Houghton-Portage Township Schools Superintendent Anders Hill addresses the district board at it’s July meeting Monday. 

HOUGHTON — Houghton-Portage Township students exceeded year-end benchmark goals, Superintendent Anders Hill said during Monday’s district board meeting.

To gauge student progress during the pandemic, the state required districts to report benchmark assessment data.  

At the elementary school, the target was for 80% of students to be proficient in English and math; 82% and 87% of students met those respective goals.

For the middle goal, the goal was 75% proficiency in math and English. Again, students beat expectations, with 84% in reading and 86% in math. 

In high school, proficiency was measured by the percentage of students who passed their English and math finals. Ninety-four percent of students passed their English final, beating the 80% goal. The 70% math goal was also exceeded, with 90% of students passing their math final. 

The district already collected and analyzed the information through its Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) program, Hill said. However, it’s unclear if the requirements for formal reporting at the school board meeting and posting on the district’s website will continue next year.

In other action, the board:

• Designated Sept. 6 as the first day of school for the

2022-23 school year.

• Approved the hiring of elementary school reading and math interventions teacher Tiffany Maas-Berkey, fourth-grade teacher Tessa Cipriano and second-grade teacher Dominique Crowley. 

Maas-Berkey has been a Title I paraprofessional for the district for several years, Hill said. She has a bachelor’s degree and is receiving a certification for elementary education, Hill said. Cipriano is a new Northern Michigan University graduate, while Crowley comes to the district after teaching for several years at Chassell Township Schools. 

• Approved the instructional delivery method for 2022-23 as face-to-face and options for online classes for middle and high school.

• Approved participating in the Schools of Choice program for the 2022-23 school year.

• Approved the purchase of a flowmeter and frequency drive on the pool pump. The projet will be about $23,000, Hill said. The additions would allow the pool pump to run as needed instead of 24/7. The energy savings are expected to pay back most of the cost within two to three years, Hill said. 

• Approved the selection of Amanda Massaway as representative for

the CCASB.

• Approved a resolution to participate in the School Bond Loan Fund.

• Approved the designation of Superior National Bank as the depository of general fund, debt retirement, capital projects monies, federal tax deposits, athletics and school service accounts, and trust fund; Incredible Bank as the depository for the trust and agency fund; the Michigan Liquid Asset Fund as the depository for general fund and capital projects; and Breakwater Credit Union as the depository for the elementary trust and agency account.

• Approved the designation of Sara Marcotte and Colette Patchin for posting public notice of meetings.

• Approved the delegation of Sara Marcotte to attend to all election duties.

• Approved designating themselves as a general powers school district by operational law.

• Approved the organizational memberships in the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators, the Michigan Association of School Boards and the MASB Legal Trust Fund, and the Copper Country Association of School Boards.

• Approved the annual retainer contracts with the law firms of Neuminen, DeForge & Toutant of Houghton and Ryan Law Offices of Iron Mountain as their counselors, the Thrun Law Firm serving as school attorneys for school elections and matters pertaining to school law, and Anderson, Tackman and Company to serve as school auditor.

• Designated Lamers Transit as the transportation provider for the

district, and also authorized all area schools, Copper Country Intermediate School District, Michigan Technological University, Houghton Transit Authority, Hancock Transit, and any other carrier designated by the Board or approved by the Superintendent as carriers to transport students.

• Approved member travel to MASB, MASA, and NSBA functions and

•  designated Julie Filpus as district representative in the absence of the

superintendent.