Norm's NotesDr. Ridder's blog

  • Improved financial outlook shapes 2011-2012 budget discussion

    May 10, 2011

    For the first time in several years, I am optimistic about Springfield Public Schools' financial outlook. Today the Springfield school board will get an in-depth look at our improving fiscal picture during a budget work session from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Kraft Administrative Center.

    We anticipate that for both the current year and 2011-2012, we will receive more revenue than originally budgeted. Combined with strategic budget reductions of about $18 million since 2008-2009, the increased revenue will position us to refocus on key priorities such as employee compensation, class size and the district reserve fund balance.

    Through conservative ...

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  • Springfield Public Schools completes MSIP review

    March 10, 2011

    This week Springfield Public Schools completed its 4th Cycle Missouri School Improvement Program review. As a result of our excellent Annual Performance Report (APR), our district previously received a full MSIP waiver which allowed us to participate in a limited, mini review.

    As a part of the review, Dennis Cooper from DESE visited all of our schools and he was very impressed with what he saw. The positive things happening in our schools are a reflection of the hard work and dedication of SPS teachers and staff. Starting with the APR, the MSIP review also factors in these visits, ...

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  • Administrative Restructuring Update

    March 02, 2011

    On Jan. 18, I announced an administrative restructuring that will eliminate 15 positions and save $1 million in salary and benefit costs. Since then I have worked to further define the new administrative structure. A key component of that restructuring is the Operations Department, which provides oversight for our 52 schools and related programs.

    This morning I shared with principals a new structure for the Operations Department that I developed in keeping with our fiscal limitations.

    Here are the pertinent facts:

    • The Operations administrative structure will shrink from 14 positions to 8 positions. 
    • When the change goes into effect July 1, ...

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  • 2010-2011 revenue update

    March 01, 2011

    Each year as we develop a budget, we evaluate a number of factors and estimate the amount of revenue we expect to receive. For the current fiscal year, we budgeted $201,124,000 in operating revenue. The bulk of that revenue is received in December, January and February, so typically it is the end of February before we have a clear picture of what actual revenue will be for the year.

    During the past few weeks we have received more than half of our annual revenue. Based on this revenue, projections indicate that our 2010-2011 revenue will exceed our budgeted amount by ...

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  • SPS administrative cuts

    January 18, 2011

    The past few weeks have been challenging as I’ve considered how best to restructure administrative staff in a way that we can reduce costs yet continue to serve the educational needs of our students.

    So far I’ve identified savings of over $1 million in administrative salary and benefits for 2011-2012. This will be achieved by eliminating 15 administrative positions.

    Regretfully these cuts will have consequences. Services and support currently provided to our students, parents, teachers and principals will be reduced.

    I am not recommending these cuts because I believe our current administrative structure is not effective. This is strictly an ...

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  • Salaries and stipends

    December 26, 2010

    For two Sundays in a row the News-Leader has devoted considerable effort and space to publishing information about stipends paid to Springfield Public Schools administrators.

    Both in news reports and an editorial, News-Leader staff made a point of noting that several administrative stipends went into effect during difficult financial times when pay raises for all SPS employees ranged from minimal to nothing.

    While much ado was made over the amount of stipends paid to five administrators, which even the News-Leader admits is “small relative to the $117 million budgeted for base salaries,” no one on the newspaper’s staff bothered to ask about stipends ...

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  • Budget update: Maintaining community priorities

    December 09, 2010

    Yesterday, I presented a brief update to principals and district leadership concerning Springfield Public Schools’ 2011-2012 budget. I want to share that same information with you.

    As I communicated last month, I am currently conducting a thorough, program-by-program review. On January 18, I will announce the resulting reductions and restructuring plan. At the top of that list is a significant restructuring of central office, with the goal of reducing costs at the administrative level. Guiding this process is the feedback provided by staff and the community this fall, along with the goals outlined in our strategic plan, SP5.

    Cuts to ...

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  • Superintendent’s salary

    November 23, 2010

    For the past few weeks, I’ve been hearing whispers about a pay increase I supposedly received this year when all other employees did not. I discovered one possible source of this rumor today when I read the morning newspaper.

    Tom Gargus, who helped initiate the audit of the school district, states that the district “found money somewhere in the budget to give Dr. Norm Ridder a nice pay increase.”

    Mr. Gargus bases his assertion on information from our budget book but, unfortunately, he uses that information to draw inaccurate conclusions.

    Page 146 of the 2010-2011 budget book, which he has ...

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  • Important budget update

    November 16, 2010

    Friends,
    In the past month we have diligently worked to gather feedback on a number of topics related to Springfield Public Schools’ 2011-2012 budget, which will pose challenges given the very difficult economic environment. 

    Through a series of focus groups, advisory committee discussions, and in some cases, one-on-one interviews, well over 215 parents, teachers, staff, and frequent voters provided direct feedback concerning budget issues.

    Primary topics of discussion were a four-day school week, changing block scheduling to a seven-period schedule at the secondary level, extending boundaries for bus transportation, three-tiered start times for each division, and non-mandated programs.

    At tonight’s ...

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  • SPS Starcatcher finalist featured in the paper

    November 10, 2010

    Today’s edition of the Springfield News-Leader featured a story about  Karla Ferguson, Parkview High School’s coordinator of site intervention.  She is one of four finalists for the Starcatcher Award, which has been repurposed to recognize Springfield Public Schools’ innovators. The paper also contains a short piece about the Starcatcher Award.

    Karla Ferguson is just one face of Springfield Public Schools’ persistence to graduation initiative, a districtwide effort focused on getting students to graduate and making sure they are prepared for the next stage of life. Her work, along with her peers at Parkview, is having a notable impact, boosting that school’s graduation ...

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