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Superintendent Judith Johnson broached the subject of the budget at a Board of Education meeting, saying goals will be laid out first, before talking about money. This budget season is difficult for school districts across the state, as they face rising costs and the state's 2 percent property tax levy cap.
“We’ll be talking dollars in subsequent meetings,” Johnson said. “The budget should be a reflection of what it is we want students to know and do and how to educate our children.”
Johnson said the graduation rate is not something the district should be proud of, adding that the district needs a better understanding of assessments of learning to help solve the problem.
Johnson said the district will continue to collect data to find the best ways to prepare students for college.
“We need to ensure that we have competent, qualified staff in every office,” Johnson said. “The district should be able to demonstrate what’s in place.”
Johnson said a big issue facing the school district is to develop a capital plan for maintaining school facilities. The district also needs to improve its technology.
“Our long-term vision is to ensure hopefulness, not hopelessness,” Johnson said. “We need a profile that defines the work that we are doing.”
The first budget session will be held on Feb. 13.
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