Most Islanders received the Mercer Island School District’s annual report for the 2010-2011 academic year in the mail last week.
The year began with budgetary challenges that were overcome by the efforts of both school administrators and the community. The Mercer Island Schools Foundation and the PTA Bridge the Gap Task Force brought in unprecendented amounts of money to make up for budget shortfalls. But, 2011 ends with the same situation.
Faced with growing enrollment, with over 600 elementary students in portables, and the middle school with 187 students more than it’s designed for, the district will be asking voters on April 17 to pass a bond for new schools, which will also be more conducive to the district’s 2020 Vision, in addition to providing more space for students. A demographic chart in the report demonstrates projected trends.
Mercer Island students continue to demonstrate outstanding academic achievement. Both Mercer Island High School and Islander Middle School outscored the state average in the Measurement of Student Progress (MSP) and the High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE), and the end-of-course math exams. All three of the elementary schools placed in the top 4 percent of all schools in the state, based on the 2011 MSP results.
The report also states, “93 percent of the graduates of the class of 2011 had plans to continue their education, 86 percent at a four-year institution and 7 percent at a two-year school. Of the college-bound students, 58 percent go out of state. Students from the class of 2011 are attending 88 different colleges and universities across the nation and the world. Of these, the majority are private institutions.”
In 2010-2011, 9.9 percent of the MISD K-12 student population qualified for one or more special education services. Special education is a federal and state-mandated program that districts are obligated to provide. Last year funding was almost $600,000 short for special education.
MI School District data
For more information on the school district; its schools, programs and planning, go to www.misd.k12.wa.us.
In particular, view the information on the 21st Century Committee reports and the Fall 2011 issue of the District Newsletter.
