West Central principals reflect on successful start to school year

Elementary principal Shawn Walsh and middle and high school principal Mike Carlson shared updates on the successful start to the year and outlined goals for the coming months during a regular school board meeting on Sept. 4. Principal Walsh said that the elementary students and teachers have enjoyed a fun-filled spirit week. He said that their online presence continues to grow with some posts receiving over 6,000 views, effectively showcasing the school's culture, programs and successes to families and beyond. He also shared that the Student Ambassador Program is in full swing. The 4th, 5th and 6th graders are now serving as Student Ambassadors and they will assist younger students during arrival and dismissal and even help with announcements – building leadership and community. The elementary is wrapping up NWEA testing and looking into the data to identify student strengths and areas for improvement as well. Principal Walsh said that this will inform targeted, differentiated instruction moving forward. They have set a bold school-wide goal of increasing ILEARN scores by 10% this year. To put this in perspective, Walsh said that statewide data shows that year-over-year, most grades typically see 1–6% gains in proficiency, particularly in math, while English Language Arts (ELA) remains relatively flat. For example, state math proficiency increased to 42.1% in 2025, up from 40.7% in 2024, and some grades saw 4–6% improvement – with third-grade ELA up by 1.7%. Walsh said that going for a +10% gain is ambitious but reflects the school's commitment to targeted instruction, using strategic interventions and leveraging early data to accelerate learning.