Two of four middle schools in Pueblo will have federal grant funds for innovation reinstated . As KRCC’s Katherine-Claire O’Connor reports the decision comes after the State’s Board of Education met with the district’s superintendent and principals to talk about plans for improvement.
Pitts and Risley middle schools will be given another year of innovation funding. Some of the strategies moving forward include longer calendar years and school days, and a new International Baccalaureate Program. But Freed and Roncalli middle schools didn’t make the cut. Board of Education spokesman Peter Sherman says the schools needed more realistic goals.
“So theses are schools that have had low performance, low academic achievement, as well as low growth and it’s been declining. We are looking for plans that are coherent, that are comprehensive, that will really dramatically change things.”
Pitts and Risley will receive the reinstated funds in intervals at the discretion of the State Board of Education. The funds were initially revoked because of low test scores. The District has been planning to close Freed Middle school after this year and reopen it as a K-8 school.
