Norm's Notes

This blog has moved

2010-04-23T15:48:00.001-05:00

This blog is now located at http://normsnotessps.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://normsnotessps.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Thanks to all of our volunteers

2010-04-23T10:09:00.000-05:00

National Volunteer Week comes to a close today. I’m fortunate enough to spend plenty of time in our schools every week where I get to see the positive difference volunteers make for students.

I wanted to share two more notes of thanks from staff at our schools.

From Nicole Kimbrough, Holland Elementary principal:

Margaret Lockmiller, “Miss Margaret,” is here almost every day, serving students and helping in first grade. She is a like a stand-in grandmother to the students and supports the teacher in any way that she can. Mrs. Carol Lohmeyer is here on a weekly basis to support the work in our other first grade classroom. She does a variety of activities, including a weekly Book Bag program which helps students become more fluent readers.

From Barbie Lyons, Pershing Elementary/Middle School volunteer coordinator:

Shannon Nagy is a parent of a Pershing seventh grader. She volunteers her time not only with multiple PTSA responsibilities and goes beyond that as well. Shannon is in charge of our watchdog program and works several times a month in our school office answering phones and assisting the secretaries.

Renee Gammon and Ann Neu are two very special volunteers that Pershing is lucky to have. Both ladies had students here years ago, students who are now college-aged. Because of their fond memories at Pershing and their desire to volunteer, they have been faithfully spending many hours in the Pershing school office helping wherever needed.

I want to thank everyone who gives their time on behalf of Springfield’s children. Your selfless dedication builds strong school communities which foster student success.

If you haven’t yet volunteered to help out your neighborhood school, I strongly encourage you to do so. I promise that you’ll find it to be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. So will the kids you meet.

Contact our Partners In Education office at 523-0021 to get started.

Meet the new Parkview principal

2010-04-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

I'm pleased to announce that Springfield Public Schools has selected Eric Ramsey as the new principal for Parkview High School. He is a veteran educator with eight years’ experience as a high school assistant principal. He comes to SPS from Willard High School where he currently serves as assistant principal.

Mr. Ramsey will be a great addition to our staff. He brings with him extensive leadership experience and a reputation for developing relationships with students, staff and patrons.

Ramsey has 14 years of experience in teaching and/or coaching which spans education levels K-16. He has earned his Masters of Science in Educational Administration and Specialist in Education Administration degrees and will begin working toward an Educational Doctoral Degree this summer.

Earlier in his career, Ramsey coached multiple varsity sports including three years as head football coach at Willard High School. Previously, he taught health and physical education at Winnetonka High School, 7th and 8th grade science at Stockton Middle School, elementary physical education at Campbell and York elementary schools, and served as an adjunct professor for Missouri State University.

I also want to thank Chance Wistrom for his excellent work as principal at Parkview over these last few years. Chance is leaving SPS to become the superintendent in Miller, MO. They're getting a great leader for their district, and I wish Chance all the best.

We've also named four new assistant principals for 2010-2011.

Kelly Jacobs will be the new assistant principal at Pleasant View Elementary and Middle School. She comes to Pleasant View after serving as an instructional specialist for the district since 2007. From 1999-2007, Jacobs was a teacher at McBride Elementary School.

Robert Kroll will be the new assistant principal at Pershing Elementary and Middle School. He has taught science since 2003 at Reed Middle School.

Stacye Manlove will be the new assistant principal at Hickory Hills Elementary and Middle School. She is currently assistant to the principal at Disney and Wanda Gray elementary schools. Manlove has been employed by SPS since 1998 at Sherwood, Doling, Twain, Rountree, Jeffries, and McBride elementary schools, serving as classroom teacher and librarian.

Tammy Quinn is a 20-year veteran educator with 14 years experience with SPS. She will be the new assistant principal at Glendale High School. She currently serves as coordinator of site interventions at Kickapoo High School where she has managed those responsibilities for the past three years. Prior to her current responsibilities, Quinn taught communication arts, speech, and drama, along with spending four years as a STARR teacher with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Dads volunteering in our schools and a special recognition for one long-time volunteer

2010-04-21T11:00:00.001-05:00

As you know, I’ve been sharing some stories about the impact volunteers have at our schools on my blog this week in celebration of National Volunteer Week. Today, I want to tell you about a really interesting program at several district schools called Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students).

