EXCELLENCE
TODAY
FOR TOMORROW
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT – April 2007
Act I Update
Well, we are coming down the home stretch and the May 15th primary election is now
upon us. We have reviewed with our community members, through numerous venues,
the important information regarding the referendum question that will be on the ballot. I
am still concerned, however, that since this Tax Law is so complex, that many of our
citizens may choose to turn a “cold shoulder” to this hot issue on Primary Election day.
Please, I urge you, get out to vote! Read our website for additional details regarding the
proposed Personal Income Tax and why we are encouraging you to vote NO!
I have been visiting our senior residences along with the Chairman of our Tax Study
Commission, Bill Taylor, and our Chief Operation Officer, Sharon Learn. Not only are
these visits enjoyable since we have had a chance to connect with so many of our
seniors, but also, the visits are enlightening since we have been able to listen to concerns
and ideas as we explain Act I and the impact it holds for Rose Tree Media.
Typically in primary elections, only a very small percentage of our families get out to vote.
The decisions are carried by the votes of our senior citizens. It is time for us to join
together on this important issue and get out the vote from all citizens in RTM. Please
make sure your voice is heard at the polls on May 15th.
Budget Update
We have continued our work on the budget for 2007-2008. I want to reiterate to our
community that we continue to work on this budget, line item by line item, so that we keep
to no more than the 3.4% milage increase limit set by the state. This is not coming
without its challenges! Though we applied for exceptions and were granted these by the
Department of Education, we are planning not to take advantage of these. We are
determined to keep our taxes as low as possible for our community. We are also working
to ensure that we preserve more of our fund balance than has been the case in previous
years. This will be critical for future years as we maintain fiscal responsibility.
Capital Improvements
As you may know, we have been working with the architectural firm of Hayes, Large to
complete a 5 Year Capital Improvement and Educational Master Action Plan. This
document includes a study of the needs of every facility in the district. Simultaneously,
Hayes, Large has been hosting a series of community meetings to share data and gather
input. The next and final meetings will be held on May 9th at Glenwood Elementary
School. There is a daytime meeting at 9:30 a.m. with a repeat performance in the
evening at Glenwood at 7:30 p.m. It is important for parents to get involved as we map
out our future for our building improvements. Please plan to join us. Additional
information can be found on our website, along with a short survey we hope you will take
a few moments to complete.
Important Facilities Topics at Springton Lake
Since this School Board and the Administration are so eager to move forward with
addressing the numerous facilities needs for Springton Lake, the School Board last month
engaged the services of the Architectural firm of Bonnett Associates Incorporated. Since
Springton Lake was built, no major renovations have taken place here and the modular
classrooms that we’ve had for too many years are in need of repair. The good news is
that a planning meeting with the administrative team was held this week and I must
confess that there was high energy in the room! As we move forward, we will keep the
community informed of any progress via our website, so stay tuned. Construction
projects that must go through the plan con approval process of the Department of
Education take time, often more than we would all like. Nonetheless, we are committed
to getting this project going. The possibilities for an exciting Middle School renovation
based on current best practices in education are very invigorating. Of course, we will also
be renovating the pool, which has long been a desire of many of our community
members. We are especially eager to have a first-rate pool for our swim team and our
community.
Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6th through the 12th is designated nationally as “Teacher Appreciation Week” so we
are delighted to take this opportunity to thank all of our employees in Rose Tree Media
who work daily to make this the strong, district of excellence that it is. Research shows
that the single most important factor in the quality of a child’s education is the classroom
teacher. The classroom teacher—not the School Board, not the Superintendent, not the,
well you get the idea…We are fortunate that in Rose Tree Media we have hired and
retained many excellent teachers who go above and beyond the call, as they say, on a
daily basis. For any students who are listening to this, I suggest that you take a moment
to thank a teacher who has made a difference in your life. For our parents and other
citizens, you have no idea how much a note of gratitude means to a teacher. Our
employees touch the future daily through the lives of our students, and we thank them for
all that they give.