2011 - Blue Ribbon Schools Program
A Public School
School Type (Public Schools):
(Check all that apply, if any) /
Charter /
Title 1 /
Magnet /
Choice
Name of Principal: Mr. Tom Culver
Official School Name: Avon Elementary School
School Mailing Address: / PO Box 407; 210 Pine StAvon, SD 57315-0407
County: Bon Homme / State School Code Number: 02
Telephone: (605) 286-3291 / E-mail:
Fax: (605) 286-3712 / Web URL: http://www.avon.k12.sd.us/
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2 (Part I - Eligibility Certification), and certify that to the best of my knowledge all information is accurate.
______Date ______
(Principal’s Signature)
Name of Superintendent*: Mr. Tom Culver Ed.S Superintendent e-mail:
District Name: Avon Public School District District Phone: (605) 286-3291
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2 (Part I - Eligibility Certification), and certify that to the best of my knowledge it is accurate.
______Date ______
(Superintendent’s Signature)
Name of School Board President/Chairperson: Mr. Jerry Finck
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2 (Part I - Eligibility Certification), and certify that to the best of my knowledge it is accurate.
______Date ______
(School Board President’s/Chairperson’s Signature)
*Private Schools: If the information requested is not applicable, write N/A in the space.
The original signed cover sheet only should be converted to a PDF file and emailed to Aba Kumi, Blue Ribbon Schools Project Manager () or mailed by expedited mail or a courier mail service (such as Express Mail, FedEx or UPS) to Aba Kumi, Director, Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Office of Communications and Outreach, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Room 5E103, Washington, DC 20202-8173.
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PART I - ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION / 11SD2The signatures on the first page of this application certify that each of the statements below concerning the school’s eligibility and compliance with U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) requirements is true and correct.
1. The school has some configuration that includes one or more of grades K-12. (Schools on the same campus with one principal, even K-12 schools, must apply as an entire school.)
2. The school has made adequate yearly progress each year for the past two years and has not been identified by the state as "persistently dangerous" within the last two years.
3. To meet final eligibility, the school must meet the state's Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirement in the 2010-2011 school year. AYP must be certified by the state and all appeals resolved at least two weeks before the awards ceremony for the school to receive the award.
4. If the school includes grades 7 or higher, the school must have foreign language as a part of its curriculum and a significant number of students in grades 7 and higher must take the course.
5. The school has been in existence for five full years, that is, from at least September 2005.
6. The nominated school has not received the Blue Ribbon Schools award in the past five years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 or 2010.
7. The nominated school or district is not refusing OCR access to information necessary to investigate a civil rights complaint or to conduct a district-wide compliance review.
8. OCR has not issued a violation letter of findings to the school district concluding that the nominated school or the district as a whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes. A violation letter of findings will not be considered outstanding if OCR has accepted a corrective action plan from the district to remedy the violation.
9. The U.S. Department of Justice does not have a pending suit alleging that the nominated school or the school district as a whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes or the Constitution’s equal protection clause.
10. There are no findings of violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in a U.S. Department of Education monitoring report that apply to the school or school district in question; or if there are such findings, the state or district has corrected, or agreed to correct, the findings.
PART II - DEMOGRAPHIC DATA / 11SD2All data are the most recent year available.
DISTRICT
1. / Number of schools in the district: / 1 / Elementary schools(per district designation) / 1 / Middle/Junior high schools
1 / High schools
0 / K-12 schools
3 / Total schools in district
2. / District per-pupil expenditure: / 6917
SCHOOL (To be completed by all schools)
3. / Category that best describes the area where the school is located: / Small city or town in a rural area4. / Number of years the principal has been in her/his position at this school: / 3
5. / Number of students as of October 1, 2010 enrolled at each grade level or its equivalent in applying school:
Grade / # of Males / # of Females / Grade Total / # of Males / # of Females / Grade Total
PreK / 0 / 0 / 0 / 6 / 12 / 12 / 24
K / 9 / 10 / 19 / 7 / 0 / 0 / 0
1 / 7 / 12 / 19 / 8 / 0 / 0 / 0
2 / 6 / 8 / 14 / 9 / 0 / 0 / 0
3 / 10 / 7 / 17 / 10 / 0 / 0 / 0
4 / 10 / 8 / 18 / 11 / 0 / 0 / 0
5 / 11 / 9 / 20 / 12 / 0 / 0 / 0
Total in Applying School: / 131
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6. / Racial/ethnic composition of the school: / 5 / % American Indian or Alaska Native0 / % Asian
0 / % Black or African American
2 / % Hispanic or Latino
0 / % Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
92 / % White
1 / % Two or more races
100 / % Total
Only the seven standard categories should be used in reporting the racial/ethnic composition of your school. The final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting, and Reporting Racial and Ethnic data to the U.S. Department of Education published in the October 19, 2007 Federal Register provides definitions for each of the seven categories.
7. / Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the 2009-2010 school year: / 5%This rate is calculated using the grid below. The answer to (6) is the mobility rate.