The National Center for Fathering has an initiative promoting the involvement of dads at school, helping foster positive male role models for students within the school setting. Watch D.O.G.S. dads spend time in their children’s schools performing a variety of roles, including welcoming kids to school in the morning to mentoring students. Gerry Lee, our board president, has been a Watch D.O.G.S. dad at Wilder Elementary.

Also, congratulations to Edna Arbeitman, a volunteer at Field Elementary for receiving the Silent Hero award. For 14 years, Edna has been a volunteer at the school, working full-time in the office. The Silent Hero award was developed by Ralph Slavens, a former legislator, and was designed to recognize individuals who are involved in the community, give of their time and contribute in numerous ways without public recognition of their efforts. Field held a ceremony in Edna’s honor last Friday.

Recognizing Springfield's faith-based community for their volunteer efforts in our schools

2010-04-20T11:45:00.002-05:00

This week is National Volunteer Week. To celebrate and say thanks to all of our volunteers I’m sharing some stories about the impact volunteers have in our schools.

Springfield has a supportive faith-based community, and local churches have taken a leading role in partnering with schools.

Here’s Danielle Carson, the volunteer coordinator at York Elementary, discussing one of the partnerships their school has with a Springfield church.

We have volunteers from Wesley United Methodist that come on Wednesdays to greet the students in the morning. I believe it makes a difference to these kids to see someone other than staff that are smiling and welcoming them to school. All of our volunteers are amazing, and I am excited to show then how much all appreciate them.

A dozen or more volunteers from Christ Episcopal Church descend on Bissett Elementary each week to read to children and work with classroom teachers. Volunteers from the church help with the events that promote parent participation in the school community. That includes Fall Festival Day, an event created and hosted by Christ Episcopal Church for families to enjoy a day of fun together.

Bissett first graders got the opportunity in the fall to see Springfield Little Theatre’s performance of Alice in Wonderland, thanks to the generosity of church members. Partner efforts such as this enhance the educational experience for children, getting them further engaged in the learning process.

Our schools are truly blessed to have such strong links with Springfield’s faith community.

If you or your church would like to get involved at a neighborhood school, just give us a call at 523-0021.

National Volunteer Week

2010-04-19T14:55:00.000-05:00

Every day parents, grandparents, co-workers, church members and neighbors give their time on behalf of Springfield’s school children. They open doors and greet kids on their way into the building. They chaperone field trips, help out with Algebra, mentor students, make props for the school play and all kinds of other things that give our buildings their spirit of community.

This week is Volunteer Appreciation Week. Please join me in thanking the hundreds of people who take time out of their own schedules to make our schools a better place.

This week, I’ll be sharing some stories about volunteers and their impact from principals and other staff members at our schools. I would also invite you to contribute stories about the difference volunteers make at your school or tell us about your experience as a volunteer.

To start, here’s Janet Austin, volunteer coordinator at Sunshine Elementary, saying thanks to a very special volunteer at their school.

Sunshine has an OUTSTANDING volunteer named Dixie Sleight! Dixie has been a volunteer at our school for several years and goes above and beyond every time she walks through the door. She is a retired professional with extensive experience working with children in various settings, including hospitals. She has regularly scheduled days that she comes to Sunshine and last month Dixie logged 17 hours with us. She is also a volunteer at the Dickerson Park Zoo, conducting presentations, programs and tours. Ms. Sleight is such a valuable asset to our school in many different ways. She read with individual students and small groups. She provides help to students needing special assistance. She is always willing to assist teachers in any way possible by making copies or performing whatever tasks are needed. She has done so many special things for our school; they are too numerous to include in a short paragraph! We are very fortunate to have Dixie Sleight as a volunteer at our school!

If you or your organization would like to get involved at a neighborhood school, just give us a call at 523-0021.

2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalist: Linda McFarland

2010-04-19T10:57:00.001-05:00

Here's the fifth 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalist, Linda McFarland. Linda is a communication arts teacher at Carver Middle School.

All five finalists will be honored at the Teacher Appreciation Banquet on Monday, April 19. The winner will be announced that night as well.

2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalist: Abby Lowe

2010-04-16T10:50:00.000-05:00

The next 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalist I want to introduce you to is Abby Lowe, a kindergarten teacher at Harrison Elementary.

Here's Abby.

2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalist: Suzanne Hadden

2010-04-15T10:47:00.000-05:00

I want to continue introducing you to the five finalists for the 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year. Today, meet Suzanna Hadden, Central High School math teacher.

