In a lunchtime state of the Lorain Schools speech today, Lorain Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson continued emphasis on student achievement despite the failure of the district’s 6.43-mill levy on Tuesday.

“We will not be discouraged by the financial hardship of this country,” Atkinson said as she reeled off a long list of programs designed to improve student achievement and provide cultural enrichment.

Last year, all Lorain Schools met a value-added index of the Ohio Achievement Test and all but three schools exceeded it, she said.

After massive cuts, the achievement index dropped from 80.6 in 2006 to 77.8 in 2007, but it bounced back up to 78.6 in 2008, she said.

Atkinson did not discuss any planned cutbacks in the wake of the levy loss, and afterward she said she does not know if there will be layoffs.

The school board will likely consider a plan of action at its next meeting, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the Charleston Administration Center, and will probably consider placing the levy before voters again, she said.

Read Friday’s Chronicle for more on this story.

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