AURORA — There will be no new programs or initiatives in Aurora Public Schools for the 2008-09 school year.
And that’s exactly by design for Superintendent John Barry, who is in year three of his five-year plan to turn around the 32,000-student district.
Tuesday marked the first day of classes for students in APS, and it also meant Barry’s kickoff address at the Aurora Quest K-8 school, a new, high-performing school that combined the Quest and Summit academies.
“We transformed Aurora Public Schools to rival any school (system) in the nation,” Barry told a crowd of students, teachers and community leaders.
In his first year at the helm, Barry and his team devised a five-year plan, dubbed “Vista 2010,” to improve academic achievement and ensure all students can go to college prepared.
Last year, the plan was implemented. This year is the “year of refinement,” Barry said. “We have to build on it.”
Barry has plenty to be pleased about so far. Recent scores on the Colorado Student Assessment Program showed gains in literacy.
After implementing a closed-campus policy last year in high schools, truancy is down 6 percent districtwide, and 78 percent of all schools in APS improved in that area.
And a summer-school program that ended last month gave students an extra four-plus weeks in the classroom at every school, which officials hope to parlay into even better test scores in the coming years.
Quest sixth-grader Jordan Vaz is proof of the school’s success. The youngster gave a rousing speech about her school and how it has helped her become a top-notch student.
“Quest is so special because everything is such a challenge,” said Jordan, adding the new building will give students “more room to explode with knowledge.”
Community leaders such as Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates, Arapahoe County District Attorney Carol Chambers and Mayor Ed Tauer were on hand. Tauer noted that the state-of-the-art building will give students and teachers an upper hand in learning and that investing in the future of the children is worth every penny.
Like last year, Barry charged students to read more books, principals to make improvements in key academic areas, business leaders to provide a better scholarship base, and parents to get involved more in their children’s education.
“We can’t do this alone,” Barry said.
Funding issues to go to voters
AURORA — Voters in November will get two chances to help Aurora Public Schools fund programs to improve student achievement and build a new high school.
The school board Tuesday unanimously approved asking voters to approve two ballot measures. One is a $215 million bond package to increase safety and security, renovate older schools, build a high school and upgrade technology.
The second is a $14.7 million mill-levy override, or increase in the property tax. That money would pay for educational programs, full-day kindergarten and staffing. A 2 percent pay increase for all APS employees for the 2008-09 school year is contingent on voter approval of this proposal.
