[BrownsvilleOnline] Parent Council News/2.18.08

[Sally Cushing]

PARENT COUNCIL* NEWS  February 18, 2008


ATTENTION:  IT’S SCHOOL BUDGET TIME!
BROWNSVILLE, DO YOU CARE?
Last year, Albemarle County reduced the real estate tax rate from  
$0.74 to $0.68 per $100 assessed, resulting in significant school  
budget cuts.  Real estate values have not grown as expected.   
Anticipated revenues now stand between $1.9 million and $2.4 million  
short of the proposed school budget, which has already been reduced.

To review and to learn details about the budget and its development  
process, go online to http://www.k12albemarle.org/board/budget.

A revenue shortfall will require the School Board to choose action  
among the following:
Increase all class sizes
Charge for school bus transportation
Eliminate new textbooks
Eliminate electives or under-enrolled classes
Eliminate the Strings programs
Redistrict middle schools
Charge to participate in athletic programs
Share one principal among two elementary schools
Increase teacher salaries to 3%, rather than the competitive market  
rate of 4%
Decrease the number of school counselors


WHAT CAN YOU DO?

·      EMAIL, CALL, and/or WRITE the Board of Supervisors (see below).

·      ATTEND PUBLIC MEETINGS at the County Office‘s Lane Auditorium  
(see dates below).

·      SPEAK OUT AT PUBLIC MEETINGS (sign-up begins at 4 pm outside  
the auditorium, although you can sign up after the hearing begins.   
Remarks are limited to 3 minutes.)

·      WRITE LETTERS TO THE MEDIA and state your concerns.


LET THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND YOU ARE PAYING  
ATTENTION!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008 6:00pm   Public Forum re: budget priorities

Wednesday, March 5, 2008 6:00pm          Public Hearing re: County  
Executive's budget

Wednesday, April 2, 2008 6:00pm            Public Hearing re: Final  
budget and Tax Rate


BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
All Supervisors will receive your email if you send one email to:  bos at albemarle.org
Ann H. Mallek  (White Hall)
Sally H. Thomas (Samuel Miller)
Lindsay G. Dorrier (Scottsville)
Dennis S. Rooker  (Jack Jouett)
David Slutzky   (Rio)
Kenneth C. Boyd (Rivanna)

Board of Supervisors, 401 McIntire Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22902
Telephone 434.296.5843                    FAX 434.296.5800


KID PAN ALLEY 5% BENEFIT AT WHOLE FOODS!


SHOP AT WHOLE FOODS ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, and 5% of all sale  
earnings will benefit the upcoming Charlottesville-Albemarle Kid Pan  
Alley community CD and release concert, scheduled for October 4, 2008,  
at the Paramount Theater.  Stop “BUY” and say “hi” to Paul Reisler,  
and Terri Allard!  Kid Pan Alley performances, featuring Paul, Terri,  
and children from our community, are scheduled for noon and 5 pm.

If you are interested in volunteering to help out at Whole Foods -- by  
sitting at the Kid Pan Alley (http://www.kidpanalley.org/) information  
table or bagging groceries while talking to folks about KPA--please  
contact Terri Allard at: Terri at kidpanalley.org


Paul Reisler and Terri Allard attended February’s Parent Council  
meeting to talk about their work with 5 County elementary schools  
(including B-ville!) this fall and encouraged others schools to  
consider applying for residencies.



HOW IS YOUR SCHOOL BUS SERVICE?
Carole A. Hastings, Principal Leader for Transportation Services and  
Division Special Projects, wants to know!  Share your opinions with  
her via email at hastings at k12albemarle.org.

Currently: 164 buses drive 12,000 miles a month – each bus costs ~ 
$75,000, maximum routes are 1.5 hours each way.  The County has to  
plan transportation for all children, even though many do not use buses.

Submission prepared by Sally Cushing, Parent Council Representative  
for the Brownsville PTO. *The Parent Council's mission is to serve as  
a forum for parents, educator, and school officials to share ideas and  
exchange information in order to advance the quality of the public  
education system within Albemarle County.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://listserv.bnsi.net/pipermail/brownsvilleonline/attachments/20080215/7e51753e/attachment.html