t
Local students
1 score high in
annual testing
W Perquimans County students
showed great improvement in their
scores on the yearly standardized
achievement tests, according to data
released by the county school system
last Monday.
In the California Standard
Achievement Tests, taken last April
by students in first through ninth
grade, students here met or exceeded
| the highest previous scores in 17 of the
39 grade-subject categories in which
they were tested. Ninth and fifth
graders here did exceptionally well,
averaging above the previous high
scores in all the subjects tested.
Students in the first grade scored
above their previous highest score,
and also above the regional average
for the subjects tested. In addition,
| students in all grades here scored
above the national average in all but a
handful of subjects.
Paul Ward, in charge of testing for
the county school superintendent's
office, said that the scores indicated
that the school system "is teaching
more to the standards of the tests,"
adding that that didn't mean that
students were just being taught how to
take tests. "You can teach to the
testing without teaching the tests," he
' noted.
The scores released by the county
indicate the grade equivalent that
students in that class received for the
subject tested, giving the grade level
and the month of that grade. For
example, a score of 2.6 indicates that
the average student in that class
tested at the second grade level in the
sixth month of that year.
I Students in the ninth grade not only
exceeded previous high scores, but
did so by surprising margins. Ninth
graders here averaged nine months,
or one school year, above the previous
high in the reading test, 18 months, or
two school years, above the previous
high in language, 11 months above the
previous high grade equivalent in
math, and 12 months above the
previous high in the total battery of
tests.
Ward noted that these same
students scored well last year as
eighth graders, and that this class has
a low failure and dropout rate.
Ninth graders here scored 9.2 in
reading, 10.4 in language, 9.6 in math,
and 9.5 in the total battery. In
spelling, the only subject in which no
grade equivalent was released,
students scored higher than 52 per
cent of the nation's ninth graders. The
scores for reading, language and
math exceeded those of the region.
Eighth graders here scored 8.5 in
reading, 9.5 in spelling, 9.9 in
language, 9.5 in math and 9.0 in the
total battery. The grade equivalents
for the total battery was the highest
ever for county eighth graders, while
the math score exceeded the previous
high score by 10 months.
Seventh graders here scored 8.0 in
reading, 9.5 in spelling, 9.0 in
language, 8.0 in math, and 8.0 in the
total battery of tests. The scores for
language, math and total battery
were higher than any previous scores
for seventh graders.
Sixth graders in this county had
grade equivalents of 6.8 in reading, 8.5
in spelling, 8.0 in language, 7.2 in
math, and 7.1 in the total battery.
Fifth graders also did exceptionally
well, receiving grade equivalents of
5.9 in reading, 8.5 in spelling, 6.4 in
language, 6.2 in math and 6.1 in the
total battery. The spelling score is 14
months higher than the previous high.
Fourth graders scored 4.6 in
reading, 6.0 in spelling, 5.3 in
language, 4.9 in math and 4.9 in the
total battery.
Third graders scored 3.8 in reading,
4.5 in spelling, 4.2 in language, 3.9 in
math and 3.9 in the total battery.
Second graders scored 3.2 in
reading and 3.3 in math, and first
graders scored 2.1 in reading and 2.6
in math, highest ever for the school
system and above regional, state and
national averages.
Fishing hole
A rowboat sits near the shore on Castleton Creek in Hertford.
High yields expected for county crops ,
though low prices may hurt profits
The wet weather of the past few
weeks has been good to county far
mers, who can expect one of the best
corn crops in years.
But county Agricultural Extension
Chairman Bill Jester cautions people
not to be too optimistic about the
bottom line. Prices for corn, though
they may rise, are now about 50 cents
less per bushel than at this time last
year.
Several inches of rain during the
period of pollination in early July
have gotten farmers over the hump,
Jester reports. A few timely inches in
the next few weeks will add weight to
the crop, but Jester feels safe in
saying that "without the unexpected,
the corn yield should be the highest in
three or four years." Farmers here
should average well over 100 bushels
an acre.
But the price situation is still
fluctuating. At this time last year,
corn was selling for about $3.10 a
bushel. Today it is running around
$2.60.
This news puts a crimp on hopes for
a good year. "All in all," Jester said,
"I feel yields should be measured
ultimately by what the grower puts in
his pocket. If you grow 120 bushels an
acre at two dollars a bushel, you're no
better off than if you grow 60 bushels
an acre at four dollars a bushel."
But Jester adds that there is
"guarded optimism" about the price
increasing. Farmers in the Midwest
don't anticipate a good crop this year,
and domestic consumption of corn is
up. In addition, there was a poor crop
in South Africa, and the possibility of
grain exports to the Soviet Union.
Corn is not the only crop doing well.
