Transition dominates school year

“It was a great deal of work to be accomplished in June and July,” Superintendent Dotson Bradbury said of implementing a reconfiguration plan that created a combined West Franklin High School at Pomona, a combined West Franklin Middle School at Pomona and K-5 elementary schools at Williamsburg and Appanoose.

Getting schools ready included relocating teaching materials and classrooms, as well as maintenance issues like painting and remodeling the high school’s vocational building, Bradbury said.

He said the transition for students, however, went very smoothly.

“The response from patrons and from students has been nothing short of miraculous,” he said.

Bradbury said the cooperation and camaraderie between students was heartwarming.

“Students have just been incredible in their willingness and effort to come together as one school and one athletic team,” he said.

Bradbury said some of West Franklin’s goals for the future include improving the district’s bus fleet and continuing to make improvements to existing facilities, heating and air conditioning, parking lots and technology.

In the area of academics, West Franklin, along with Wellsville and Central Heights, met the state’s academic standards for adequate yearly progress on state tests.

Schools in Wellsville received Standard of Excellence honors in multiple grades and in multiple subjects, a distinction that’s not easy to achieve, Superintendent Denise O’Dea said last year.

Enrollment numbers varied throughout Franklin County.

West Franklin, which saw turmoil from its reorganization plan, initially lost about 110 students in 2007 to other school districts, though some of those students later returned to enroll in the district, Bradbury said.

Central Heights’ enrollment was stable with a handful less than last year, and Wellsville reported an increase of about 35 students in 2007 from the year before.

Herald staff writer Jodie Garcia can be e-mailed at jgarcia@ottawaherald.com.