[HenleyMatters] Henley News

[Hashisaki]

January 9, 2008

	Middle School Sports Program
	Albemarle Public Schools Budget
	Budget Frequently Asked Questions
	Telephone Town Hall Meeting
	School Directory
	ACPS Parent Council Website
	
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Middle School Sports Program

The middle school sports program is held at all 5 Albemarle County  
Middle Schools.  The program is a partnership with Albemarle County  
Schools and Albemarle County Parks and Recreation.  The program is  
run two days a week after school as an afterschool program for  
students who attend that school.  Registration forms for volleyball  
are currently available in the PE department or email Amy Smith  
(mailto:ASmith at albemarle.org) at Albemarle County Parks and  
Recreation.  The volleyball program is February-March 2008.

Albemarle Public Schools Budget


The Superintendent’s 2008‐09 Funding Request
Securing Our Future:  Investing in Our Most Valuable Resource

When it comes to securing our future as a high‐performance school  
system, the most important, unquestionable step we can take is to  
invest in our most valuable resource – our people. Creative,  
innovative teachers; capable, skilled support staff, and student‐ 
centered, dedicated leaders are what make students and schools  
successful.

The 2008‐09 Superintendent’s Funding Request is focused upon  
people. The most important factor driving student achievement is  
teacher quality.

The Virginia Standards of Learning and the federal No Child Left  
Behind Act achievement standards will be met; however, our aim  
stretches beyond these prescribed standards. Our goal is for every  
child to have a rigorous learning experience and for every child to  
graduate our schools prepared to be successful in a global community.  
To reach this greater goal, we must attract – and keep ‐ teachers  
of high quality in our classrooms.

While making a commitment to boost employee compensation is the  
primary recommendation, the 2008‐09 Superintendent’s Funding  
Request also emphasizes providing employees with the essential tools  
for achieving our school division’s vision of success for every child.

The Superintendent’s Funding Request calls for:
• Maintaining competitive teacher and support staff salaries, and  
covering cost increases in benefits
• Improving and expanding resources and support for teachers and  
students, including curriculum design, training, technology and  
leadership development
• Continuing and broadening the work in progress already proving  
results through student achievement gains

Finances are growing tighter in the school division as a result of  
local, state and national economic downturns. The Superintendent’s  
Funding Request moves forward a minimum number of new initiatives  
deemed essential for meeting our strategic goals. The school division  
will receive less new revenue than it has in the recent past and  
maintaining competitive compensation programs for employees will  
consume all new funding. Beyond employee compensation, the few  
additional new initiatives are funded through a re‐direction of  
existing resources.

The Superintendent’s Funding Request totals ~$152.1 million in  
projected revenue. The Division will receive less new local revenue  
than it has in the recent past. The Superintendent’s Funding Request  
includes an increase of ~$2.24 million (2.27%) new local revenues, by  
comparison the 2007‐08 local revenues increased by a budgeted 7.97%.  
State revenue increases as proposed by the Governor are ~$1.7 million  
(3.79%).   Total new revenue is ~$4.2 million.  Expenses exceed  
revenues by ~$0.83 million in this request.

When finances are strained, our commitment to the people on the front  
lines matters even more. Meeting as many employee needs as possible  
must be our top priority if we are to achieve our vision of an  
engaging, relevant learning experience for every child. This Funding  
Request represents our best plan for meeting school division needs  
within the constraints of limited resources.

Albemarle County Public Schools takes its role as stewards of the  
public trust very seriously. We understand the public’s demand for  
both accountability for student achievement and fiscal  
responsibility. The Superintendent’s Funding Request was designed as  
a goals‐centered financial plan intending to build upon the school  
system’s significant achievements while fostering public  
accountability.

Through January 2008, we will publicly review in detail the  
Superintendent’s Funding Request and seek input from our employees  
and the community to help finalize our proposal for the Albemarle  
County Board of Supervisors. I look forward to working with the  
School Board, and our community, with unity of purpose to bring our  
vision for student learning to reality for every child.

