Dear Colleagues:
As the budget cycle has progressed, I have appreciated the time that so many of you have taken to send your comments to the board and myself. We have literally received several hundred emails and calls. This type of direct input from our personnel is essential to ensure that the board has all the information it needs to make these difficult decisions regarding our budget.
As we received your input, we catalogued this information for each of our board members. Additionally, the superintendency, along with our budget director Mitch Robison, reviewed each suggestion to determine potential cost savings. All of this information was then relayed to the board in their study sessions and board meetings. We have posted the most recent information from these presentations on the district homepage or click here.
Per the administration’s recommendation, the school board made several key decisions at the April 21 board meeting including district level cuts and shifts in funding sources involving 95.5 positions, and totaling over $4 million. The board also reduced the number of student attendance days for 2009-10 by two to allow teachers additional paid professional development time. This is to compensate for the 5.5 days that were cut by the legislature. Additional information is available in the Board Report.
I appreciate your continued comments and suggestions as we work to finalize the budget for next year. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to the students we serve.
Sincerely,
Superintendent Ronnenkamp