The Douglas County School District Board of Trustees paved the way for changes to several policies, approved a vendor for a repaving project at schools and agreed to keep the former Kingsbury Middle School on the market after not receiving any bids for the Zephyr Cove property.

The school board also received an update from Principal Brian Frazier on Jacobsen High School in Gardnerville, a court-ordered and short-term alternative school for teens in 16 of the state’s 17 counties.

Frazier said that 55 percent of the school’s students leave the school showing one or more years’ growth in reading skills, 67 percent exit showing one or more years’ improvement in math skills and 66 percent leave with a year or more bump in their science skills.

Students are at the school for an average of four months before they are transitioned back to their school of origin.

“I think your numbers are extraordinary considering you only have them for four, four and a half months,” said Ross Chichester, board member.

Frazier also presented on changes to the school district’s policy for students in transition, or SIP. He said during the 2007-08 school year, there were 33 homeless students in Douglas County. But due to the recession, that number has jumped every year until it reached 294 homeless students in the 2010-11 school year. Last year, the number dropped to 257 students.

The changes to the county’s SIP policy that Frazier discussed, and the board approved, were to create a uniform procedure for all schools and to be sure it complied with state and federal law.

Lisa Noonan, DCSD superintendent, reported that no offers have made to buy the old Kingsbury Middle School at 1900 Echo Drive, Zephyr Cove so the board agreed to continue advertising it for another three months.

A contract to do repaving work at CC Menley and Jack Valley elementary schools and Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School was awarded to West Coast Paving, the only bidder on the project.

Lyn Gorrindo, assistant superintendent of education services, presented changes to the school’s policy on temporary guardianship of students and parent conferencing as well as a new policy called “Recognition of Religious Beliefs and Customs.” All were approved for a first reading.

The board also continued to discuss developing a form and procedure for the board to self-evaluate its performance. A decision was tabled because Sharla Hales, board president, was absent.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report