Meet Faith Chaney, 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalist

2010-04-14T08:33:00.000-05:00

I want to continue introducing you to the five finalists for the 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year. Today, meet Faith Chaney, English for Speakers of Other Languages teacher at Hickory Hills school.

Yesterday, we met Julia Armstrong, social studies teacher at Pipkin Middle School.

The 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year will be announced at the Teacher Appreciation Banquet on Monday, April 19.

State funding update for 2009-2010 school year

2010-04-13T15:26:00.002-05:00

We are hearing promising things out of Jefferson City today. Gov. Jay Nixon announced that he will distribute funding cuts for this school year among all 523 Missouri school districts rather than exempt more than 150 "hold harmless" school districts. Legislation previously approved by both the House and Senate would have left 372 school districts, including Springfield Public Schools, shouldering the burden of the funding cuts.

We appreciate Gov. Nixon and Missouri Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro for all they have done to help preserve funding for education and to ensure that cuts are fairly distributed among all school districts.

This news is a relief to SPS and many neighboring school districts. It will mean SPS will lose about $850,000 in revenue in 2009-2010 rather than $1.1 million. It is unfortunate that we will have to make any reductions, but thanks to our conservative budgeting practices and efficient and effective use of resources, we anticipate SPS will be able to adapt to the lesser reduction without any drastic cuts between now and June 2010.

The funding outlook for 2010-2011, however, still remains bleak. Due to continuing debate among legislators, we have had to delay our budgeting process and may not know anything certain until after May 7.

The school board will meet May 10 for its budget work session so we should have more information to share by then.

Meet the 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalists: Julia Armstrong

2010-04-13T08:41:00.002-05:00

Earlier this month we announced the five finalists for the 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year.

Prior to announcing the 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year will be announced at the Teacher Appreciation Banquet, I wanted to give you the chance to learn more about each finalist. This week, I'll be sharing a series of five short videos with you introducing each finalist.

Julia Armstrong is a social studies teacher at Pipkin Middle School. I'll let Julia tell you a little bit more about her passion for teaching.

MAP testing and the positive difference you can make at home

2010-04-07T10:35:00.002-05:00

Students started taking the MAP test last week. Some schools have finished, while some schools just started.
I want to share a few reminders with you that can help foster success on the MAP test as you fill in the circles with a #2 pencil this week.

Parents, remember to keep the lines of communication open between your child and your child’s school this week…and every week. Find out how you can support learning at home.
Encourage your kids to get a good night’s sleep and start the day with a healthy breakfast. Studies show that rested, well-nourished children learn better.
Be encouraging and positive. Let your children know that you are confident in their abilities.
Try to make studying fun for your child and take breaks when needed. Encourage your child to get some exercise during breaks. Just like eating and sleeping well, studies show that physical activity stimulates the brain for learning.

I am confident in our teachers and students, and I know that you’ll all do great this year.

Budget update

2010-04-06T11:38:00.000-05:00

Our school board had planned to meet this evening for a budget work session. Unfortunately, because so many factors regarding state funding for 2010-2011 are still undecided, the work session has been postponed. The board will likely schedule another budget meeting in early May.

Currently being discussed in the state legislature are bills that would impact the amount of funding for the foundation formula and the dollar value modifier (used to adjust the foundation formula for cost of living differences between districts). Typically we receive an annual increase of $2 million in revenue from the foundation formula. That will not be the case in 2010-2011. Other programs legislators have targeted for cuts next year include transportation, Parents as Teachers and summer school.

When we began our annual budget process this year, we were expecting our revenues to remain flat for next year. Depending on decisions at the state level, though, we could be facing funding cuts amounting to several million dollars. Right now we have no choice but to wait for the state funding picture to crystallize.

An opinion piece by school board president Gerry Lee is printed in today's newspaper. He offers some insight into the funding dilemma we face. I encourage you to read it.

It is possible that we won't have any clearer information about our budget until May. Check The Bottom Line section of our web site for updates as they are available.

Congrats to the 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year finalists

2010-04-01T10:54:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to the five finalists for Springfield Public Schools 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year. The five finalists are:

Julia Armstrong, social studies teacher, Pipkin Middle School
Faith Chaney, English for Speakers of Other Languages teacher, Hickory Hills Middle School
Suzanne Hadden, math teacher, Central High School
Abby Lowe, kindergarten teacher, Harrison Elementary School
Linda McFarland, communication arts teacher, Carver Middle School.

