Nobody likes going to school on a Saturday.

But for students who work during school hours to keep the lights on at home, Saturday school is necessary to stay on track.

Additional tutoring hours set about 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday were suggested by Victoria school board vice president Bernard Klimist, for students with rigorous work or extracurricular schedules.

"It's well worth putting together a program for evening tutorials," Klimist said. "Even four days would have an enormous effect on our kids."

The idea comes from the need for an improvement in test scores at VISD's high schools.

The board reviewed its annual School Improvement Plans for Victoria East High School and Victoria West High School at Thursday's regular board meeting.

District administrators hope an increase in test scores and attendance will lead to a better rating by the Texas Education Agency.

Since the two high schools opened in 2009, neither has surpassed an Academically Unacceptable standing.

"We may need more time to provide intervention for our students," said VISD Superintendent Robert Jaklich.

The superintendent said an increase in daily attendance could provide funding for teacher stipends, for those willing to work the proposed late-night tutorials.

"No one wants to come in on a Saturday," Jaklich said.

Saturday home visits by teachers, which have already begun at both high schools, was another strategy discussed at the meeting.

"Both campuses have expanded their daily home visits to Saturday visits to try to find out why they're not coming to school," said Victoria East High School principal Greg Crockett. "The Saturday visits are focused on the students that have missed five or more days in the school year.

"Attendance is one of our primary focuses this year," said Susanne Carroll, executive director of curriculum instruction and accountability.

In other business, the board discussed how seven of the district's Title 1 elementary schools missed the Academic Yearly Progress goal set by No Child Left Behind for the second year in a row.

Since NCLB's inception in 2002, the AYP target, which is based on standardized test scores, raises each year.

For example, a school that had received a 90 percent rating approval last year would have been denied approval this year because of the increased target that went up to 100 percent.

The board unanimously approved improvement plans for the two high schools and seven elementary schools aimed at improving test scores and attendance.

"I want the elementary school principals to go back and tell their teachers that they're great," said school board secretary Estella De Los Santos. "There's a lot of variables and I don't want them to think we're going to judge their ability by the campus in which they teach."

Also in other business, the VISD received a "Superior Achievement" rating from the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, with 68 out of 70 points.

The Superior Achievement rating is the state's highest, demonstrating the quality of VISD's financial management and reporting system, said executive director of budget and finance Frances Koch.

Victoria has received this highest rating for the past nine years.

In an earlier meeting this fall, the board approved the application for a waiver expanding the maximum capacity of students per classroom.

"However, overall the median of teachers to students is at a ratio of 14 to 1 in the district," Koch said.

Districts are graded on fiscal responsibility, budgeting, personnel and cash management.

"Unlike other districts in the state, VISD has yet to use any of their fund balance dollars to meet their needs," Koch said. "There are so many positive things happening this year, I know we are going to make AYP next year."

• • WHAT: VISD regular school board meeting

  • WHEN: 6 p.m. Nov. 15

  • WHERE: VISD Administration Building, 102 Profit Drive