The Iowa Department of Education recently released its figures for graduation and drop-out rates for schools across the State. Atlantic School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said at Monday night’s School Board meeting, Atlantic’s four-year graduation rate was down slightly from last year’s 89.12-percent to 87.40-percent this year. The five-year graduation rate is 89.13-percent, which is down slightly from 2012’s 90-percent.The drop-out rate continues to decline, however. Last year it was 1.54-percent, which Amstein said is below the statewide average.

Atlantic School Board members don new headsets designed to make it easier for persons attending the meetings to hear Board conversations better.

This past year (2014), the dropout rate was 1.05-percent, which is also below the state average. Amstein said the district is doing well in preventing dropouts, but needs to work harder on the graduation rate. He said also, the Iowa Assessment data was received last week, but he didn’t have the numbers crunched to provide the board during their meeting Monday evening, but overall he says, “I think we did pretty well.

Atlantic he says, will start the 2015-16 School Year on August 24th, now that Governor Branstad signed the School Calendar Bill last week. And, the district will not have to make up three days missed due to snow earlier this year, prior to the end of the current school year. That’s because the district, which runs on an hourly calendar instead of a daily calendar, more than exceeded the State recommended 1,080 instructional hours of education. Atlantic has had 1,115.76 hours on the books so far this current year.  The district will continue with the hourly calendar in the coming school year, which will also exceed the state recommended hours. Staff members will continue to meet as required for those three days, however, but Amstein said there are plenty of activities planned for those persons.

And, the price for school lunches during the 2015-16 School Year will increase 10-cents across the board. When the year begins, High School lunch will run $2.60, Middle School and Schuler lunches will be $2.55, and lunch at Washington Elementary will cost $2.30. The increases were recommended by Food Service Director DeeAnnSchriener, as she strives to meet the State goal of $2.70 within the next three-years. The lunch prices for Atlantic have traditionally been lower than those of other schools in the Hawkeye 10 conference, according to Amstein.

In other business, the School Board approved a recommended 3.2-percent settlement with the District’s Certified Staff. The move will cost $306,000, and is based on the assumption the district will receive $252,000 (1.25%) in State Supplemental Aid for 2015-16.