UPDATE: After much debate and discussion, the Hamilton County school board voted 7-2 Thursday night to move forward with conversations with the state about what a Partnership Zone will look like.
The state gave the district two options – a state-run Achievement School District or a shared governance with a proposed Partnership Zone – for intervention in the five priority schools, or iZone schools, that have shown a pattern of low performance: Brainerd High, Dalewood Middle, Orchard Knob Elementary, Orchard Knob Middle and Woodmore Elementary.
Each of the district’s priority schools, with the exception of Brainerd High, were put on notice in 2002. In 2012 they were placed on the state’s priority, or iZone, list. All five of the district’s iZone schools have failed to move off the list, with little to no improvement despite being given more than $11 million in grants over the past four years.
The vote on the Partnership Zone was not on Thursday night’s agenda, despite State Education Commissioner Candice McQueen stating previously that she expected the board to vote in its September meeting. School board chairman Steve Highlander said the vote was not placed on the agenda because it was not formally requested.
This is a developing story. See complete report in Friday’s Times Free Press.