In their last regular board meeting for the school year on Wednesday evening, the Madison Local Board of Education reviewed OGT results, learned of an exciting new addition to the art program, and approved seniors ready to graduate.
Superintendent Lee Kaple shared with the board preliminary results for the Ohio Graduation Tests all sophomore students took in the spring. Kaple stated Madison increased multiple percentage points in each subject for students scoring at a proficient level or better on their tests. Madison students scored 93.4 percent in writing, 92.9 percent in reading, 91.8 percent in math, 93.4 percent in social studies, and 84.6 percent in science, which Kaple noted has always been a challenge.
“These are the all-time highest grades we’ve had on the OGTs,” said Kaple. “Bravo to our high school staff, and this is a reflection on our kids too. They take these tests seriously and do a phenomenal job.”
The Madison High School art department finally completed a new addition as the school year comes to a close. It’s a project art teacher Jonny King had years in the making.
As an artist, King described himself as an “aspiring printmaker” with a plan to build his own printing press over the course of his art career.
“Printmaking is a little bit of a dying art form, mainly because printing presses are hard to come by and they’re extremely expensive,” he explained. “When I was hired at Madison and there were fully furnished welding, carpentry, construction technology and precision machining workshops, suddenly that pipedream became a lot more realistic.”
Thanks to the hard work of Madison’s vocational programs and the generous donation of materials from local companies, King’s printing press was finally finished last week after almost a year of work. He stated only a couple hundred dollars were invested into the project for specialty pieces and luxury items. The 700-pound etching press named “The Big Horn Press” now sits in the back of King’s classroom.
“It’s been an exciting project for me and the kids have been curiously watching this thing take shape in the back of the room,” said King. “Bless their hearts, the (vocational students) had no idea what on earth they were putting together, they were just making parts as I described them and sent them plans.
With the opportunity of Madison’s workshops here we could do something that wasn’t just a generic press, we could do something neat with it and turn it into a project itself.”
Three new administrators set to join the Madison team starting in the 2014-2015 school year. Michael Woody will take over as Principal at Mifflin Elementary effective July 28, Melissa Wigton will take over as Principal of Eastview Elementary effective July 28, and Kirk Manns will step into a dual role as Assistant Principal of Madison Middle School as well as Athletic Director, effective July 21.
The board also bid farewell to a number of retirees, kindergarten teacher Sandra Boehm, kindergarten teacher Deborah Hedrick, fourth grade teacher Mona Burdine, fourth grade teacher Kathy Kline, and bus driver John Reese. The five retirees have a total of 153 years of experience between them.
Also leaving Madison schools at the end of the school year are approximately 220 seniors ready to graduate, a slight increase from last year’s graduating class according to Kaple. The stage is set for Madison High School’s graduation to be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madison Middle School gymnasium.
“I’m really excited about it because it’s going to be our first year in the gymnasium, and we’re not going to have to worry about weather this year,” said Kaple.
The Madison board officially approved the list of 2014 graduates on the condition they meet all requirements of Madison Comprehensive High School and the Ohio Department of Education.
“I’m excited about graduation, probably more excited than the seniors,” said Kaple prompting a chorus of laughter and a “doubt it” comment from those present.
“These are the all-time highest grades we’ve had on the OGTs,” said Supt. Lee Kaple. “Bravo to our high school staff, and this is a reflection on our kids too. They take these tests seriously and do a phenomenal job.”
