Notes From the Superintendent
May 20, 2010
Students and teachers have almost reached their year end for classroom learning, but our District work and preparations continue far in to the summer as we prepare for the future. No doubt you’ve read or heard about recent budget actions taken by our Board of Directors. Due to continued declining enrollment and finance difficulties at the State level, we are facing, once again, cutbacks at the District level. Thanks to the hard work of our Fiscal Advisory Committee, Board of Directors and administrative leadership team, plus the incredible amount of community feedback received, we have preliminarily pared down the 2010-11 budget by $1.9 million. We have until August to gain full approval by the Board, and are still revisiting several areas of the budget.
Remember the District has already made huge cutbacks in previous years - $2.56 million in 2009-10 and $1.37 million in 2008-09 – so this process has been extremely difficult. There is simply no place left to cut. I believe, however, we continue to offer a first rate education for our Port Angeles children. Teachers and staff are working very hard each and every day on behalf of our Port Angeles students and families!
As a District and community, we will begin discussing and proposing a five year plan for the future during the 2010-11 school year. This plan will address the challenges these budget shortfalls cause us to take notice of each year, and will help us prepare for them.
On a lighter note, I have completed my trek around District classrooms! I have now visited all classrooms this year, with a few “makeup” visits needed to classrooms missed during my first round. These visits have been the most enjoyable aspect of my job as superintendent and serve as a daily reminder of why I do the work I do. I know our students are in very good hands with our incredible teachers and staff!
It’s about four weeks until graduation for our high school seniors! It takes a community to raise a Port Angeles graduate!
Dr. Jane Pryne, Superintendent