Webutuck aims for the top

WEBUTUCK — Webutuck High School Principal Ken Sauer has helped launch a school-wide initiative to make Webutuck the highest performing district in Dutchess County.“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be,” he said, citing favorable statistics, like the small size of the district. “We believe that we have the capacity to be the highest performing school in the county, [but] we’re not currently doing as well as we should be....This should be a perpetual goal for the future of Webutuck.”Sauer said that the goal will be difficult to achieve but not impossible.“We’re talking about systemic change. Systemic change isn’t easy and it won’t happen over night, but it’s something we can all buy into,” he said. “It’s an attainable goal.”There are several elements that the school is actively addressing on the journey to realizing this goal. Sauer discussed these steps during the Webutuck Board of Education meeting on Monday, Sept. 12.Already, eight committees have been formed to discuss, analyze and create a plan for the following areas: dropout prevention, “students as stakeholders,” curriculum and instruction, rigor, student morale, staff morale, school pride and public perception.Every member of the high school staff is required to be on at least one of these committees. Several students have also been recruited to participate.The committees will be working toward several smaller goals that make up the larger one.First, the graduation rates need to be improved by reducing the number of students who drop out.Only 72 percent of the students who started ninth grade in 2007 graduated in 2011. New York state laws require schools to maintain a graduation rate of at least 80 percent.Other factors that need to be improved include the percent of diplomas awarded with distinction, the percent of students passing the Regents exams, the percent of students reaching the mastery level on Regents exams, student attendance, staff attendance and the number of students requiring discipline for bad behavior.Sauer mentioned some things that the committees will be working on to meet the district’s goal.For example, he said, the Dropout Prevention Committee will be conducting a study on how to “hook” students so they are less tempted to leave school and students will be petitioning the government to increase the legal minimum age of dropouts.Other proposed initiatives included an after-school, before-practice study hall for athletes and Saturday academic support sessions.When the students returned to school on Wednesday, Sept. 7, they were greeted with posters and banners in every classroom that declared the new goal of the district.Sauer also addressed the high school students on the first day of school and spoke to them about the district’s new goal and the part the students will be playing in it.“Everyone here is committed,” said Sauer during an interview. “It’s going to take all of us. It’s got to take all of us,” he said, including the staff, the students and the parents.Besides improving the level and quality of education and the preparedness of the students for their future, Sauer said that being the highest performing school in the county will make people want to live within the district, which will increase property values.However, Sauer stressed that the main motivator is the increased quality education.“It’s about the school. It’s about these kids and these teachers... It’s about pride and accomplishment.”Sauer hopes to implement most of the initiatives during this school year, but he does not expect to reach the final goal this year.“It’s going to be a goal that isn’t going to happen in one year,” he said. “Can we do it in two years? Maybe, but three years is more realistic.”