District achievements during my service on the Board

By Mary P. Wells

I have served on the Arcata School Board since mid-1997. The district is stable, fiscally sound, modernized, well-managed, and proud of its high standardized test results and public rankings.

• Modernization and improvement of all 3 schools in the district.
• Approval of local bond Measure C for modernization funds in 1998: 84% of voters supported Measure C- $5.4 million of general obligation bonds.
• Team approach on budget (through Budget Task Force), priorities and other key decisions in the district.
• Excellent management team, staff (teachers) and district personnel.
• Increases in compensation (earnings and benefits) for all district employees beyond the COLA (state cost of living adjustment) and within a balanced budget.
• Standardized test results well above county and state levels as measured by the California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program.
• Public school rankings of 7, 9 and 10 (with 10 being the highest) for each of the 3 schools in the district as measured by the year 2000 Academic Performance Index (API) with continued improvement in API scores in 2001. When ranked statewide against similar schools, 2 of 3 schools in the district achieved top rankings of 10.