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Health & Fitness

BLOG: Planning for the Future Likely Means Changing the Present

To maintain our quality education and fiscal responsibility, we must invest in change and improvement, which means we cannot continue to do everything the way we have always done.

This is the time of year our planning efforts begin to focus on the next school year. We know we have a great deal of work to complete for the current school year, but with a June 2012 deadline for a completed budget, we have to balance the current year and next year at the same time. I guess this is what is known as multi-tasking.

This past year our voters approved a referendum to increase our funding for our operating budget. This budget is what runs our schools. It hires teachers, custodians, principals, and yes, the superintendent. It pays the energy bills. It plows the snow, mows the grass, lines the fields, hires coaches and game officials, and the list goes on. Our operating budget is our lifeline.

Our voters approved this increase out of concern for our local schools. They demonstrated a commitment to a quality education for the children of our communities. They also expressed the absolute belief that the school district must continue to be fiscally responsible. These are the two significant values we take into the 2012-13 budget process: quality education and fiscal responsibility.

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We know our funds are limited. We see the need to thoroughly examine the way we do business. We must find areas to save dollars. At the same time, we must invest in change and improvement. We can do both and we will, but to be successful we cannot continue to do everything the same as we have done in the past. Change is difficult, but it is essential if we are to live within our means and continue to be a great school district.

We want our budget process to be open and transparent. We have posted our proposed recommendations on the district website. We have opened an online discussion forum where you can share your thoughts. We will also be holding a public meeting on next year’s budget on Tuesday, March 13 at 6:30 p.m. (Henry Sibley, room A241).

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I encourage you to join us for a discussion on school district finances and to share your thoughts and ideas as we piece together our 2012-13 school budget and plan for the future of our schools.

Tom Nelson,
Interim Superintendent

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