El Dorado News-Times

Superinten­dent's notes

- By Robby Lowe Superinten­dent of Junction City School District

Situated at the junction of two states, one county, and two parishes, the Junction City School District is a close, diverse community that supports its school district. The district encompasse­s 204 square miles of Union County and small parts of Claiborne and Union Parishes. Currently, the district serves 680 students who comprise a diverse student body.

Best known as an athletic power house, the Dragons own more than 40 state titles and multiple state runnerup trophies in football, baseball, cheerleadi­ng, weight lifting, track, basketball, and softball, not to mention a myriad of district and regional titles. Over the past several years, the district has made huge investment­s in improving academics and academic opportunit­ies.

We provide our students with the best possible technology and invest in teachers who have a stake in the students’ success. We make an effort to allow students the opportunit­y to take an array of Advanced Placement and college concurrent credit courses. We are always examining data to identify gaps in instructio­n and employ a range of research-based strategies to improve students’ academic performanc­e. Both campuses are organized into teacher leadership teams and meet in Profession­al Learning Communitie­s regularly to refine instructio­n that best suits our students.

Academic success is our number one priority.

Along with academic success, we want all students to feel safe at school. Our teachers and administra­tors care about students, and we are always open to hearing from parents. Contact informatio­n is listed on the school website. We encourage parents to work with teachers and administra­tors to address any concerns that may arise during the school year.

We thank the patrons of our district for voting for a property tax millage in February 2015. With this money we have made much needed improvemen­ts to our campus, including a new 32,000 square foot gymnasium, improvemen­ts to the football stadium, and a new special programs building that houses special education, federal programs, speech therapy, and occupation­al and physical therapy. One of our special programs is an Alternativ­e Learning Environmen­t where students at risk of not graduating are provided an opportunit­y to succeed.

Junction City is a vibrant school district with a dedicated staff and supportive community. We are always looking for ways to better meet the needs of our students. The last phase of our building program should end this spring when we complete a 13,000 square foot art, music, health science and physical education building.

 ?? ROBBY LOWE ??
ROBBY LOWE

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