By PETE KLEIN

Express News Staff

INDIAN LAKE - Indian Lake Central School students seem to be doing better than most when it comes to graduation rates.

New York state was singled out as a success story for rising high school graduation rates in statistics released June 18. The state’s graduation rate climbed 13 points, to 74 percent, between 2002 and 2009.

The numbers echo the national average that shows one in four teens across the country fail to graduate on time.

Copies of the report for ILCS were available when the Board of Education met Tuesday, June 19. The report shows ILCS with a better than state average with an overall graduation rate of 89.5 percent within four years. The rate for girls it was 100 percent while for the boys it was 77.8 percent.

The board was pleased the school is doing better than average but agreed its goal is 100 percent.

Related to the quality of the education ILCS provides, Principal David Snide said, “We are offering micro and macro courses in economics and the school will be offering about 30 college credit courses this year.”

Superintendent Mark Brand had the latest Standard & Poor bonding rating for the school, which stands at A+.

This is not the best rating possible but for small schools, Brand said, it is considered very good. S&P noted that ILCS has a very low debt burden.

Gloria Dingee and Shelly Oliver, both of Indian Lake, were approved as substitute teachers pending fingerprint approval.

Middle school math teacher Erica Eager and middle school English teacher Kristin Sherwood were both granted tenure, effective Sept. 1.

Northeast Petroleum Technologies Inc., Schenectady, will supply and install a fuel tank monitoring system for $8,195, the low bid.

The board approved summer employment at the school for student Bobby Dunbar.

Art teacher Lauren Walker-Arsenault will receive a $400 stipend to update the school’s website.

The board approved the Dignity for all Students policy that lays out guidelines to discourage bullying.

The ILCS BOE will next meet Tuesday, July 10, starting at 6 p.m. for a reorganization meeting followed by its regular monthly meeting in the cafeteria.