BVSD to boost vision screenings
By:
Jamie Hult, Staff writer
New device offers faster, more precise results to students of all ages
Brandon Valley students of all ages will soon have faster, more accurate vision screenings at school.
More than $5,000 in grant funds from the Brandon Community Foundation and Alliance Communications’ “Keep the Change” program, plus money raised by Brandon Valley PTO groups, will allow the district to purchase a Plusoptix vision screener.
“The goal is to improve and expand vision screening services provided by the school district,” said Renae Peyton, Brandon Elementary school nurse.
Purchasing a Plusoptix vision screener will allow nurses to detect vision disorders earlier, get more accurate results and test more age groups. The district hopes to screen an additional 600 students in 2018.
The BVSD currently uses a Titmus vision screener, which asks students to read letter charts and track left to right with their eyes. The process is inaccurate, leading to unnecessary referrals to eye doctors, Peyton said, and time-consuming, taking about 5 minutes per student.
With the Plusoptix, a student simply looks at the smiley face on the screen, and a reading is taken in 2 to 5 seconds. The device doesn’t require letter recognition, opening up vision screenings to children as young as 6 months, as well as kids with special needs.
“That vision screening will enhance our nurses’ program and our ability to screen kids in a more effective and efficient manner than we are currently able to do,” said Superintendent Dr. Jarod Larson at the board of education’s Nov. 13 meeting.
The school board approved grants for $3,682 from the BCF and $1,681 from Alliance to expand student vision screening services over the next six years.
Supt. Larson also shared survey results at last week’s meeting. After feedback from middle school teachers favored adopting 1-to-1 technology, the district is asking how they would use it in classrooms.
“That will help lead to the ‘What type of technology or device best suits that setting?’ That continues, and we look forward to providing a recommendation in the future,” Larson said.
Additional feedback from a parent survey showed the majority – 61.5 percent – of the 830 respondents preferred full days of school on parent-teacher conference days, as opposed to half days. Administrators are currently working on the 2018-19 school calendar and will present a draft to the board in early January, Larson said.
He also advised the board of $850,000 in long-term savings for the district from refunding general obligation bonds and capital outlay certificates, a process that the board approved earlier in the school year.
“The refunding of those bonds is the equivalent of refunding your mortgage on your house when interest rates go down,” Larson explained. “Interest rates in the market presented an opportunity, we were able to seize that opportunity, and you can see the tremendous savings the district will realize over the life of those bonds and certificates.”
The district will hold a public meeting for strategic planning input at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, in the community room at BVHS.
School is out Wednesday, Nov. 22, Thursday, Nov. 23, and Friday, Nov. 24.
Christmas break begins with a two-hour early dismissal on Friday, Dec. 22. Classes resume Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018.
