POPLAR RIDGE - Last Thursday, the Southern Cayuga School District was listed on the New York State Education Department's list of High Performing or Gap Closing School Districts for 2006-2007 and Rapidly Improving School Districts for 2006-2007.

During the district's board of education meeting Monday night, Superintendent Mary Kay Worth said the recognition was a testament to the school's dedication to improving science, social studies, math and English comprehension.

“This means that we as a district are meeting or exceeding the goals set by the state and are making a difference with our children,” Worth said.

The middle school and Emily Howland Elementary School were both included in a list of 1,759 public schools, 19 charter schools and 288 school districts that were listed as high performing and a list of 373 public schools, 10 charter schools and 62 school districts that were rapidly improving.

Rapidly improving schools or districts are classified as having been under state standards in one or more subjects but showed improvement and made the state's adequate yearly progress criteria every year since the 2004-2005 school year.

High performing or gap closing schools are recognized for meeting all state standards for the English Language Arts and math during the 2006-2007 school year and made adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years.

“This portrays how well we are doing on state assessments,” Worth said.

In other news:

• The board members decided to ask for additional estimates for soil samples before allowing the district to move forward with work on one of the bus garage's broken hydraulic lifts.

Before the school could replace the lift, the state Department of Environmental Conservation required that soil samples be obtained to see if any hydraulic fluid had leaked into the ground, Worth said.

The original estimate for soil samples came back at $14,000.

“The estimate is too high without comparing it to other offers so I recommend that we ask for other offers,” Worth said.

Workers would have to bore at least six holes in the bus garage's cement floor to receive the samples.

If hydraulic fluid were to have leaked into the ground, the cost of removal would have to be factored into the cost of replacing the lift before any project could start, Worth said.

• The board unanimously approved the appointment of Brett Johnson as transportation supervisor.

While issues about Johnson's lack of experience were raised, the members believed that Johnson would bring several new ideas and programs into the department to highlight safety and worker responsibilities.

Johnson will begin work on May 27.

Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net