SJO seniors earn $2 million in scholarships

The senior class at St. Joseph-Ogden High School received $2 million in scholarship money.

Principal Gary Page told the Board of Education that the class of 118 seniors received more scholarship money than any other class in the history of the district.

“That is phenomenal and amazing really,” Page said.

Page also said that the class had earned 914 dual credit hours before graduating. Those credit hours can be used for college credits.

Page said those hours saved parents $157,000 using the Parkland College tuition rate.

“That is a significant number of money we are saving our families,” he said.

Page also told the board that 92 percent of students will be furthering their education either at a four-year institution or a junior college.

“I still think it is very interesting how we are seeing the trend of the kids going to the four-year schools,” he said. “That grows every year.”

In other news, the high school is going to lease Chromebooks for four years.
The district is leasing 25 Chromebooks for each classroom at the school.
The district currently has computer labs that students routinely use but the Chromebooks would allow the districts to have enough computers for every student.

“Our technology in our building is very, very good,” said Superintendent Brian Brooks. “We have more than most schools our size.”

Brooks told the Board of Education that a lot of area schools are already using Chromebooks and a lot of teachers use Google Classroom to teach.

In other news, the board discussed a proposed consolidation study but took no action. The district has been told by the state that there is a high likelihood that if SJO, Prairieview-Ogden and St. Joseph Grade School consolidated the new district would not be tax capped.

Brooks said PVO Has no interest in participation in a consolidation study but the high school and grade school districts in St. Joseph need to decide if they want to participate in the study, which would cost $12,500.

The study would examine activities offered in both districts, whether consolidation would offer any new activities to either district or whether there would be any cost savings.

Eight topics will be covered: curriculum, finance, enrollment, buildings, transportation, staffing, academic testing and extracurricular activities.