It’s been five years, he told the crowd.
Dr. Ted Horrell, superintendent of the LSS (Lakeland School System) said next year is the fifth year since the municipal school systems started, including LSS.
And with that tidbit of information he launched into a slide presentation of enrollment projections, updates in the system, TNReady scores and images of the first year at LMPS (Lakeland Middle Preparatory School) as well as slides from LES (Lakeland Elementary School).
He spoke at the monthly luncheon of the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce at Stonebridge Golf Club today (7.25.18).
Photos from today’s luncheon:
For 2018-19 the System is expecting 1,650 students with 900 at LES (grades k-4) and 750 at LMPS (grades 5-8), he said. The annual general fund budget is $14.2 million. There should be approximately 650 Lakeland students at Arlington High School (AHS). Local high school students attend AHS until a high school is built in Lakeland.
Significant Achievements
- LES was named one of six schools in Tennessee as a National Blue Ribbon School with the overall winner to be announced this fall.
- LSS was one of 20 in the state to receive a $20,000 grant for staff personal development.
- LES is #1 in the state, grades 3-5, English/Language Arts and Math for the third year in a row.
Of the state ranking on LES, Dr. Horrell said, “We are hoping to keep the run going.”
Because LSS chose to use online testing at the middle school, the assessment results were not as noteworthy as LES. There were widespread failures in the testing system most every day of the testing. “We don’t think the kids had a fair shot,” he said of the d failures. “We were delighted we got #4,” he said of the state ranking for 3-8 in English/Language Arts and Math.
The state made the decision, after soliciting feedback from superintendents, that all students in grades 2-8 will take the assessments by paper and pencil next year, said Dr. Horrell. Only high school students will take their tests online.
Other Lakeland rankings for 2017-18 are listed below:
Active construction projects within the System total $7 million he said, including football and soccer fields at LMPS and classroom expansion and renovation at LES. Of the new football field, he said, “It will be the best looking middle school football field in the County.”
Besides the fields, the LMPS project components include new drive and parking lot, concessions building and restrooms and a storage building.
At LES, the most significant change will be the entrance to the school. With the construction, it will become a secure entryway similar to LMPS. “It will make the school safer, more secure.”
In closing, Dr. Horrell presented images of the first year at LMPS as well as slides from LES. “We had kids coming back from AMS (Arlington Middle School) and we didn’t want them to lose any experiences they had at AMS.
“Ask yourself. Do these look like pictures from a school that just opened?”
The middle school opened with Chromebooks for every student in grades 5-8, and they are highly monitored, he said.
There was interest in matching expected middle school activities but going beyond peer schools. Thus, LMPS in its first year, offered football, cheer, pom, cross country, volleyball, choir, orchestra, band, Battle of the Books Club, student government and its first theatrical production, Peter Pan.
There was discussion to open the middle school one grade per year, but in the end, all four grades were opened the first year. “We were not optimistic about getting many of those students (from AMS) but 120-130 eighth graders came and most of the seventh graders. It was the best kind of surprise you can get. They helped set the tone for the school.”
He noted teachers at LMPS were a key component to the first year success of the school. “Once you get teachers in, you back up and let them work.”
For the 2018-19 school year, boys and girls soccer will be added. “There will be more opportunities for students to be involved,” he said.
Among images at LES, Dr. Horrell presented slides of students involved in “Shark Tank,” inventing things and selling the products to students and “compound word surgery,” a word study with students wearing surgical masks and gloves. “There is innovative teaching beyond the plans,” he said. LES students also presented a play, Annie Jr., and have Guitar Club and a choral music group.
Sponsor of the luncheon today was Realtor Billy Rodgers. He is with Crye-Leike Real Estate and the broker for The Lake District (TLD). He announced there will be an open house from 3-6 p.m. Aug. 30 at Stonebridge to show renditions of the home plans for TLD. The project is to be constructed at Canada Road at I-40 in Lakeland.
The next Chamber luncheon is Aug. 22 with Maggie Bragg from ALSAC speaking. The Chamber Golf Tournament is Oct. 1. Link to the Chamber website: https://www.mylakelandchamber.org/ .
… Photos by Anna Stonestreet Smith, local photographer, https://www.annastonestreetphotography.com/portfolio-1
