"TCAP was a little disappointing this year to be honest," Sherri Maxwell, Dolores Elementary School principal, told the Dolores School District Board of Education.
Maxwell said she isn't an "excuse maker" but did point to some possible reasons for the decline, including large class sizes and construction.
"I will be so happy when the focus is off buildings and onto kids again," said school board member Joye McHenry.
Three years of declines
McHenry said she was concerned that the scores have been declining over the past three years as a district.
In 2012, the number of students who tested at proficient and advanced in reading was 76.56 percent. In 2013, that number dropped to 73.1 percent; and in 2014, it dropped to 68.6 percent.
In the writing portion of the test, Dolores students district-wide tested 55.74 percent proficient and advanced in 2012, 55.35 percent in 2013, and 48.8 percent in 2014.
In math, 55.7 percent of the students tested proficient and advanced in 2012, 53.72 percent in 2013, and 48.68 percent in 2014.
TCAP results for 2014 were made public in mid-August, and principals gave a report at the Dolores School Board meeting on Sept. 11.
"I find a three-year decline fearful," McHenry said. "We can't have a four-year decline."
Maxwell added that technology was down for a bit last year, leaving a reading intervention program called Waterford inaccessible to students for a few months. In addition, Maxwell said that behavior has been a problem.
"Behavior is killing us. It's a huge issue. We spend more time some days dealing with behavior than teaching," Maxwell said.
Dolores School District Superintendent Scott Cooper said that smaller class sizes this year, math training for teachers, and advanced math classes should help students out this year.
Maxwell said that finding and keeping great teachers is increasingly harder to do.
"The teacher in the classroom is what makes the difference," she said.
Cooper added that schools have been taking big financial hits over the year and that they are working on adding services back to the school.
"I think overall, education has been taking a beating," said Dolores district business manager Karen Andrews.
Dolores Secondary School Principal Brandon Thurston also said he was disappointed with this year's scores.
"Reading was a real bright spot - we did quit well - but in writing and math, that has been a real struggle.
The 2014 TCAP scores showed that 25 percent of Dolores High School students were proficient or advanced in math, while the state average is 40 percent.
"This particular situation has been remedied," Thurston said.
Thurston said focus this year was put into the schedule making students take five core subjects as opposed to four core subjects last year.
Tutoring is being offered this year in math and a peer mentoring program was started this year, Thurston said.
Other board action and updates
In other action, board members approved the fourth-grade overnight field trip to Crow Canyon. The school board approved $500 to go toward the annual trip, something the board does every year.
Maxwell said she was concerned about the rising cost of the trip, families are asked to pay $65 for their student to go on the trip, in addition to fundraising and the board's $500.
"The price seems to go up every year," Maxwell said.
A report was given on the construction project, and everything is reportedly going well. Landscaping started near the elementary addition, and a drain was put in the playground.
Construction still is on target, and the science/vo-ag building, which is expected to be done by Christmas.
Student government representative Faith Pejsa reported that Homecoming Week will begin the last week of September, with the big game on Oct. 3. The theme this year, which was voted on by the student body, is Cartoon Mania.
Board members requested that at the next board meeting board members would like to discuss in-house hiring practices and how in-house vacancies are posted, in addition to a discussion about possibly tying superintendent's pay raises to test scores.
Also discussed was the small journalism class at the high school. Because only two students write for the school paper this year, it will become a quarterly paper.
Also Thursday, board members approved the hiring of Tammy Hooten as the business manager. She will replace Andrews, who is expected to retire at the end of the year.