EXCELLENCE
TODAY
FOR TOMORROW
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT – December 2006
Act I Update
This evening we are receiving the formal report from the members of our Tax Study
Commission, as represented by Mr. Bill Taylor. I would personally like to express our
gratitude to these citizens who gave unselfishly of their time and expertise to wrestle the
daunting task of studying the ramifications of this legislation. Our School Board now
has the job of studying the Commission's recommendation and deciding what our frontend referendum question will be in the spring primary election. For most members of
our community, though much information on Act I has been shared in the press and on
our website, the taxing issues (no pun intended!) remain a quagmire of unanswered
questions. I want to make it clear, as your Superintendent, Act I provides no support for
our school district. Rather, we become the agent for the "passing through" of funds to
provide property tax relief. Furthermore, under the new budget guidelines from Act I,
that direct us to keep our budget increase below a 3.4% millage increase, we are being
forced to examine our programs and services with an eye to making cuts as never
before. We are always committed to insuring the lowest possible taxes for our citizens;
however, with the rising costs of fuel, health care, and everything else, what will begin to
suffer will be programs for students. When these begin to erode, ultimately property
values are impacted negatively. It has now become a vicious cycle! I urge all
community members to become informed. One has only to look to New Jersey or
several New England states to see the negative impact of this form of referendum on
public education. We are always working hard to "tighten our belts" in Rose Tree
Media, but we want to be certain that tax payers are truly informed as to what price we
will all pay for this so-called property tax relief.
The Spirit of Giving
Not only at this time of year but also throughout the ten months our schools are in
session, our students and staff members provide numerous and generous gifts of time,
energy, food, service, and monetary help. I am always amazed at how many of these
activities happen in our buildings quite naturally and without applause. Perhaps that is
a good sign that such a spirit of generosity has become so second-nature to us in RTM!
In every building, including our Administration Center, giving to those in need is
happening and this makes us very proud. I would like to take this time to congratulate
all those members of the Rose Tree Media School District and to thank them personally
for a job very well done!
Rose Tree Media's Programs in the Arts
As budgets change and needs arise, one always worries about what program will be cut
first. I want to assure our community that our excellent program in the Fine and
Performing Arts is alive and doing very well! We will continue to support all that we do
for our students in these areas since we know, and research supports, that excellence
in the arts is correlated positively to academic achievement. The number of our
students who engage in our music and art programs continues to grow, as does the
quality of our professional staff in these departments. Tonight, the School Board is
enjoying one presentation from our friends at The Lake. Know that throughout RTM,
parents and grandparents, and other senior citizens from our community have had the
pleasure of the entertainment by our young performers. Programs such as these insure
that our students are well-rounded and better prepared to meet the challenges they face
in whatever career they may choose.
Winter Arrives
With the beginning of winter, though we have all been fooled by the rather warm
weather of late, it is important to remind parents once again of our need to have up-todate emergency contact information for you. If we have the need to close school for the
day due to ice or snow, or if we are going to have a two-hour delay, we will use our
Global Connect phone call system to notify all homes at the same time. If your
answering machine is on, the message will be obviously be recorded there. We also
post on the all the major TV stations and our website. The true challenge arises if we
need to have an early dismissal due to a sudden storm. If our emergency contact
information is not up-to-date, it is even more difficult to contact parents so they can be
sure that children will arrive home to a safe and informed adult. We ask that parents
work now to have contingency plans in place with neighbors or family should the need
arise for children to be dismissed early when parents will not be at home.
Holiday Good Wishes
And finally, I would like to take this opportunity to send our best wishes to all for a safe
and healthy holiday season. These weeks are filled with many activities and plans and
sometimes, I find, it becomes all too difficult to keep priorities in order. I recommend
family and friends first. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of our families who have
experienced loss this past year, since we know the holiday time can accentuate the
pain. We wish all a Happy New Year!