By KEVIN NEVERS

Chesterton High School students, both college-bound and general-education, continue to out-perform their cohorts on the SAT, ACT, and Graduation Qualifying Exam (GQE).

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Duneland School Board, Assistant Superintendent Monte Moffett released the latest numbers.

On the SAT college placement exam, given to students to predict their success in college, CHS college-bound students in 2008 scored significantly higher in most categories than both the state and national average, Moffett said:

•On Math, they scored an average of 533, 25 points higher than the state average of 508 and 18 points higher than the national average of 515.

•On Reading, they scored an average of 519, 23 points higher than the state average of 496 and 17 points higher than the national average of 502.

•On Writing, they scored an average of 498, 17 points higher than the state average of 481 and four points higher than the national average of 494.

On the ACT placement exam, CHS college-bound students in 2008 similarly posted some respectable numbers:

•In College English Composition, they scored 10 percent higher than the state average.

•In College Algebra, they scored 19 percent higher than the state average.

•In College Social Science, they scored 18 percent higher than the state average.

•In College Biology, they scored 18 percent higher than the state average.

•And cumulatively, they scored 19 percent higher than the state average.

Meanwhile, Moffett said, 87 percent of all CHS general-education students passed the GQE, a requirement for graduation, with an average passing score of 587.3 in English/Language Arts, or 36.3 points above the state average; and an average passing score of 629.7 in Math, or 42.4 points above the state average.

Breakdowns:

•In English/Language Arts, 79 percent of all CHS 10th-graders passed, compared to 67 percent at the state level; 79 percent of all white CHS students passed, compared to 73 percent at the state level; 77 percent of all Latino CHS students passed, compared to 46 percent at the state level; 40 percent of all CHS students with disabilities passed, compared to 21 percent at the state level; and 63 percent of all CHS students with free or reduced-price lunches passed, compared to 49 percent at the state level.

•In Math, 75 percent of all CHS 10-graders passed, compared to 66 percent at the state level; 76 percent of all white CHS students passed, compared to 72 percent at the state level; 65 percent of all Latino CHS students passed, compared to 50 percent at the state level; 33 percent of all CHS students with disabilities passed, compared to 26 percent at the state level; and 65 percent of all CHS students with free or reduced-price lunches passed, compared to 48 percent at the state level.

“The consistently higher scores of the CHS students on the college aptitude exams and the GQE are testimony to the abilities of our students and to their dedication along with that of the parents, teachers, and the Duneland school community,” Superintendent Dirk Baer said.

Moffett did note that the sub-groups in the GQE pulled down the average CHS score. Nevertheless, he said, each sub-group still scored a higher, usually a much higher, average than the state.

2009 Budget

In other business, the board held a public hearing on the 2009 Capital Projects Fund budget, the 2009 Bus Replacement budget, and the 2009 DSC budget. No one spoke in favor of or in opposition to any of them.

For 2009 the DSC has advertised the following budgets:

•General Fund (GF): $40,180,395, compared to last year’s advertised GF of $38,706,476, an increase of 3.8 percent. The GF is the single largest component of the total budget and pays the day-to-day costs of running the DSC, including wages, salaries, benefits, supplies, materials, and utilities.

•Debt Service Fund (DSF): $9,069,399, compared to last year’s advertised DSF of $7,874,064, an increase of 15.18 percent. The DSF pays the principal and interest associated with bonds, tax anticipation warrants, and the like.

•Capital Projects Fund (CPF): $11,435,047, compared to last year’s advertised CPF of $10,408,102, an increase of 9.86 percent. The CPF pays for all facility repairs, land acquisition and development, the rental, purchase, and maintenance of equipment, and computer technology and network support, among other things.

•Retirement/Severance Bond Debt Service Fund (RSB): $1,600,096, compared to last year’s advertised RSB of $1,604,360, a decrease of 0.26 percent.

•Transportation Operating Fund (TOF): $3,574,630, compared to last year’s advertised TOF of $3,406,645, an increase of 4.93 percent. TOF pays for all expenses associated with transportation with the exception of the purchase of new school buses.

•Bus Replacement (BR): $692,018, compared to last year’s advertised BR of $610,246, an increase of 13.39 percent. The DSC will replace six buses this year—on its new 12-year replacement schedule—and purchase an additional one for Special Needs.

•Special Education Preschool (SEP): $175,000, compared to last year’s advertised SEP of $175,000, no change. This fund pays the costs associated with a federally mandated program of providing services to 3- and 4-year-olds with special needs.

Posted 9/3/2008