The board of Greenwood Public Schools on Thursday approved a raft of last-minute policies required by the state for the new school year.
Approved were an institutional management plan that included making management plans for the district and individual schools available to every teacher at every school. Literacy-based promotion requirements and the district’s multi-tiered support system to identify special needs were part of the institutional plan.
Curriculum Director Mary Brown said the plan included more details this year than in years past to make sure teachers understand the details of district policy.
Also approved was a 2017-18 professional development calendar that provides a basic outline for when teachers and support personnel will be required to attend district training sessions and to identify topics those session will address. All public school districts are required to have such a plan in place, and individual schools overlay their own professional development plans on the master plan, Brown said.
Superintendent Jennifer Wilson emphasized that the professional development calendar should serve as a basic outline that could be augmented as the district collects data on student achievement and identifies areas where teachers and others need additional instruction.
The board approved an English Language Learner Plan, as required by the state, for students who speak English as a second language. They also approved a 2017-18 special education budget totaling $895,789 with around $100,000 of those funds carrying over from last year.
A discussion of personnel included new personnel and supplements to existing classrooms and programs. An updated payroll schedule was also approved.
Wilson told the board that the district was ready to begin the new year and that, as of now, only one teacher slot remained to be filled at Threadgill Elementary.
•Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.
