March 24, 2010

Spring has come early to the coast of Southern Maine – only one snow day had to be called this year, so students are looking forward to their final day on Friday, June 18 – barring any unforeseen spring storms. 

The Administrative Team and the Board of School Directors have been working to develop a budget for Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) under extremely difficult circumstances.  We began this year with a commitment from the State of Maine to provide just over $6.2M in General Purpose Aid (GPA) to our schools.  Midway through the year, the Governor issued a curtailment order which caused our GPA to drop by approximately $900,000.  For next year, the state has lowered our GPA further, to $4.9M.  Essentially, from the beginning of this school year to the beginning of next, RSU 21 will have seen GPA reduced by $1.3M.  When you consider the increase in salaries, benefits, and other non-controllable lines such as fuel, heating oil, and electricity, it is clear that we will have to reduce programming and staffing in order to avoid significant increases in local taxes. 

At its March 15 meeting, the Board adopted a budget of just over $35M for K-12 education.  This is a reduction from the current year’s budget, which started at $36.1M.  In order to reach this mandate, the administrative team has proposed eliminating 16 positions and reducing 34 others, including several teaching appointments, one administrator, and several support staff (drivers, custodians, secretaries, and educational technicians).  These were not easy decisions, but the administrative team put forth a great effort to maintain the quality programming that most directly impacts our students.

Over the course of the next week or so, we will be releasing information on the budget approval process, which culminates with a district-wide vote in early May.  I look forward to seeing a supportive turnout at the polls on that day.

January 4, 2010

The schools were quiet last week, with a skeletal crew on hand to answer the telephones and perform the never-ending tasks related to payroll and school finance.  There were some signs of activity, as the winter sports season picks up steam, with most of our athletes participating in practices and holiday tournaments throughout the break.  Custodial and maintenance crews completed as much work as possible while the buildings were uninhabited, and administrators used the time to complete special projects without the myriad disruptions of a typical school day. 

The most significant project is the development of next year’s proposed school budget.  Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) will be yet another challenging one for the citizens of Maine.  Governor Baldacci has submitted his budget to the legislature, which reduces public school funding from the state by close to $80M over this year and next.  For RSU 21, this means a reduction of between $2.5M and $3M for FY 11 – out of approximately $7M we typically receive from the state.  Our challenge, as always, will be to develop a budget which meets the needs of our students without placing unrealistic expectations on the taxpayers in the district.  Public education is one of the basic freedoms we enjoy in the United States – and it is one of the principles on which our country was founded.  Now, amid fears that our students are falling behind those of other developed nations, we struggle to prioritize the value of the education with the financial challenges that face the majority of Americans on a monthly basis.

We believe we have one of the finest K-12 school systems in Maine, but is that enough?  It is time to stop comparing ourselves with neighboring districts and to look beyond the borders of our own county, state, and nation.  Our goal should be to provide our students with a world-class education, one which provides each student with the opportunities to develop skills and knowledge that will allow him or her to attain success in our global society.  Our students will not be competing for admission to college or future employment with students from neighboring communities alone; they will be competing with students from India, China, and Singapore as well.  We can no longer be content to say that our students perform better on standardized tests than most other Maine students;  we must go beyond analyzing test scores to measure the effectiveness of our schools. 

While students in other nations leave school speaking multiple languages, we have neglected our students’ language development.  Math and Science should be emphasized from kindergarten, with significant portions of each day spent learning how to apply the principles of each to real world problems.     These are just two areas in which we should make investments of time and structure that will benefit all students.  We can provide a world-class education right here in RSU 21.  In many ways, we already do.  By defining what it is we want for our students and strategizing a path for getting there, we will move toward that goal in all areas.  And you can help – by attending our Public Forum to develop a Strategic Plan, being held on Monday, January 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the Middle School of the Kennebunks.  Please come and invest two hours of your time to help us define that vision.  Bring a friend or another family member – we would love to see a cafeteria full of people and ideas; the “collective genius” is always better than the thinking of a small number of individuals.  I hope to see you there.

