Technology:
The G-R staff has spent a lot of time in the past two years learning about and incorporating technology into their classrooms. The district took a huge step forward when the Board of Education approved a proposal for the district to implement a 1:1 initiative at the high school, beginning this fall. Each student in grades 9-12 will have their own computer. This will allow our students and teachers to better utilize technology in the classroom. Access to information and resources will be tremendously improved, as well as the ability to dialogue electronically with teacher, classmates, students at other schools, and experts from around the world. There are a growing numbers of schools utilizing 1:1 in Iowa. There are about forty schools this year and over one-hundred are expected to be 1:1 in the fall of 2011. G-R is excited to be a part of this innovative group of schools. There will be an orientation for students and parents prior to the first day of school next fall, to explain policies and get the computers into students’ hands.
The increased use of technology is not just for high school students, however. Along with the 1:1 laptops we will also be purchasing two mobile labs, of 25 computers each, for the Gladbrook Campus, laptops for K-8 teachers, and 30 iPad 2’s, to be used in the K-4 classrooms. These machines, along with the mobile lab currently at the high school, the desktop lab, currently at the high school, and the K-8 teacher machines will tremendously increase the connectivity of G-R students in grades K-12.
The new machines will be purchased on a four-year lease to own plan. The costs of the machines will be paid from the State Penny (SILO) fund.
There is information on 1:1 on my blog, you can find the link at: www.g-r.k12.ia.us, Mr. Kuehl’s Blog in the lower right hand corner.
Budget:
The budget hearing for Fiscal Year 2012 (FY 12), ending June 30, 2012, school year will be held on April 6th at 6:30 p.m. in Gladbrook. A few critical numbers:
Unspent Balance: FY 11: $1,112,061 FY 12: $866,276
Tax Rate: FY 11: 13.59115 FY 12: 12.14595
Enrollment: FY 11: 668.7 FY 12: 647.7
The Board has worked diligently to increase the districts unspent balance (extra spending authority) over the past three years. We’re pleased to say that it has grown to an estimated $1,112,061 on June 30, 2011. We anticipate cutting into it during FY 12. We will need to seek out spending cuts and revenue sources moving forward in order to maintain the unspent balance in the future.
The tax rate will be going down significantly in FY 12. This is due to several factors. First of all our property valuations have increased, thereby reducing the rate needed to generate the required dollars for the school budget. Also, the district had increased its cash reserve levy for FY 11 in order to compensate for the across the board cut we endured, as well as the under funding built into the FY 11 budget. We are now able to lower the cash reserve levy in FY 12, reducing the property tax rate. The district has also lessened the rate for Drop Out Prevention Modified Allowable Growth. This also lowers the property tax rate.
Enrollment is the single biggest factor in school budgets. G-R has been dealing with a declining enrollment for a number of years and will continue to do so for at least two more years. We will have graduating classes in the mid sixties in 2011 and 2012. At the same time we are bringing in kindergarten classes of around forty students. Each student generates about $6,000 in funding for the district. So, if our enrollment is down 25 students, our revenue will be down about $150,000.
The district has addressed this problem through staff reductions and by controlling expenses. We have also worked to maximize our supplemental weighting. G-R receives supplemental weighting for sharing a transportation director with Grundy Center and for the dual-enrollment courses offered to high school students. This year G-R was credited with approximately 30 students due to supplemental weighting.
Legislation:
Probably the most critical decision our legislators still need to make is setting the Allowable Growth for FY 12 and FY 13. Allowable growth impacts the amount of funding allocated to districts on a per pupil basis. Typically this number is established a year in advance, but FY 12 was pushed back last spring, and is still undecided this spring. If the legislature takes no action allowable growth for FY 12 will be 0%. On the State level this will increase property taxes, due to more districts being on the budget guarantee. On the local level, where we are on the guarantee, a higher allowable growth will lower our tax rate.
Other interesting bills include a bill, which would change the required instruction time from 180 days to 1080 hours. This is an interesting concept, which would provide more flexibility to schools, but would also create some challenges with staff contracts.
Another bill, of particular interest to G-R, would allow G-R, Grundy Center, A-P, and D-NH to pay a portion of the lease for the Western Outreach Center out of our Physical Plant and Equipment Levy, PPEL, funds. Currently, only Grundy Center can, as the site is in their district. Our students are gaining tremendous opportunities through this collaborative agreement and being able to pay the lease from PPEL over the next three years is critical.
If you have questions about the information presented here, or would like contact information for our local legislators, please contact me. Office phone: 319-345-2712, email: tkuehl@g-r.k12.ia.us
Educationally yours,
Tim Kuehl, Superintendent