(1) / Number of students who transferred to the school after October 1, 2009 until the end of the school year. / 7
(2) / Number of students who transferred from the school after October 1, 2009 until the end of the school year. / 0
(3) / Total of all transferred students [sum of rows (1) and (2)]. / 7
(4) / Total number of students in the school as of October 1, 2009 / 131
(5) / Total transferred students in row (3)
divided by total students in row (4). / 0.05
(6) / Amount in row (5) multiplied by 100. / 5
8. / Percent limited English proficient students in the school: / 0%
Total number of limited English proficient students in the school: / 0
Number of languages represented, not including English: / 0
Specify languages:
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9. / Percent of students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: / 42%Total number of students who qualify: / 55
If this method does not produce an accurate estimate of the percentage of students from low-income families, or the school does not participate in the free and reduced-priced school meals program, supply an accurate estimate and explain how the school calculated this estimate.
10. / Percent of students receiving special education services: / 13%
Total number of students served: / 17
Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Do not add additional categories.
0 / Autism / 0 / Orthopedic Impairment
0 / Deafness / 0 / Other Health Impaired
0 / Deaf-Blindness / 5 / Specific Learning Disability
0 / Emotional Disturbance / 9 / Speech or Language Impairment
0 / Hearing Impairment / 0 / Traumatic Brain Injury
2 / Mental Retardation / 0 / Visual Impairment Including Blindness
0 / Multiple Disabilities / 1 / Developmentally Delayed
11. / Indicate number of full-time and part-time staff members in each of the categories below:
Number of Staff
Full-Time / Part-Time
Administrator(s) / 1 / 0
Classroom teachers / 7 / 0
Special resource teachers/specialists / 4 / 0
Paraprofessionals / 3 / 2
Support staff / 4 / 2
Total number / 19 / 4
12. / Average school student-classroom teacher ratio, that is, the number of students in the school divided by the Full Time Equivalent of classroom teachers, e.g., 22:1: / 19:1
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13. / Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students as a percentage. Only high schools need to supply graduation rates. Briefly explain in the Notes section any student or teacher attendance rates under 95% and teacher turnover rates over 12% and fluctuations in graduation rates.2009-2010 / 2008-2009 / 2007-2008 / 2006-2007 / 2005-2006
Daily student attendance / 97% / 97% / 97% / 97% / 97%
Daily teacher attendance / 99% / 99% / 99% / 99% / 99%
Teacher turnover rate / 0% / 0% / 5% / 0% / 0%
High school graduation rate / 0% / 0% / 0% / 0% / 0%
If these data are not available, explain and provide reasonable estimates.
14. / For schools ending in grade 12 (high schools): Show what the students who graduated in Spring 2010 are doing as of Fall 2010.
Graduating class size: / 0
Enrolled in a 4-year college or university / 0 / %
Enrolled in a community college / 0 / %
Enrolled in vocational training / 0 / %
Found employment / 0 / %
Military service / 0 / %
Other / 0 / %
Total / 0 / %
PART III - SUMMARY / 11SD2
Avon School, located in the town of Avon, is found in west central Bon Homme County. Avon, with a population of roughly 500 people is a typical small town in South Dakota. As with many small towns in South Dakota, the school is the center of social activities for the town and brings in community business.
The vision of Avon School is four fold:
1. The Avon School District will provide a clean, well-kept and functional facility that supports the needs of the curriculum and is available for appropriate community use. The Avon School District will encourage and foster a safe, caring atmosphere which values mutual respect between students and staff.
2. The Avon School District will provide a challenging and relevant curriculum, with high expectations to prepare students to succeed in a global society. Students will be unlimited by their selected post-high past, including military, workforce, technical or university options. The school district will cultivate an environment where technology is a part of the academic culture and empowering students to meet state academic standards in all content areas using traditional and innovative technologies. The School District will establish community partnerships for work-based student learning opportunities.
3. The Avon School District is committed to developing independent life-long thinkers and learners who can communicate effectively, work collaboratively, and resolve problems efficiently. Students have the right to an education of the highest quality where their learning styles are appreciated and their diversity is valued. Students will be encouraged to appreciate and value education as well as recognize their responsibility for learning. Learning is the shared responsibility of the student, family, and school district.
4. The Avon School District will ensure students are provided with highly qualified teachers. The School District will provide appropriate professional development through administrative policy and available educational agencies. The School District will provide opportunities for staff to communicate and collaborate for the benefit of the students and instruction.
Unlike many small schools, the Avon School District is growing. Fifty-three students open enrolled to the district for the 2009-10 school year. This is over 20% of the 247 student body. Classes have a 12 to 1 student-teacher ratio. Small classes work to the advantage of teachers and students.These resultscan be seen on the Dakota STEP tests. In reading, third and eighth grade studentstest at100% proficient or advanced. In math, the fourth and eighth grades tested 100% proficient or advanced. Eighth grade students tested 71% proficient or advanced in the technology literacy survey. The ACT Composite in 2009 was 19.6. In 2009 and 2010, Avon Elementary and Junior High were named Distinguished Schools.
The school and community work together in many ways. As families bring their open enrolled children to school, they frequent local businesses, which keeps Main Street thriving. Along with academics, our school has a strong sports program, and many community members pack the stands to support the athletes. Another way the community supports the school is by local businesses donating prizes to the Student of the Month program in the Junior High and High School.