ALPENA — Thunder Bay Junior High School will be taking a new approach as the Alpena Board of Education unanimously approved the proposal for a new Special Education Mathematics Resource Room during their board meeting on Monday.

“I’ve heard several community members comment positively on this,” Alpena Board of Education Trustee Stacey Parr said. “I definitely think this is a step in the right direction.”

With the new structure, the current Special Education Mathematics Resource Room will transition from being based on grade level to being based on ability level.

To recognize this shift in structure, resource rooms sixth, seventh, and eighth grade will instead become resource rooms Math 1-4.

The board was presented with the proposal during their annual workshop on Feb. 13 by Thunder Bay Junior High School Principal Katie Lee.

According to Lee, this structure has already been adopted by Thunder Bay Junior High School for English Language Arts and is said to be successful in getting students to the next level of their education

“We’ve seen great success in our students,” said Lee. “They’re meeting their goals and exceeding their goals, and they’re able to move out of those resource room courses and into our co-taught general education courses.”

IN OTHER BUSINESS

The Alpena Public Schools Board of Education on Monday also:

∫ Unanimously approved to award the asbestos abatement contract for the base amount bid of $197,000 to Quality Environmental Services for the asbestos abatement work needed at Wilson and Ella White Elementary Schools and Alpena High School.