The soybean and peanut crops have
suffered somewhat from disease and
weeds caused by the wet weather, and
insects could still be a problem, but
Jester expects a good yields in those
crops also. "We're not out of the
woods yet," he said, but both early
and late soybeans are coming on
strong.
There is little hope, though, that
prices will improve for soybeans,
Jester feels. Prices now are about 30
cents a bushel lower than last year.
Cotton, though it also has suffered
from the wet weather, appears to be
doing well, both in yield and in price.
Cotton farmers in Texas lost 20 per
cent of their crop to hail, and since
then the price has risen sharply.
"We haven't put any grain in the
bins yet," said Jester, but farmers
can expect a good harvest.
Change Win fall intersection
School system works on several capital improvements
The Perauimans fJountv RnarH a# ? j ... ?
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Education hopes the schools will look
a little nicer this fall. The county
school system is in the midst of
completing several capital im
provement projects before the
children return to school in August.
Completed are plastering and
painting at the King Street annex to
the high school, and the lockers at
Perquimans Union School.
oauuuuius anu classrooms ai ttie
high school will also be touched up
before school begins.
Two other projects are still on the
drawing board. A plan to improve the
Y-shaped intersection of SR 1220 and
NC 37 in Winfall, which the board
believes is hazardous to bus traffic, is
stalled pending the purchase of a
$7,000 right-of-way, where now stands
an abandoned gas station.
The school board passed a
resolution at their meeting last
Monday asking the county to buy the
right-of-way, perhaps with help from
the Town of Winfall. The state
Department of Transportation has
appropriated money to do the actual
construction, but that money is only
guaranteed for another couple of
months, according to School
Superintendant Pat Harrell.
The school system has also drawn
77-17*
i? i .... _ ~ ^ _nri
jgMfcdety the teat while con*tructing curbs along Church Street in Hert
The National Weather Service expects hot humid weather to continue ?rough
up plans to improve drainage at
Perquimans Union School, where
water stands on the playground area,
and has on occasion backed up into
the school building.
Tony Short of the Soil Conservation
Service estimates the project ?
grading the land and installing
drainage pipes ? will cost about
$104,000, $94,000 of which the board
hopes to receive from the Resource
Conservation and Development
program of the SCS, which funded
half of the cost of the new Missing Mill
Park in Hertford. The school board
will apply for a RC&D grant.
The board has also contracted to
replace floor and ceiling tiles at
Perquimans Union, along with the
school roof. The roof project has been
a problem for the board since they
contracted with Southeastern
Professional Coatings of Elizabeth
City last spring. Completion of the
project has been inexcusably delayed,
the board believes, and in fact the
board will seek $10,000 in an out-of
court settlement for water damage to
the floor and ceiling which thev
believe was caused by Southeastern's
negligence.
In another project, the Perquimans
High School Boosters Club ha?
donated $500 to help the school board
complete the high school weightroom
project, which has been delayed
because with all the other projects,
school maintenance employees
haven't had time to finish it.
In other action, the board accepted
the resignation of elementry school
physical education teacher and high
school girls' coach Billy Stallings.
County commissioners hold hearing
By SUSAN HARRIS
The Perquimans County board of
commissioners met on Monday night
for their regularly scheduled session.
Social Services Director Paul
Gregory addressed the board ex
plaining some aspects of the 4-D
program. This program employs a
social worker to find the fathers of
children receiving AFDC (aid for
dependent children) and takes that
father to court to force him to support
the children, therefore alleviating
their names from the AFDC rolls.
Gregory explained that for the
initial two-to-three-year period the
program would not pay for itself, but
thereafter many counties have shown
a substantial profit.
The commissioners asked Gregory
to do an indepth study of the program
for possible Inclusion in next year's
budget.
Lee Tunnell, representing the
Perquimans County Jaycees, told the
board that the Jaycees had run some
$833 short on their 4th of July
fireworks display, and would ap
preciate any monetary help the board
could offer.
The commissioners expressed
mixed opinions on partially funding a
civic organization's project, and
tabled the request until county
finance officer Durwood Reed was
available to tell the board what funds
were usuable at this time.
Commissioner Charles Ward was
appointed to price lawn mowers and
tractors with mower attachments
because it was felt that the present
equipment will soon have to be
replaced.
A letter from the Division of Health
Services of the state of North Carolina
tentatively approving the plans and
specifications for Phase II of the
county water system was presented to
the board.
Durwood Reed submitted copies of
the county's six-month finance report
to the board.
%
Jeanne White reported that the
county has received 10 applications
for the position at the water depart
ment which will be opening in late
summer.
The commissioners decided not to
review those applications at this time,
but rather to meet in executive
session to discuss the personnel
matter at a later date.
This week
Perquimans County has
female Methodist minister.
Turn to page three.
Weather
Hot and humid through
Sunday. Highs in the mid
90s, lows in the low 70s
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