Parents, principals and other teachers nominate candidates for the Teacher of the Year award. These five finalists will be recognized at the annual Teacher Appreciation Banquet on Monday, April 19. The winner will also be announced at that event.

I’m fortunate enough to spend time in our schools, and I’ve see a number of impressive, innovative things happening everyday in our classrooms. I want to congratulate every teacher for what they do and thank them for their dedication to kids. It’s a tough job.

Congrats again to these five teachers.

Persistence to Graduation

2010-03-30T08:56:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, Dr. Tom Prater, vice president of the board of education, wrote a guest editorial in the News-Leader discussing the district’s Persistence to Graduation initiative. With spring break, you may have missed it.

We began the Persistence to Graduation (P2G) initiative three years ago. The early phase consisted of thorough research to give us more insight into the problem, identify students at-risk for dropping out of school much earlier in their schooling and devise appropriate interventions for those students.

P2G is a district-wide effort, involving stakeholders at the classroom, school building and district level for a more uniform system of identifying students before they fall through the cracks. Though it’s a district-wide program, interventions reflect the needs of individual students. After identifying students, teachers, principals, counselors and others put their heads together to devise intervention strategies tailored to the needs of individual children. I believe that this is the real strength of the program.

Right now, we are seeing some very positive results, as Dr. Prater mentioned in his article. For the 2008-2009 academic year, a total of 329 students had dropped out of school by February 2009. This February, that number was down to 211. Of course, we’re working hard to make sure those numbers keep declining.

Persistence to Graduation carries lots of potential. I’ll be keeping you posted on the results.

SPS budget and finance Q and A

2010-03-10T15:59:00.000-06:00

School finance can be a complicated subject, not often easy to squeeze into a sound bite or a 500-word news article. Yet, school finance, budget, revenues, etc. are going to be on the minds of many as we continue the process of developing the 2010-2011 budget over the coming weeks and months.

With that, I want to take this opportunity to invite you to use the comments section of this blog post to ask any question you may have around this topic. Just click on the comments link below to submit your question for us to answer.

I would also encourage you to check The Bottom Line for the latest news and information about district finances. Also, be sure to check out our FAQ page for some commonly asked questions about the district's revenue and the budget planning process for 2010-2011, and take a moment to view this video which provides an overview of the budget development process. You can also find a complete list of district financial reports on our website.

Springfield Public Schools strives for an efficient and effective use of community resources, and as part of that goal we want to promote an open dialogue around that subject.

A note about comments: Please keep them appropriate; foul language and personal attacks will not be tolerated. We do have to review comments because of inappropriate spam that can show up without using the moderation process, so please note that your comment will not appear immediately.

CHS student Nicole Andrews wins Poetry Out Loud competition

2010-03-08T14:46:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Nicole Andrews, a student at Central High School, for winning Missouri's 2010 Poetry Out Loud competition held last week in Jefferson City.

Nicole will go on to the national Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington DC on April 26 and 27. Students receive a $200 prize for winning at the state level and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington DC for the national competition. Central High School will receive a $500 stipend to purchase poetry books.

Please join me in wishing her luck next month.

Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation contest among high school students in all 50 states. The program is conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts, working with state arts agencies. It's a great offering for classrooms, providing the opportunity for students to interpret and evaluate poetry as literature while building public speaking skills and confidence.

Parents speak out about the need for involvement and dialogue

2010-03-05T15:59:00.000-06:00

In recent weeks, the Springfield News-Leader has featured several editorial columns filled with inaccurate and misleading information about our Springfield Public Schools. Because that erroneous information is presented so prominently on the paper’s opinion page my staff and I have attempted to correct it, because I believe an informed conversation about our schools and the challenges we face has to start with facts rather than conjecture.

Thus, it was refreshing to see two parents and volunteers speak out on behalf of our schools today. Both authors shared a common theme in their contributions: the need for real community involvement to ensure the success of our children and schools.

Tim Burk discussed his experiences as a volunteer and president of his school’s PTA.

Gail Melgren urged readers to take a broader view of the achievement gap, rather than attempt to address the issue with vitriol.

Less than a month after the editor of the paper called for a more civil dialogue on the opinion pages, it’s good to see that several have heeded that call. If you have questions or concerns about your school or the district, don’t hesitate to reach out to our staff, myself included. We want you to be informed about the state of our schools. I encourage you to take the time to volunteer in our schools, donating a small portion of your time pays immense dividends in the lives of students.

