Superintendent's Report
February 25, 2019
From the Desk of Dr. Steve Yanni...
State Funding - Governor Wolf has presented his state budget, which calls for a modest increase in school funding. From now until June 30th (hopefully!), we will see what politicians on both sides of the aisle come up with in terms of funding levels for school districts. Among the notable changes that could occur is legislation that drastically reduces the cost of cyber school tuition. Upper Dublin currently pays approximately $300,000 in tuition for students enrolled in cyber charter schools.
Adolescent Sleepiness - Our District has joined the national conversation on adolescent sleepiness. School start times, specifically the start times for high schools, has garnered national attention. In Upper Dublin, we are going to examine the issue of adolescent sleepiness from the whole-child perspective. At our recent Education Committee meeting, we discussed surveying our students in grades 5-12 to determine if adolescent sleepiness is an issue in our District. Surveys will take place later this week. Our survey results will be presented at the next Education Committee meeting on Monday, March 11, 2019.
Personalized Learning Professional Development via Google - Our District has been accepted to the first cohort of the Education Elements and Google Personalized Learning Design. Designed for smaller school districts who are ready to take the next step in personalized learning, Upper Dublin will receive the resources we need to identify next steps and make progress on our goals - with the help of the teams from Education Elements and Google. We are excited to continue to grow and develop personalized learning in Upper Dublin.
Concerns Regarding the SRMS Consent Decree - A consent decree has been established as a result of federal litigation. The clause in the decree that has drawn the most attention is the directive that students will not be permitted outside during construction, with the exception of the cafeteria patio. While this is included in the consent decree, please know that this issue is much larger than the document. Almost the entirety of the site will be under construction, and outdoor activity is being restricted for the safety and well being of students and staff. Special activities that require outdoor space will be held at alternate locations. There has also been rumors about field trips, etc., being canceled as a result of the consent decree. These rumors are not true. The District is not required to do anything more than what is presented in the consent decree.
SRMS Project - The cost of our SRMS project currently stands at just over $75M. The cost has been increased by $465,000 for off-site road improvements required by the Township and by another $500,000, a premium for four underground retention basins as part of the requirements for storm water design. Neither of these issues is in the District's control. The District also saw an increase of over $900,000 for site restraints, phasing, and the significant amount of dirt to be hauled off site. Grading required to maximize field space has added $270,000 to the project's costs. Please stay tuned to the District website and eNotification for information on an upcoming Town Hall focused on the SRMS project that will be held on Tuesday, March 19th at Sandy Run.
Safe2Say Something - Across the state, Districts have implemented Safe2Say, an anonymous tip line that students can access for assistance for themselves or others during non-school hours for serious situations. We have received some calls and have been able to assist students through various issues. Thank you to Kim Schuler, Assistant Principal and Safety Coordinator, for her leadership in facilitating Safe2Say in Upper Dublin.
Lunar New Year and Black History Month Celebrations - I would like to extend a sincere thank you to members of our Excellence and Equity subcommittees for planning wonderful celebrations across the District over the last few weeks. These events have been wonderful displays of cultures represented in Upper Dublin.
Strategic Action Planning: Empowerment through Education - We had our kick-off strategic action planning meeting. We have set up small group meetings for each of the focus areas: teaching and learning, technology, engagement, facilities and operations, human resources, and budget and finance. We thank all of our participants for being a part of this process.