BELLE - Belle Elementary students showed improvement in both reading and math on the beginning-of-year iReady testing, while school officials have set new academic goals aimed at increasing grade-level reading and student growth.

During the Sept. 29 Maries County R-2 Board of Education meeting, elementary Principal Bobbi Robertson said beginning-of-year iReady diagnostic results were up, compared with the same point last year.

“Looking at this year’s beginning-of-the-year reports versus last year, we were five percent increase in both math and reading,” Robertson told the board.

She said the results gave the elementary school reason to celebrate as the school year got underway.

Later in the meeting, Robertson reviewed the Belle Elementary Building Improvement Plan and outlined several goals for the 2026-27 school year.

One of the school’s primary goals is to have 85 percent of third-grade students reading on grade level or above by the end of the year.

Last year, 79 percent of third-grade students were reading on grade level at the end of the school year.

“We came very close to meeting all of these goals last year,” Robertson said. “So I’m hoping this year we are going to meet them.”

The school is also working to reduce the number of students who require a Reading Success Plan.

Robertson said 79 percent of students ended last year without an RSP, just short of the school’s 80 percent goal.

Another goal calls for 65 percent of students to meet their typical growth targets in English language arts and 65 percent to meet their typical growth targets in math, based on iReady diagnostic testing.

Last year, 55 percent of students met typical growth in ELA and 61 percent met typical growth in math.

“I think 65 percent was a good goal to set again this year and strive towards,” Robertson said.

The board later approved the district’s building improvement plans with 7-0 vote.