Students in kindergarten, first and second grades will be required to be tested in a new $70,000 move by the Vicksburg Warren School District to assess them before they take the state-mandated MCT2 test. Separately, the districtwide special education program will get a new program software at a cost of $200,000.

The five-member Board of Trustees voted 4-1 — District 3 Trustee Jim Stirgus Jr. dissented — to approve spending about $70,000 for the purchase of the Stanford Achievement Test 10th Edition, or SAT 10, a sole source item from NCS Pearson Inc.

The board also voted 3-1— Stirgus dissented and District 4 Trustee Joe Loviza abstained — to approve spending some of the $200,000 cost to Scholastic, a sole source provider of Read 180 and System 44 software.

Both programs will be implemented in the school year that begins Aug. 8.

SAT 10 is an assessment tool the district will use to measure students before they begin testing the MCT2 test in the third grade, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Paula Johnson told the board.

“Stanford 10 is one of the best sources to compare our kids to other kids at the same grade level to any kids in America,” she said. “Every kid will be given an assessment at the primary level. … Right now, we really don’t have anything.”

Kindergartners and second-graders will be tested at the end of the year and first-graders will be tested twice a year, Johnson said.

Stirgus declined to comment following the meeting, but voiced the high cost of the program as his reason for voting against the superintendent’s request.

Meanwhile, the Read 180 and System 44 software, which will be financed through federal and special education grants and the district’s general fund, will target the district’s special education program, specifically over-aged students, Swinford said.

“I believe there is a sense of urgency in us being able to accelerate their reading so when they graduate, they stand a better chance of not dropping out of college or being able to work independently in college,” she said.

Stirgus also cited the cost for his vote against the request, and Loviza abstained because he was unclear on the request.

The $200,000 cost is a one-time cost.

Also Thursday, the school district was cleared of its special education audit placed by the Mississippi Department of Education before Swinford was hired in 2009. The board was required to suspend district policy rules and approve two policies regarding special education before July in order to be cleared, Swinford said. A written notice to the MDOE of the policy approvals was required.

The board unanimously voted to approve the Child Find Policy for Children with Disabilities and the Teacher Support Team policy.