Welcome
Dear Parents, Staff and Community Members:
Joseph Hochreiter,
Superintendent of
Schools
On behalf of all of us in the Elmira City School District, I personally welcome you to our school district. I am honored to work in this district, in which the Elmira schools have a long and distinguished history of service to students and families.
The Elmira City School District's 2009-10 education plan, titled Together, builds upon the successes of the past year, in which the district was removed from the state's District in Need of Improvement list and achievement rates climbed again.
Together, our reform efforts in the district continue to yield results: Fassett, Hendy, Pine City, Riverside and Beecher elementary schools were named high performing/gap closing schools, while Broadway Elementary School was named a rapidly improving school. Ernie Davis and Broadway middle schools were removed from the state's Schools in Need of improvement list, and high school graduation has risen for the third year in a row.
In order for students to continue to achieve these gains, administrators, teachers, parents and community leaders must work together. It is imperative that we all help to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to become productive citizens and lead successful lives. In fact, the district's theme for the 2009-10 school year is "Student success is in our hands."
The district will continue to utilize successful strategies from recent years. For example, we have renewed our focus on data-driven decision making. Teachers and administrators in every one of our 13 schools will continue to work together using all available data to make informed decisions about our students' education and specific school planning.
Simultaneously, the need for change is an essential ingredient for educational success. Therefore, the district has begun working together toward the rigorous and relevant goals created by our Board of Education in 2009. The goals include developing education plans for all middle and high school students, increasing the attendance rate for the district's three high schools and ensuring that by the fifth grade, 80 percent of economically disadvantaged students will be reading at or above grade level. These goals will provide ongoing guidance as we navigate together through this school year and beyond.
The 2009-10 school year is one of great possibility. It is a new beginning for future generations as the Elmira City School District works together in partnership with families and community members. Student success truly is in our hands.
Sincerely,
Joseph Hochreiter,
Superintendent of
Schools