Published: June 14, 2009 10:44 pm      

Rome named a Bright Star again

By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

DIX — For the third year in a row, Rome Grade School has earned the School Search Bright Star Award for Educational Excellence.

“We think the award is significant because I would like to think it shows the public we are making good use of our resources to educate children,” Rome Grade School Superintendent Dr. Dwain Baldridge said. “It’s nice to be a high performing school, but at the same time be recognized for being able to do it with the finances we have.”

Sixty eight of the 868 school districts in the state received the award, and Rome Grade School is the only school in Jefferson County to earn the distinction. The awards are given to districts based on students’ academic performance in the upper third of all school districts whose expenditures per student ranks in the lower quarter of school districts.

The award was based on 2008 Illinois State Board of Education School Report Card information showing that Rome students who met or exceeded the state standards in math and reading of third through eighth graders was 89 percent with Bright Star criteria at 87.33 percent. The Bright Star criteria for operating expenditures per student is $7,630 and Rome Grade School spends $6,299 per student — $1,300 less than the criteria.

“School Search does not promote low funding for schools,” information on the awards states. “These school districts may have many common struggles that may not be resolved unless they have additional funding. Major areas of concern for Bright Star recipients are lack of funding for technology, overcrowded conditions, large class sizes and buildings in need of repair. ... School Search believes Bright Star recipients should be acknowledged and considered for additional funding. It is likely these districts would make efficient use of additional funds based on performance.

Baldridge said smaller rural schools face challenges when it comes to finances and he believes Rome Grade School has been successful due to its board of education.

“They have done a good job of planning and looking ahead,” Baldridge explained. “For instance, we are blessed to have interactive Smart Boards in every classroom and for many years, that was part of a long-range goal. That helps a lot with the money. You plan for things.”

Other regional schools which received Bright Star awards are Fairfield PSD 112 in Wayne County; Jasper CCSD 17 in Wayne County; and New Hope CUSD 6 in Wayne County.

School Search is an educational research and consulting firm that publishes rankings of school systems. School Search provides comparative school district information for corporations, home builders, libraries, real estate professionals, school districts, attorneys, legislators and relocating families.

School Search honors districts with three awards throughout the year — The Bright Star Award, The Bright A+ Award for school districts whose students’ academic performance ranks in the top 5 percent of all Illinois school districts and the Bright Red Apple Award based on academic performance, pupil/teacher ratio, expenditure per pupil, educational level of teachers and average teacher salary.