Superintendent's Message

As we look towards the upcoming school year, the result of the difficult decisions that we were forced to make last year will manifest themselves in a realization of reduced services, programs and quality of our educational program. The $3 million reduction in State and Federal funding represented 13% of our total budget. As I have mentioned throughout this budgetary crisis, an organization’s measure of integrity, commitment and mettle is greatly tested during times of adversity. Rather than accept the debilitating consequences, it is important that we engage the implications with a commitment to, “Improvise, Adapt and Overcome” (USMC). Essentiallyour approach has to be to not focus on why things can’t work but rather figure out how they can. As we venture into next year, our task is to continue to engage the challenges with this principle in mind. As we are faced with less staff, materials, resources and diminished programs, we will seek different ways to provide those services using new and different avenues in the anticipation of maintaining and staying true to our educational mission of providing a first rate education for our children.

I believe that we as a school district and a community passed the first test with the net zero pay raise agreement that was further enhanced by the retirement of fifteen veteran staff members. This resulted in significant savings and allowed us to bring back a substantial number of the staff whose positions were originally cut to fill the positions vacated by the retirees. Concurrently, the monetary savings will help position us better financially next year. Even so, as I mentioned at the public hearing on the budget last April, almost all of these reductions will have an impact on the educational program.

In this newsletter, you will find a summary of some of the more major and significant challenges we will face and some of the adaptations we have already made or are proposing. Also included is an honorary list of our retirees and significant accomplishments by our staff and students in the past year listed by school.

I am confident that with the quality of students, staff and administration and our outstanding parental support that we will rise to the occasion and, as mentioned… “Improvise, Adapt and Overcome.”

Thomas Coleman Jr.

 

 

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