Special Announcement RAT Time Schedule on Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Budget Open Houses
On Monday, March 8, the Blue Valley School District will release its list of potential budget reduction, reallocation and revenue strategies in its effort to make up for a $6.25 million funding shortfall from the state. In order to make these difficult budget decisions, the Board of Education is seeking input from staff and the community. The board will host two Budget Open Houses on March 23 and 25. The public is invited to attend these Budget Open Houses, where board members will gather feedback. ** Please note: the locations for the Budget Open Houses have changed from previous communication. ** The Budget Open Houses are scheduled for: · Tuesday, March 23 at Blue Valley High, 7-9 p.m. 6001 W. 159th Street in Stilwell. · Thursday, March 25 at Blue Valley North, 6-8 p.m. 12200 Lamar Avenue in Overland Park The board will begin making decisions about the budget reduction strategies at its April 5 meeting. For more information about the budget situation or to see a list of budget reduction strategies (after 3:30 p.m. on Monday, March 8) go to www.bluevalleyk12.org/budget . Blue Valley Budget 101 The district's budget is not an easy topic to fully understand, but with the current economic situation causing significant cuts to education, it's never been more important to understand how Blue Valley is funded. A series of Blue Valley budget-related articles will be written in the coming weeks to help the community better understand budget facts and challenges.
The following explains the district's three basic funds:
Operating Fund: The district uses this fund to pay yearly operational expenses including salaries, benefits, program offerings for students, supplies, utilities, and to cover other basic costs associated with running schools. The total amount each district receives for the Operational Fund to build its educational program is determined through the school finance formula which is governed by state legislative actions.
Capital Outlay Fund: This fund supports construction and technology expenditures in the district. It can be primarily used for building new and remodeling existing facilities, and technology purchases. Capital Outlay funds are 100% supported by a local property tax.
Bond Funds: Bond funds also support construction and technology needs in the district. Like Capital Outlay funds, bond funds are 100% supported by a local property tax.
Bond funds are authorized by a successful vote of school district residents. We have been very fortunate that our community has consistently supported our schools through successful bond elections.
One of the most important points to understand about Capital Outlay and Bond Funds is that neither can be used as Operational Funds. It is against state law to co-mingle these funds. Blue Valley patrons have been very supportive of Capital Outlay and Bond Funds, and that is why we have outstanding facilities and technology for student learning. While the school district has had a long and successful history of patrons being very supportive of local funding initiatives, neither Bond nor Capital Outlay Funds can help us with our Operational Fund. Remember, it is the Operational Fund that financially supports the daily work we do with students in providing an Education Beyond Expectations, and it is the Operational Fund that is being squeezed at the state level that impacts us here in Blue Valley.
More information about the district's budget situation can be found on the district's Web site at www.bluevalleyk12.org , under Hot Topics. While visiting the budget Web page, be sure to check on the district's video about our current budget situation.
The district may be calling you
The Blue Valley School District may be calling you for a current email address. The district announced to parents earlier this year that in fall 2010, parents will no longer have voicemail. Parts and service for the district's current system will not be available in the future. As a result, the district is undergoing efforts to transition to email.
Because of this change the district will be calling all parents or guardians whose email address is not currently listed in the district's student information system. These calls will be made during the month of March. The caller will ask to speak to the student's parent or guardian and then ask for a current email address. (More than one email address can be provided.) The address will then be entered into the district's student information system. In April, the district will send out a test message to all email addresses in the system to test for email address errors. Follow-up calls will then be made to parents whose email address was kicked-back.
It's important to keep in mind that email will not replace other methods of communication, such as teacher and school Web sites. Blue Valley staff take great pride in strong communication with their students and parents. Access to parent email addresses will allow this strong communication to continue to take place. If you have questions about the district departing from voice mail or the transition to email, visit the district Web site at www.bluevalleyk12.org and click on Hot Topics. Questions can also be addressed by contacting the Communications Department at 913-239-4043. Frequently Asked Questions Blue Valley moving to email 1. What is the change that is taking place with school-to-home communications? Since the late 1980s parents and staff have used voice mail to communicate between school and home. Beginning June 30, 2010 the Blue Valley School District will no longer have a voice messaging system for parents. As a result, email will become one of the most important tools for school-to-home communication. 2. Will parents still have voice mail as an option? Parents will not have the option of using voice mail as of June 30, 2010. The parts and service for the current system will not be available in the future. Email will become one of the primary tools for school-to-home communication. 3. When is the last day the voice mail system is available to parents? June 30, 2010 will be the last day that the voice mail system is available for parents. 4. Why is the district departing from voice mail? The investment the district made more than 20 years ago is a testament to the importance the district places on communication from school-to-home and will always remain a priority. However, because parts and service for the current system will not be available in the future, a Communication Technology Taskforce was formed to review the current system, and to consider ideas for a future communication system. After extensive research, the committee recommended that the district transition to using email as one of the primary tool for school-to-home communication. 5. What was involved in the decision to go to email? Prior to making the recommendation to move from voice mail to email, the committee reviewed staff and parent surveys and discussions, looked at data around parent and staff voice mail usage and listened to vendor presentations on new technologies. 6. Can parents leave a voice message when calling a district phone number? The district will have an internal system in place that allows a caller to leave a voice message for a staff member. 7. How will the district obtain email addresses for Blue Valley parents? Maintaining a current email address on file with the school will be more important than ever. While many families have already provided an email address to their child's school, there is a small percentage of parents who have not. In March, district personnel will be calling any Blue Valley family who does not have an email address in the system. The purpose of the call is to obtain the email address that parents or guardians want in the district's system for communication from school-to-home. 8. How will parents receive the email address of teachers or staff members? The best way to access staff email addresses is by visiting the school Web site. Staff Web pages include email contact information. 9. What if a parent doesn't have an email address or the ability to send and receive emails? Communication options will be available for those who do not have access to email. Options may include a printed document being made available to you or helping you gain access to a computer. Please contact the school office to discuss options that work for you and your child. 10. How will a staff member communicate with a parent who speaks another language? School-to-home communication with parents who speak another language is important. Please contact the school office to discuss options that work for you and your child. 11. Will there be resources for staff and parents to learn about email etiquette? Yes, there is a Web page that includes information about email etiquette. Go to www.bluevalleyk12.org and click on Hot Topics to learn about best practices when communicating via email. 12. How do I find out what email address the school has on file? There are several ways to find out what email address you have provided the school. If you already use Parents Online, then you can check your child's information and even update it. If you don't use Parents Online then you can call the school office for assistance. 13. Can parents provide more than one email address? Parents can provide more than one email address so that communication can be sent from the school to both parents and/or guardians. 14. Will email be the only way my child's teachers, the school or district communicates with parents? Blue Valley believes there is great value in strong communication from school-to-home. Advances in technology provide Blue Valley staff several options for ongoing two-way communication with parents. · Email - Email provides great two-way communication between school and home. · School Web site - School Web sites are a great way to share information with parents. · Teacher Web site - All Blue Valley teachers have a Web site and these sites provide a great opportunity to communicate with students and parents. · District Web site - The district's site is the best place to visit for information about the Blue Valley School District, including links to all Blue Valley school Web sites.
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