The Monticello School districts staffing situation for next year looks very positive.

Superintendent of Monticello Schools Dr. Vic Zimmerman says like most schools, the Monticello district has a number of retiring teachers leaving vacancies needing filled, and the district will be able to fill all those positions rather than combine sections. He adds many times vacancies will come up later in the school year or even over the summer that will need filled. All in all, the outlook for their staff next year looks positive.

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Dr. Zimmerman explains as their budgets have allowed, the district has tried to maintain smaller than state average class sizes. This starts at the very elementary levels to the middle school classes.

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Those smaller class sizes have certainly translated into better test scores for the district.

In 2011, the Monticello schools met the Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP. The AYP is based off of standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act. Dr. Zimmerman says there are 18 different categories considered for AYP. He notes in the past the school has focused on reading at the elementary level. He says their goal has become a 100% reading rate by the time students graduate from 3rd grade.