Sincerely,

Dr. Pamela R. Moran, Superintendent

Budget Frequently Asked Questions

You will find the answers to the following questions at http:// 
schoolcenter.k12albemarle.org/education/sctemp/ 
23a56fd64a6f67a03e16feac8e698e78/1199929839/BudgetFAQ1207.pdf

   1)  Where are the sources of School Division revenue?
   2)  How does the School Division spend its budget?
   3)  What does the administration, attendance and health category  
represent?
   4)  What does the transfers category represent?
   5)  What does the Comprehensive Services Act (CSA) pay for?
   6)  How does the local real estate tax rate affect School Division  
funding?
   7)  How does the Virginia Lottery benefit Albemarle County Public  
Schools?
   8)  Has the School Division's student enrollment changed over the  
past 10 years?
   9)  Why do teachers and other positions in the school system  
receive annual raises that are higher than the standard cost-of- 
living adjustment?
10)  How does student enrollment impact the budget?
11)  Why isn't budget growth proportionate to enrollment growth?
12)  What is an "unfunded mandate"?
13)  What are some examples of federal unfunded mandates?
14)  What are some examples of state unfunded mandates?
15)  Why are the Standards of Quality (SOQ) important?
16)  How do the minimum standards described in the Standards of  
Quality (SOQ) and associated state payments affect Albemarle County's  
taxpayers?
17)  What is the "composite index" and how does it impact revenue?
18)  What is the School Board's responsibility in the budget  
development process?
19)  What roles does the School Division's vision, mission and  
strategic goals play in the budget development process?
20)  How is the School Division budget created?
21)  How does education impact our economic vitality?


Telephone Town Hall Meeting

The Albemarle County School Board will conduct a live, Town Hall  
meeting over the phone on Wed., January 16 to give constituents an  
opportunity to ask questions about the Albemarle County Public  
Schools budget for next school year. During the Telephone Town Hall  
meeting, we will provide a brief overview of the Superintendent’s  
Funding Request for next school year, respond to questions from  
callers, and ask listeners to respond to a few polling questions.

On the evening of January 16, between 7 and 7:25 p.m., registered  
voters in Albemarle County will receive a telephone call inviting you  
to participate in this live Town Hall meeting. At that time, if you  
would like to participate, simply stay on the line, and you will be  
automatically connected to the Town Hall meeting.  If you are not a  
registered voter in Albemarle County but would like to participate in  
the Telephone Town Hall you can sign up online at http:// 
www.k12albemarle.org/board/budget and click on the "Telephone Town  
Hall" link.  On line sign ups will be taken until Friday, Janurary 11.

We encourage you to mark your calendar to participate in the January  
16 Telephone Town Hall Meeting on the budget for next school year.  
For more information on the School Division budget development  
process and how you can be involved, please visit our website at  
http://www.k12albemarle.org/board/budget.

Sincerely,
Steve Koleszar, Diantha McKeel, Barbara Mouly, Pamela Moynihan, Ron  
Price, Jon Stokes and Brian Wheeler

Albemarle County School Board

(If you are unable to participate on Wednesday evening it will be  
available online as an audio file on Thursday, January 17.)



School Directory

School Directories are available in the office.  The cost is $1.

ACPS Parent Council Website

The ACPS Parent Council has a new website http:// 
www.acpsparentcoucil.org.

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Mark Your Calendar

	January 10, Thursday 7-8 PM, Parent Forum on Bullying at Brownsville  
Elementary, June Smith

	January 14, Monday - No School

	January 16, Wednesday at 7 PM - Telephone Town Hall Meeting

	January 18, Friday - Principal's Coffee in the Library 9:30 - 10:30 AM

	January 21, Monday - No School

	January 23, Wednesday - WAHS Parent Information Meeting for 8th  
grade parents at 7:00 PM (Inclement weather date 1/30)

	January 29, Tuesday 6:30 PM - School Board Public Hearing on the  
Funding Request

	February 4, Monday - PATSO Meeting
	
Links

Dr. McLaughlin's blog at: http://henleyhornets.blogspot.com/

The Henley website at: http://www.k12albemarle.org/Henley/

The School Division website at: http://www.k12albemarle.org/


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