next week, pending progress of the project.

They approved the final plans and specifications for the High School and Bell Central, pending approval by the Kentucky Department of Education, and voted to advertise the bidding of the project.

The board further approved:

•The minutes of the last meeting

•Payment of bills

•Fund raising requests

•Facilities requests

•Out of state transportation requests

•Applications of Emergency Substitute Certification

•An extended Disability Leave Request

•Grant Applications

• A Coal Severance Resolution

•A motion to provide visually impaired services

•The first reading of a Board Policy on Energy Management

•A DJJ Interagency Agreement

•Indirect Cost Formula for Fiscal Year 2011

•District Reading Coach Job Description

•Drug Counselor Contract with UNITE

•A shortened school day for student with special needs

•A request from Bell County High School’s SBDM

Lorie Settles is a staff writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. She can be contacted via e-mail at lsettles@heartlandpublications.com.