The Rugby Public School District got a clean audit report from Brady Martz and Associates at Tuesday’s meeting of the school board. The schools complied w—ith all laws and regulations. Kudos were given to Ryan Lagasse both for his work and his cooperation with the audit.

Leah Johnson, school improvement team member, gave a report on areas for school improvement that the committee is working on. She pointed out to the school board members that the red and yellow boxes on the handouts are areas that need attention. Green is good. For an example, she showed ACT scores for Rugby as a red zone two -three years ago but now it is green.

“That’s a testament to our teachers’ diligence,” she said.

Another area that educators must address is school bullying being taken to a new level.

Bullying is a topic that is talked about quite a bit. Bullying has gone on through many generations of students, but the public is becoming more aware of finding solutions to the problem. Rugby schools are no exception. They have a school climate goal which includes finding a solution that reduces the number of bullying incidents and attends to the needs of both the victim and the bully. Cyber bullying, using text messages and e-mails, is a challenge.

No Child Left Behind has a student achievement goal that all children be proficient in reading and writing by 2012-2013. It is what educators always work towards. The Rugby schools’ educators work on two areas specifically, those who can’t learn and those who won’t learn. They are developing interventions for those who can’t learn. More challenging are the students who choose not to learn. However, the committee is working on interventions for them, as well.

Johnson left the board with her wish list which includes: A need for a Professional Learning Communities coordinator at the Jr. High. Mrs. Braaten is the coordinator at Ely School. Another item on the wish list is a full- time tutor for students who need extra help. A classroom teacher is in a “Catch 22”. Does the teacher use the classroom time to give extra help to those who need it or teach the other students who are also learning at the regular pace? Both take time and attention. The board thanked Johnson for her input at the meeting.

The board has received a resignation letter from the instrumental music instructor, Mr. Gary Fulsebekke, effective at the end of the school year. No action was taken by the board at this meeting.

During the holiday break, asbestos abatement will be done at the school and will be completed before the return of students on Jan. 3.