From the Flight Deck
March 2017 Staff Newsletter
From Frank
Lately, it has felt like Spring in the middle of Winter. Sorry, no snow days as yet. I will keep looking to the sky. Please know how proud I am of your work with students during these prime instructional months. You countless efforts to nurture your strong relationships with students while maintaining their meaningful academic progress are two of the many reasons why Sycamore is such a great place. As I have talked with many of you and your building leaders, I am impressed by the collaborative spirit around your work with Mastery Connect and common assessments. As I have said, the change process moves at different rates for different people; however, what strikes me is that we continue to build momentum on this critical priority. As we aim for Spring Break, please accept my wishes for some relaxation with family. When we return March 27, we will only have 43 students days remaining; how time flies! Thank you for all you do in the service to students, families, and each other.
2017 ArtsWave Campaign
Many thanks to those that have donated to the ArtsWave Campaign. Our funding drive is winding down and will conclude March 3rd. For a $75 donation, you will receive two tickets to a Reds game and an ArtsPass which provides discounted rates to more than 100 arts organizations, events, shops, and restaurants. I personally am looking forward to utilizing the ArtsPass and am a huge Reds fan. You should have received donation information in your mailbox. Once completed, you can return to your building secretary. Thank you for considering.
Master Facility Assessment
As I have shared at several of my staff listening sessions, the district embarked upon an eight month process to assess the conditions of our buildings last April. This involved architects and other engineers, along with our staff, visiting our buildings to assess our buildings in two main categories: architectural/structural and MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing). This assessment is now complete and the data was shared with the Board on February 10. Each of improvement items was categorized into one of three categories: Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3. Level 1 are those more immediate needs that should be addressed within the next 1-2 years. Level 2 are more permanent improvement items that fall within a 1-5 year span. Level 3 involve future expenses and investment and generally fall within the 3 - 10 year period. There is a large amount of data to digest and we will begin to make some decisions about priority items. In summary, our annual investments in our buildings have kept them in good condition. Obviously, we have a couple of buildings that are older which will require further discussion regarding their ability to meet our educational needs. Our immediate next step will be to use this data to revise our capital improvement plan, which guides our annual expenditures on building maintenance and upkeep. Decisions about a couple of our older buildings will require more thought and broader engagement. I will keep you posted on developments.
Diversity Week at SHS
Maple Dale Cultural Celebration
Blue Ash Cultural Celebration
Mental Health Support Planning Team
A brief update on the work of our team. We will begin shortly our self assessment with MindPeace with the end result of the entire process being an identification of a mental health provider to partner with the district. Our team has also identified several potential individuals who could provide professional development for staff on foundational mental health awareness. We will be reviewing to determine who would be the best fit for us and then begin working on the details of the training. I am grateful to the members of the planning team for their commitment to this priority.
District Registrar
On February 15, the Board of Education accepted the resignation of Darlene Johnson, District Registrar, effective March 1. Mrs. Johnson and her family will be relocating out of state due to a job transfer. As the district registrar, Darlene was responsible for enrolling new students to Sycamore. During her nearly 3 year tenure, she welcomed new members to the Sycamore Family with a sense of kindness and consideration. In the interim, we will move forward on a temporary basis while we will determine if adjustments need to be made to the composition of the registrar position. The Registrar Office will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This schedule will remain in effect until May. Thank you for your service, Darlene, and best wishes.
Budget Update
We have reviewed the first draft of the governor’s proposed budget to the Ohio General Assembly. As expected, there is no provision to maintain the Tangible Personal Property Tax (TPPT) Reimbursement. As you will recall from our fall levy campaign, this will result in a $9 Million budget loss phased in over the next several years. We planned for this and communicated this to our community leading up to the November 8 election. With respect to the state funding formula, Sycamore will remain relatively flat from the past two years. We also are concerned about a fair funding issue remaining within the formula that provides chartered, non-public schools nearly double the per pupil funding amount ($1,200) than we receive ($600). Additionally concerning to us, aside from the TPPT phase out, is a reduction in the transportation supplement which could result in Sycamore losing an approximately $400,000 during during this biennium budget. This budget process is now just beginning as the General Assembly begins its work to examine the governor’s proposal and make adjustments. A final budget needs to be in place by June 30. In our continued attempts to have our voices heard, we have already begun our meetings with state legislators to share our ideas on the budget and other matters being considered in this legislative session, including a reduction in the amount of testing and graduation requirements to name a couple. You have my commitment that I will do all in my power to protect our great district’s interest at the state level.