Superintendent
|
PHILLIP KUHN |
With summer right around the corner, there is still much to accomplish with our students. During the 2023-24 school year we’ve experienced tremendous growth and many successes. Our mid-year data for reading and math, according to STAR, indicates we have made well above expected growth with our students. On average, our student performance for reading and math was around the 30th percentile at the beginning of the school year. At mid-year, most groups of students performed around the 50th percentile. This is an indicator that our staff has been highly effective, and is growing our students at a much higher rate than most other districts. It’s our hope this will be reflected on state testing this spring. We continue to emphasize the importance of students giving their best effort on these state assessments. We have some amazing students in our district who have the ability to accomplish great things.
Our district has worked hard to encourage participation in the various programs we offer. Overall participation in performing arts such as band, choir, and theater have increased. We have also invested in new sound equipment to support these programs. Our elementary students have been participating at the state Beta convention. South Gallia and River Valley High Schools have increased in the percentage of students who have joined Drug Free Clubs of America. We’ve had success in various competitions such as the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Mock Trial, and Poetry Out Loud to name a few. Over the past two years, we have improved our athletic facilities and offerings. We have resurfaced both high school gym floors, worked to get additional baseball/softball fields playable, built spaces for those spring sports teams to hit and/or practice, added playground equipment at each elementary school. This was the 3rd year to have elementary basketball teams back in our gymnasiums. We purchased new volleyball equipment for junior high at River Valley, new weight room and track equipment at South Gallia, and started an Athletic Hall of Fame at River Valley. Our district has added a few club sports to expand our offerings. Middle school soccer, high school bowling, and middle school baseball/softball teams have been established. We are also continuing to plan for our upcoming building projects. This plan consists of adding 5th grade students to the current River Valley Middle School by building six classrooms and a new media center. We plan to build a new gymnasium at RVMS so we have an area to accommodate the entire student body for assemblies and performances. This will also support our students by addressing our practice and game needs. These additions will address growing population concerns at Vinton and Addaville Elementary. Great things are happening in the Gallia County Local Schools as we continue to make positive changes and work toward providing the best opportunities for our kids.
Phillip Kuhn,
Superintenden
|