Testing center to return

Mary Catherine Wells, Staff Reporter • September 25, 2014

The testing center was eliminated due to budget cuts, however after deliberation, it is being brought back to benefit students and teachers.

The school district did its best to minimize the effects of a more than $2 million dollar budget shortfall for the 2014-15 school year. With most of the cuts coming in areas removed from classroom instruction, there was at least one academic resource eliminated at the high school.

“[The testing center was removed because] the budget was cut,” counselor Amanda Breeden said. “That was a paid position, for someone to be running the testing center. They had to do some cuts so we could keep other good things, so that was something that got cut.”

However just a few weeks into the school year, the decision was made to bring the testing center back.

“[The testing center will brought back] we hope within maybe a week. We are in the process of interviewing candidates and I think we may have found one,” Principal Chris Mayfield said. “[We did not get the budget to bring it back], we were able to move money to allocate for the testing center person that we lost. So, we were able to shift some money around so we could find the salary to pay it.”

Although most people think the testing center is only a service for students, it also helps teachers.

“It was important to teachers because [they] have lots of students with different accommodation plans,” Breeden said. “Whether special education, 504, or PST. So certain students it is required by law that they have their tests read to them or that they take it in a small group setting. So the testing center provided that place for kids to go to get that taken care of. ”

With school settling into a groove, the return of the testing center is something some students are looking forward to.

“I love the testing center and I can not wait for it to be brought back,” senior Maddie Pool said. “I go there on the regular and it is really helpful.”

About the Contributors

Mary Catherine Wells, TRL Editor-in-Chief

Mary Catherine Wells, a now senior at Lovejoy High School, proudly takes on the role of Editor-in-Chief at her online school newspaper, The Red Ledger. Beginning her sixth year of newspaper gives Wells way more excitement than she felt her first year in seventh grade. At Sloan Creek Middle School, she signed up for the yearbook staff hoping to grow her skills in photography, an area she was passionate about. Although, the fact that her friends were in that class as well may or may not have played a big factor. But Wells claims being put in newspaper accidentally at a mere 12 years old was one of the best things that could have happened to her. It has opened doors and led her to experience new things that she now hopes to apply in college. Newspaper isn't the only thing Wells is involved in though, as she also cheers for her high school squad and is a member of National Honors Society. Outside of school, she enjoys working at the Goddard preschool in McKinney and hanging out with her friends. She also enjoys sticking in the fact that she was in a movie in fifth grade any chance she gets.

Michelle Stoddart, Managing Editor

Michelle is a junior who is deeply involved in activities both in the school and out of the school. As Captain of Extemporaneous speaking for the Debate team, player for both her Sting soccer team and the Lady leopards, member of the Key Club and (clearly) a reporter for The Red Ledger; she stays quite busy. Michelle has moved schools more times than she can count (apparently, she cannot count to three) and traveled all across the globe, from gazillions of domestic road trips to a month spent in Europe. Her interests include Netflix, Chick-Fil-A and cancelling plans in order to avoid pants. She’s an avid Arctic Monkeys fan and would give her left arm to see them in concert. Despite her hectic schedule, and always manages to find time for hanging out with friends.