Ten minutes can help your community and schools

2010-03-05T09:50:00.000-06:00

This spring, the United States will once again conduct a national census. Going back to 1790—when George Washington was president—our country has taken an official count of the population every ten years according to instructions in the U.S. Constitution.

Please know how important your participation and a complete, accurate count is to our school district and community. In addition to establishing the number of U.S. Congressional seats for each state, census information is used to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state, and tribal governments each year. Schools also receive funding based on data from the decennial census and the ongoing American Community Survey. In addition, census information is critical when determining locations for medical services, improving schools, building roads, expanding public transportation, and creating accurate maps for emergency responders. Even allocation of vital supplies, such as influenza vaccines, is provided to local communities based on census counts.

In March 2010, households will receive a mail-back form which should take no longer than10 minutes to complete. The 2010 Census questionnaire will be one of the shortest in history, asking only 10 questions. Strict laws protect the confidentiality of respondents and any information they provide.

To keep costs low and help the City of Springfield achieve a high mail-back response rate, everyone is encouraged to mail back the form (postage-free) as soon as possible after receiving the form. Census Bureau workers will not need to visit households to collect the information if the mail-back form is completed and returned by mail. People who live in group quarters (e.g., dormitories, nursing homes, etc.) will be counted through a group quarter count rather than receiving mail-back forms.

We join the Census Bureau in reminding everyone: “We can’t move forward until you mail it back.” Please mail your Census 2010 survey back as soon as possible!

Thank you for your continued support for our school district and community.

Meet Hillcrest's Pro Start culinary team

2010-03-03T14:19:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, I told you a little bit about the Pro Start Culinary career education program and the award-winning team at Glendale High School.

Today, I want to share this video with you featuring Hillcrest family and consumer sciences teacher Robin Jones and several of the Pro Start team members there, including one young lady who has had a great experience interning with the pastry chef at the Tower Club. I'll let them tell you all about it.

Here are links to today's story in the News-Leader and the report (with video) from KOLR 10 about the GHS Pro Start team.

This is just one of the innovative programs we're pleased to offer SPS students.

Pro Start career education program a recipe for success

2010-03-02T09:49:00.001-06:00

The elaborate setups of the TV show “Iron Chef” usually come to mind when you mention cooking contests. However, one of the real challenges of being a professional chef is being able to adapt to the conditions around you, while still putting together a final product that meets a certain standard. Many television chefs may balk at having to prepare a meal on a two burner propane hot plate, but that’s exactly what the students on Glendale High School’s Pro Start Culinary Team had to do last month for the state Pro Start competition.

The GHS team competed against 28 other teams and won second place, which included a $500 prize and a renewable scholarship at East Central College for each team member. This is just the second year of the Pro Start program at GHS.

SPS’ Family and Consumer Sciences department implemented the Pro Start culinary arts curriculum in the fall of 2008. This is one of the district’s innovative career education programs that bring together what students learn in the classroom with the application of that knowledge in the workplace. The program offers students a sequence of courses that can lead to certification from the Missouri and National Restaurant Associations and a leg up on culinary school or other post-secondary training. Students get another opportunity to put themselves to the test through internships with local businesses.

The benefits of Pro Start are not limited to the culinary arts. The program fosters students’ problem solving skills and critical thinking ability as they react to various challenges and circumstances as individuals and members of a team. These are the skills that transfer across classrooms and throughout every facet of life, the most essential ingredient for success in anything students pursue.

Currently, SPS has Pro Start teams at Central, Glendale and Hillcrest.

Clarifying the facts

2010-02-26T15:19:00.001-06:00

As we get under way with the budget development process in the face of difficult economic times, it is essential that we provide accurate and up-to-date information, especially with looming budget decisions that will impact people’s lives. Thus, I was very disappointed Thursday morning when I picked up the News-Leader and saw an individual spreading misinformation and manipulating numbers to create a false impression of our schools.

As you may have noticed the News-Leader’s opinion page requires frequent corrections from our staff and Board. Let me clear up the two misleading examples used yesterday to imply something nefarious about the district.

Increases to SPS’ debt service levy must be approved by voters. The district’s debt service payment for 2009-2010 included $30 million from an escrow account that paid off the 2000 bond issue, which was refinanced in 2003 at a significantly lower interest rate, resulting in a significant savings of taxpayer money. That bond debt was retired during the 2009-2010 budget year because that was the earliest date we were legally allowed to pay off the 2000 bond. As you know, those bonds were approved by voters who have made upgrading the physical condition of our schools a top priority.

