The Mount Airy City Schools Board of Education took a look at its target audience during the first day of its retreat Friday night.

“This time I would like to spend some time learning more about who we serve,” said Dr. Darrin Hartness, superintendent, as a means of introducing the night’s agenda. “We have so much data. I want to give you an opportunity to dive into some of that data.”

Board members spent time looking at student statistics throughout the school system, including gender, ethnicity and background and the effects of those factors on student performance. They learned that demographically, the school system has changed since the 2006-07 school year, but that change is even more drastic when looked at from the standpoint of each school.

During the past four years, the Asian population in the school system has decreased while the Hispanic population has increased and the multi-racial population has increased. Looking at each school, there is a higher population of black students in the middle and high schools and a higher population of Hispanic students in the primary and intermediate schools. They also learned that the poverty level of students in the school system, based on family income, has increased.

In looking at these statistics, Hartness asked board members to identify ways these figures should affect the way they look at students and what their needs may be. With a larger population of Hispanic children at B.H. Tharrington Primary School, one of the main issues teachers face is a language barrier. Because of the language barrier, reading and literacy becomes an even bigger challenge. The increase in the percentage of students who live in poverty also is significant because of the effect that might have on a child’s home life.

“That, folks, is extremely significant,” said Hartness of these statistics, particularly the poverty level. “There has to be a huge emphasis on literacy in our school system.”

Hartness also talked to the board about opportunities for improvement within the school system. The first thing he talked about was improving literacy, particularly in the early grades. He also wants board members to be aware of and focus on academic growth for every student in an effort to close achievement gaps between different demographics. This includes having high expectations for all students. He also wants the school system to focus on increasing parent involvement.

Technology is still an important facet of the school system as it prepares to launch Project iLearn in which students in grades five through nine will receive iPod Touches. In connection with that, Hartness wants to continue to see the school system provide professional development opportunities for teachers, particularly in the fields of technology and working to close the achievement gap.

He shared the results of a survey given in January to parents new to the school system this school year. It asked them to identify why they chose to enroll their students in the school system, what positive experiences they had to that point and any improvements they could think of that need to be addressed.

“I think we’re on a pretty good path,” he said of the results of the surveys. “But we can’t rest or be satisfied.”

“Having been on the board for many years, I think we’re definitely on an incline,” said David Rowe, board member, of the school system’s progress.

Contact Morgan Wall at mwall@mtairynews.com or 719-1929.