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Marietta board member grateful to serve

Atkins cites physical issues for exit

It was an emotional evening at Monday’s  Marietta City Schools Board of Education meeting  as it was the last meeting for longtime board member Don Atkins.

“It really has been an honor to serve on the Marietta City Schools Board of Education and I’m very grateful for this opportunity,” said Don Atkins.

“It’s not something I want to do, but due to physical problems, I have to back out,” Atkins went on to say.

He first joined the board in 2010 and began his second four-year term in January 2014.

“We appreciate your time and effort to really go above and beyond what you’re asked for and we just want to say thank you for everything,” Superintendent Will Hampton told Atkins.

“He’s been really great and we don’t want him to leave, but that doesn’t mean we won’t keep his number on file to call him when we need him,” Board President Bill Hutchinson said.

The board held an executive meeting to discuss filling the seat and have not released any specifics yet.

Also on Monday, the issue of the recently-released state report cards was addressed by board member Russ Garrison. Garrison expressed frustration regarding the Ohio Department of Education’s annual report cards.

“The state needs to measure the health and poverty levels of our district rather than just test scores,” he said.  “Poverty levels in this area are lower than other districts used with measurements of these test scores.”

The Board of Education will be meeting with the State Superintendent on Friday at Washington Elementary at 3 p.m. to discuss more about the state report cards and what action that will be taken with the recent release of the report cards.

“It’s an unfair system that really reflects poorly on not just our students but teachers as well, and that’s the hardest part about it,” Hampton said.

This meeting on Friday is open to the public.

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