Tardy paperwork will hurt Oklahoma school districts
Picher-Cardin, El Reno missed date

BY DAWN MARKS

Published: November 19, 2008

Two school districts face penalties because they missed the deadline to turn in school improvement plans to the state Education Department.

Officials for Picher-Cardin turned in the plan Tuesday, and El Reno Superintendent Ranet Tippens said his district’s paperwork should be in by Friday.

Districts with schools that did not make adequate yearly progress were required within three months of notification by the state Education Department to submit plans to get those schools off the "needs improvement” lists. That gave districts until the week of Nov. 10 to submit plans. Test scores, attendance and graduation rates are factored into whether schools make adequate yearly progress.

Because they missed the deadline to submit plans for Picher-Cardin Elementary School and Etta Dale Junior High School in El Reno, those districts will have a deficiency on their accreditation from the state department for the coming school year, said Shelly Hickman, state Education Department spokeswoman.

Districts try to explain

Dale Barr, Picher-Cardin superintendent, said his employees hand delivered a plan to state officials Tuesday and it was just an oversight in not getting it in on time. Barr also said district officials are in the discussion phases of voluntary annexation for the coming school year and closing the district’s school buildings.

Tippens said her district was late because two employees thought the other was turning in the plan. The school was on the "needs improvement” list because of attendance.

Your thoughts!