District Update - October 30, 2009

District Update from the Interim Superintendent

Introduction

It has been gratifying to hear that so many teachers, parents, and community members have found our latest efforts in communication helpful, enabling you to stay in touch with important and timely news of the schools.  Beth Franklin’s email to families and community members as Chair of the School Board and my posting of a District Update on this website are a visible reminder of our dedication to this effort.   Your continued response is appreciated!

In this update, you will find news about our response to H1N1, now that seasonal flu vaccines have been administered to approximately 1000 children; school construction; the newest edition of THE PORTAL; and, important preview information for the November 2 School Board Workshop.

School News

Please take the time to check information about the status of our response to the H1N1 vaccination efforts on this site, as very time sensitive information will be posted here and also distributed in Principals Notes to school families each weekend.  We are very hopeful to be offering an H1N1 vaccination clinic as soon as next week and are just awaiting confirmation that the vaccine allotment has arrived.  Many thanks again to our Health Team for taking on this significant health effort for the children of the Falmouth community.

The link on this page to news about the construction phase of Falmouth Elementary School is also an important source of updated information for you.  As you have been alerted, this phase has begun in earnest, respecting the needs of our athletes through the conclusion of the fall season as many of the fields undergo initial grading.  I must give special thanks to Sue Palfrey, FMS Principal, and her staff and students for their patience and understanding as this project begins, for they have lost parking spaces and the 5th and 6th grade students’ beloved recess field has been relocated to a safe location.  Please be assured that safety is our number one priority as this work gears up for the rest of this year and next.  Many thanks as well to our Athletic Director, Todd Livingston, for his diligent efforts with coaches and administration in finding workable solutions to field and indoor space needs during the upcoming sports seasons.

Also, please watch your mail for the newest edition of THE PORTAL, a joint publication of the Town of Falmouth and Falmouth Schools.  School and town news, highlights of happenings throughout the schools and the community, full publication of the new 18-Month Plan guiding school efforts as a result of the spring Community Dialogue, and information about the upcoming referendum on November 3rd are all featured.  Of prominent focus as well are discussions about the current economic realities facing both Falmouth and our schools, and our continuing collaborative efforts to reduce costs and promote efficiencies. Thanks in advance for taking some time to read through this important publication.  It is just another indication of communication efforts between the schools and the community using a different form of media.

School Board Workshop – Monday, November 2

Finally, as noted in the previous update, we are about to begin a series of probing School Board workshops addressing educational, athletic, and co-curricular priorities and the values you assign them.  Most importantly, we will be seeking guidance from all of you regarding creative and realistic ways to keep these robust offerings available to students of all ages in Falmouth.  You have probably heard from other sources by now that we are facing a projected $665,000 curtailment of General Purpose Aid from Maine’s Department of Education in this school year and know that the financial picture will be even more difficult in the two years ahead.

It is for this reason that we are in need of creative solutions and an indication from this community as to how we might best address the challenges this year and in the coming months through the budget development process.  We welcome your participation in any of the workshop series. 

The essential questions are framed as follows on the agenda for the first workshop:

•What values do students, teachers and families assign athletic and co-curricular offerings?

•What other funding options might be considered?

Please join us in the FHS Music Room at 7:00 on Monday evening and participate in this conversation.  The protocol will consist of a presentation by school staff, an opportunity for participant input, discussion by the school board, and the identification of next steps or areas of inquiry.  Votes will not be taken; rather, this process is a part of the overall budget development effort being undertaken by your School Board and School Leadership Council. 

You will find the complete agenda for the evening, support documents regarding athletics and co-curricular budgets and booster contributions, funding options currently in use in other area districts, and some of our own initial funding ideas available for your review ahead of time.  Please visit the School Board web page and click on the SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP DOCUMENTS tab to access this information, which will be continuously housed and expanded on that site.  For ease of access, you may also use this link: http://www.falmouthschools.org/supt/schoolboard/start.cfm?id=265

Thank you for your continued support of the Falmouth Schools – I believe I speak for us all when we say that we are committed to continuing to move this high-performing district forward,  and will do everything within our means to make that happen.  The community will be a critical partner in that effort.

-- Barbara Powers