Fort Frye BOE hears presentation on math program

BEVERLY -- The Fort Frye Board of Education held its regular meeting Monday night at Fort Frye High School in the Cadet Career Center.

The board heard a presentation from Salem-Liberty Elementary teachers Ericka Schneider and Lynette Stengel on the Reflex Math program. Reflex Math is an app for elementary math class students for mastering basic facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

The program allows students to learn the process, or facts, of math through games and learning. Schneider said teaching these facts to students usually involved multiple steps and complicated math tables but the Reflex Math program makes it easier on students to be able to instantly recall those facts. Schneider said the Reflex Math program provides a lot of scientific research about the importance of the automaticity of math facts.

"So, knowing the instant recall of those facts is just so important, because we have multiple skills like that that show up," Schneider said. "And you can imagine how long and tedious that is for students who don't know their facts."

Stengel said the Reflex Program is designed to be used three days a week for 15-20 minutes. She said her students use the program in the mornings.

"They come in, they do that, and in 10 minutes they're done, and they can read their silent reading book, or something, until everybody's done," Stengel said. "So, it's kind of just another extra tool in our tool box but I think it's probably our most powerful tool at the moment to get them the most fluent more quickly."

During the consent agenda the board approved the job description update for the mechanic position available as well as the description for the transportation/facilities supervisor position.

The board also accepted a number of donations for the Fort Frye FFA. They accepted $100 from the American Legion Post #389 towards FFA Scholarships, $1,000 donation from the Ohio FFA Alumni Association for Julia Silvus and Marguerite Fulton's trip to the Washington Leadership Conference, $50 from the Haines Family and $50 from C&J Farms.

The board also accepted the donation of $25,000 from The Citizens Bank Company to go towards the high school gym improvement project for new basketball backboard mounts, hardware, and installation .

"I always appreciate those donations from businesses and community members to help our students with opportunities and our high school gym improvement project," Board member Karri Schilling said. "That's great. So, very appreciative of those."

During the administrative and financial agenda the board approved a number of personnel and curriculum items.

The board voted to to adopt and purchase Universal Screeners to amplify class for K-3 Reading & Math Assessment Suite and NWEA Map for grades 3-8 for Reading, Math, and Science Assessment as presented to the board by Nichol Honaker, director of curriculum and special education for Fort Frye Local Schools, during the March 23 meeting.

"It's called Map Growth," Honaker said during the previous meeting. "Grades three through eight is what we're proposing. That they would take this assessment, and it's given three times a year, and it'll give us data for ELA (English Language Arts) reading, for math, and for science. Which is something we haven't been able to universally screen (for) in the past."

The board also approved the Rise Up curriculum as an online industrial credential in customer services, sales and retail industry fundamentals to help students earn credentials to help meet alternative competencies.

"This just gives us an alternative for students to meet a pathway for graduation," Superintendent Stephanie Starcher said.

The board also approved student gap-closing services for PEAK Summer Credit Recovery program. The program is for students in grades 7-12 and will be held June 1-July 31. Teachers will meet, or consult, with students up to eight hours per week as needed. Cost for students is $100 per half credit and $150 for 1 credit hour.

The board approved the three-year Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE) labor contract for 2023-2026 as presented and the 2023-2024 school contract for athletic trainer services at the rate of $15,000 annually with Memorial Health System.

"This works out really great for us having this athletic trainer from MMH," Starcher said. "It's a really great partnership."

Starcher said the school district is still hiring for substitute bus drivers, as well.

The next meeting for the Fort Frye Board of Education is scheduled for May 18 at 5:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.