It’s simply not true that the district’s administrative expenses have increased from $425,000 in 2005 to $2.5 million in 2009-2010. When the district upgraded its accounting software in 2006, the finance department reviewed all general ledger accounts to ensure they were classified as recommended by the Missouri State Accounting Manual. A number of accounts were reclassified under "Executive Administration,” including administrative services DESE requires districts to have. Our district strives for an effective and efficient use of resources. As a result SPS’ ratio of 279 students per administrator is far below the state average of 187 students per administrator.

It’s unfortunate that Mr. Gargus declined my invitation last September to sit down and discuss his concerns. That might have cleared up some of the misunderstandings he has about our district’s finances.

Developing a budget and responding to difficult economic times is not as simple as laying off more than 150 district employees (representing $8 million), as Mr. Gargus suggests. We cut more than $6 million from the current year’s budget, which included personnel reductions, facility maintenance and improvements, professional development and curriculum.

As we consider the various scenarios for the 2010-2011 budget, let me make it clear that we will seek options that have as little impact as possible on the quality of education that we provide. This will certainly mean some tough decisions, and we very well may have to have a conversation about the operating levy in future years if state cuts impact the core quality of our teachers and schools.

I strongly support the right for community stakeholders to express their opinion. I also know that not everyone has a favorable view of what we do, especially when it comes to talking about taxes in the midst of this economic climate. However, when the News-Leader continues to print inaccurate information we will come directly to the community with the facts, allowing them to draw their own conclusions.

I encourage you to stay informed about the budget process with our financial blog, The Bottom Line, and don’t hesitate to provide your feedback or ask questions you may have regarding this issue.

Keeping you informed and asking for feedback in the budget development process

2010-02-26T09:10:00.000-06:00

One of my priorities during the budget development process is to keep the community informed with accurate information as well as giving SPS staff, parents and all stakeholders the opportunity to provide input. As you well know, the state of the economy makes the budgeting process for 2010-2011 particularly difficult.

The short video below is intended to provide you with a look at the district’s revenue situation for the current and upcoming years and an overview of the budget development process. I encourage you to take a moment out of your day to watch it.

I also want to encourage you to ask any questions you may have regarding the budget, revenue, etc. Feel free to leave a comment or question here on the blog. Please note, that comments may not appear instantly because we do have to guard against spam, unfortunately, but your comments will be posted and we do respond. I would also encourage you to use our other channels to stay informed and communicate your questions and concerns to us, including Facebook, Twitter and our e-newsletter. Later in the spring, we'll be reaching out to stakeholders for additional input to further clarify the final budget for 2010-2011.

Keep up with the latest news and information about the district’s budget and financial picture on our finance blog, The Bottom Line.

Thoughts about SPS' revenue, budget and the levy

2010-02-19T15:13:00.002-06:00

District CFO Steve Chodes and board finance committee members Dr. Tom Prater and Jean Twitty held a conference call with local media outlets on Tuesday, Feb. 16 to discuss district revenue projections, the budget process for the upcoming year and the outlook for SPS’ funding picture.

Naturally, the question of a possible increase to the district’s operating levy was raised. Sensitive to the difficult economic times, Dr. Prater reiterated that the district has no plans to ask voters to support a levy increase this year in the face of difficult economic times. SPS will be looking at cuts to the 2010-2011 budget in the face of decreases to the usual revenue SPS receives from the state, whether through sales taxes, the foundation formula or categorical items such as transportation.

The possibility of a levy in 2011 or beyond was mentioned on the call. However, it was mentioned in light of the state’s budget situation in 2011-2012, when stimulus money currently being used to prop up the state’s budget shortfalls expires. This could drastically impact district revenues at the state level. We hope that the economy turns around by that point. However, if the state budget situation is still as dire, we will need to have a community-wide conversation about the operating levy. I know this community places a high priority on keeping good teachers in the classroom, keeping class sizes manageable and preparing our students for success in college and the workplace. That part was left out of the newspaper’s story.

Dr. Prater also made an important call to action during the discussion of the levy and state funding, encouraging parents and all voters concerned about education to contact their legislator and ask that they make every effort possible to preserve education funding (that statement comes at the 28:14 mark of the call).

Listen to the conference call in its entirety.