November 12, 2009

Budget preparation for the 2010-2011 school year has begun, with administrators in each of our school buildings, along with those responsible for district-wide cost centers (transportation, curriculum, food service, etc.), identifying their needs and priorities as they enter their requests for next year.  At the same time, we are working to identify reductions in the current year’s budget of nearly $900,000 – in anticipation of a curtailment in state aid to our local district.

Too often, these budget discussions seem to dominate the education landscape, and we have to remind ourselves that we need to focus our energies on ensuring that we are meeting the needs of our students, first and foremost.  With that in mind, there are a few areas that require attention as we look ahead to next year.  I would like to address a few of these in this blog space over the next few weeks.

Instructional Technology

Across the district, technology is becoming a concern.  Nearly one-third of the computers in our schools are older than five years and no longer covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.  These machines are not always capable of running the software programs used by teachers for instruction, and many are near the terminal point of their usefulness.  On a parallel note, the move to one-to-one computing in grades 6-12 has begun in earnest throughout much of Maine, and there is a fear that we may fall behind our neighbors in providing a rich technological experience for our students if we fail to make this a priority soon.  Providing our students with 21^st century skills must become a major focus in RSU 21 over the next few years.  Beyond providing one-to-one computing, we must provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to use the technology effectively.  That may be a bigger challenge than funding the purchase of laptops for every high school student.  Simply setting a laptop in front of a student and having him type a lab report or conduct Google searches is not making the best use of technology – though it may be a small part of the whole equation.  Conducting effective research, creating working spreadsheets and data tables, communicating with primary sources or other students worldwide, and developing informative and properly referenced presentations require a deeper understanding of the power of technology – and that is when one-to-one computing is worth the investment.  I am hopeful that we will be able to move in this direction soon.

October 26, 2009

It certainly has been an interesting fall season.  Health issues such as H1N1 and EEE have dominated the headlines and caused anxiety for parents and educators alike.  Yet, in our schools, the business of educating kids keeps rolling along.  One of the goals I have set for myself is to get out of the office and into our schools on a regular basis – something that is more easily said than done.  Specifically, I am attempting to visit at least one school each day, and each school at least once each week.  As I make these visits, I enjoy stopping by classrooms and seeing our teachers and students engaged in meaningful learning activities – it is a great reminder of the importance of our work.  It also gives me a chance to continue meeting the hundreds of staff members who are dedicated to giving the students their best efforts every day.  We have an impressive staff, and I am proud to be working alongside such a great group of educators.

With the November 3 vote right around the corner, we have been receiving calls for information about several of the ballot questions.  We have tried to respond to these inquiries by providing as much factual information as possible without espousing personal views – certainly a difficult balance.  I would encourage each voter to seek as much information as possible to lead to a thoughtful decision on each question.  The State of Maine website can provide you with the sample questions and links to various resources (http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/upcoming.html).  As the wording on the questions can be a bit tricky, seeing them before stepping into the polling place may minimize some of the confusion voters often face.

Much like last year, school districts throughout Maine will likely be hit with a curtailment during the 2009-2010 year.  A curtailment is imposed upon us by the State, resulting in a reduction in our General Purpose Aid (GPA) that comes to each school district from the statewide tax fund.  A curtailment is particularly harmful to schools, as each district’s budget is approved in the spring and includes the GPA figure given to us by the state at that point.  When the state imposes a curtailment we must adjust our budget in mid-year, when the revenue is already largely committed.  The administration has been anticipating this curtailment – predicting that we will lose approximately $900,000 in GPA – and has been working to identify potential reductions.  At the same time we are beginning the planning work for next year’s budget, anticipating that the state may further reduce our GPA by as much as $1.5M.  Clearly, these are challenging times.  We will continue to strive to provide for our students the best education we can afford, realizing that what we can afford may be less than it has been in the past.  Our budget deliberations will take place in public session throughout the winter and spring.  Please check our website for a listing of dates and locations as the year progresses.

Thanks for checking in.  Your interest and support is greatly needed and appreciated.