Homewood school board approves biliteracy tests
The Homewood Board of Education recently agreed to pay about $1,700 for tests to verify whether 77 Homewood High students are proficient in more than one language.
The board is paying $1,594 to Avant Assessment for Standards Based Measurement of Proficiency testing for 64 students and $130 to Language Testing International for a Latin Interpretive Reading Assessment for 13 students.
Cristy York, director of instruction for Homewood City Schools, said the testing will benefit these students by officially recognizing their proficiency in English and one additional language, providing them with greater educational and occupational opportunities.
The school board also:
- Made changes to the school system’s attendance zone policy, requiring full-time salaried employees of Homewood City Schools to request admission of their out-of-district children by submitting a written request to Superintendent Justin Hefner. Any employees hired before June 1 of this year may request their children attend Homewood City Schools for the upcoming school year, but those hired after June 1 of this year can submit requests only for the 2025-26 school year.
- Approved a one-year contract with Bagby Elevator Co. for the servicing and maintenance of elevators in Homewood school facilities. The monthly cost is $2,665 with a $300 semi-annual fee for oil and grease treatment. The contract is effective from April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025.
- Approved a request for the Homewood High School track team to travel by charter bus to to Rome, Georgia, to participate in the Elite Meet track and field competition on April 5.
The next Homewood Board of Education Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, at 5:30 p.m.