UPDATES FROM THIS MORNINGS BRIEF SCHOOL BOARD MEETING: After review of the May 5 year forecast and much discussion about the districts financial status over the next 5 years, the school board agreed to a number items. Im really excited to see these items, and I hope you are too...read on (these are in no particular order, just the order that I think will spark the most interest to everyone). 1. P2P fees will be reduced by 20% overall beginning immediately. YES YOU READ THIS CORRECTLY! This will include all extracurricular activities that involve a P2P fee. The 20% reduction will be calculated prior to determining each activitys P2P individual fee, so every student involved in extracurricular activities will in essence see a 20% reduction in the fee charged for the current year. If this brings participation to a greater level, then everyone benefits even more as a result - as total fee divided by more participants means less cost for everyone involved. This line-item add-back will be reviewed on an annual basis for sustainability purposes. 2. The decision was made to bring one-to-one technology to our district over a period of 5 years. 6th and 8th grades to be affected in some form this coming school year. And each year after that the program will be evaluated to see what steps make the most sense at that time. It is my understanding that the 6th grade students will be getting their own chromebook device, while 8th grade students will have specifically identified carts in their classrooms for in-class use. 3. In an effort to bring back some specials to our elementary students, the plan for the current school year is to explore as many outside partnerships as possible with other venues (like the Y or Willoughby School of Fine Arts, The Cleveland Playhouse, The Cleveland Orchestra etc...) We will take the lead in developing partnerships to benefit our younger students. Down the road, we may see a need to include a 4th special - like a dedicated technology special - but this is an area that is only currently being developed and explored. For now, we will avail ourselves district-wide with partnerships that will give our young students additional opportunities in those non-core areas they enjoy so much. 4. LaMuth will see a teacher added to enhance the teaming approach that has worked so significantly well for the middle school over the last few years. The addition will return full teams back for all students while allowing for some scheduling changes that will see students in classrooms for longer periods daily. 5. Riverside Campus will see the addition of a math and a language arts teacher for the dual purpose of allowing more of a teaming approach to be used at the 8th grade level and will also alleviate the need for as many study hall periods. Enhancements will be made to all grade-level offerings as a result. 6. The decision was made to bring some additional special-ed services back in-house which will allow the district to service specific populations within our own halls while saving us substantial amounts due to the need to outsource those services currently. After establishing our own programs in these areas, we may be able to offset some of our costs by opening additional services to other districts without their own programs. This then in turn brings our own cost-per-student down even lower. Keeping our students in our own community is also proven to be a winning situation for these students in almost all cases. I HOPE YOU ARE ALL AS EXCITED ABOUT THESE DECISIONS AS I AM. The board really evaluated the 5 year forecast and determined that - as a district - we have done many good things to be financially efficient while still providing the best education we can for all our students. Its a testament to the hard work and dedication of many that we are able to bring back some of these items that are meaningful to many. Remember, we cant do everything, and the board had much discussion centered around what items would be the most impactful. We stuck to items that have the most educational impact. THIS IS A HAPPY DAY - being able to share these decisions with you is really great!!! :)
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 00:57:22 +0000
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