By Staff
Staff Reports, Hartselle Enquirer
The Alabama Department of Education began producing school accountability report cards in 1996. Printed copies for each public school will be sent home to parents in the coming weeks.
Details of the report include:
The ACT is required for admittance to Alabama colleges and universities. The average score in Hartselle is 22.4, compared to 20.4 in the state. The Southeastern average is 20.1 and the national average is 20.9
Hartselle students have more access to computers with internet access than their compatriots throughout the state.
On average, there are 4.1 students per computer with internet access, compared to 4.6 students per computer with internet access throughout the state. Access is greatest at the elementary school level, with Crestline Elementary reporting 3.8 students per computer with internet access; Burleson Elementary School 3.6 students; and Barkley Bridge Elementary School 3.2.
Those numbers increase in the upper grades, with six students per computer with internet access at Hartselle Junior High and 5.5 students at HHS.
2001's No Child Left Behind Act mandated teachers show increased teaching and subject matter knowledge. More than 91 percent of Hartselle's teachers in core classes, such as English, history, math, economics and art, are certified as Highly Qualified.
The number of Highly Qualified teachers for core subjects is highest at Crestline Elementary, where 98 percent of teachers meet the higher qualifications. Crestline is followed by Burleson and Barkley Bridge, both with 92 percent. Eighty-seven percent of the teachers at HJHS are listed as Highly Qualified and 84 percent of HHS teachers earned the designation.
The state average is 75 percent.
The report also shows a high number of Hartselle teachers hold master's degrees. Seventy-eight percent of Burleson Elementary teachers have master's degrees, compared to 69 percent of Barkley Bridge teachers and 67 percent of Crestline Elementary. Sixty-seven percent of Hartselle High School teachers have a master's degree and 52 percent of HJHS hold the higher diploma.
Fewer Hartselle students are enrolled in technical programs than other places in the state.
Some 52 percent of Hartselle students are in career/tech programs, compared to 55 percent statewide.
Discipline reports for serious offenses – assaults, bomb threats, drugs or weapons-related incidents – are included in the report card. HJHS reported two such incidents, both weapons-related problems, last year. The incidents resulted one suspension and one student was sent to the alternative school.
HHS reported five offenses. All were drug related and all of the students involved were sent to the alternative school.
Hartselle's school system receives more than 60 percent of its funding from the state. Another 28.7 percent comes from local taxes and 4.1 percent from local support, such as the money the city allocates to the system. Federal funds account for 5 percent of the total budget.
In 2003, Hartselle's school system had revenues of some $7 million.
The majority of money, some 71 percent, is used for student instruction. Administration accounts for 4 percent and operations and maintenance for 7.6 percent. Debt service is 5.6 percent of total expenditures; transportation 3.5 percent; food service 6.4 percent; and capital project 1 percent.
Hartselle spends some $6,270 per student, earning it a "C" grade, the same grade as the state and national average.
Hartselle gets high marks – the highest in the state – for the amount of revenue collected locally for schools. The mills equivalent figure is determined by dividing the total amount of locally collected revenue by the value of one regular system mill of ad valorem tax. The state average is 30.97. Hartselle scores 75.19.