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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
What is the capacity of Masuk High School?
What is the capacity of Masuk High School?
Under typical circumstances, a school operates at approximately 80% or this would be 1450 students for Masuk High School. However, this number can be increased up to 100% capacity of 1812 students, but it would provide no flexibility in space. The proposed 8th Grade Academy would have Masuk operate at 92% capacity, acceptable, but not optimal.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
BOF Meeting Information
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Updated District Blog Area
The Monroe Public Schools Superintendent's blog is now the District News from the Superintendent. It can now be found on the main district web page. If you would like to see more details on any article click on more following the article or on more located at the bottom of the scroller to be taken to the complete listing.
Friday, February 26, 2010
8th Grade Academy Information
The presentations given are available for download here:
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Has Monroe hired a Transportation Expert?
Robert Jenckes is the Transportation Planner for First Student.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Why is there sometimes a delay in acknowledging receipt of questions...
Why is there sometimes a delay in acknowledging receipt of questions or getting responses posted on the Supt. Blog about current issues?
Up to this point, these kinds of email questionshave come directly to myindividual Superintendent email account, along with several hundred emails I receive daily regarding the business of the district. The sheer volume of emails has become a challenge to manage. However, in order to ensure that each question regarding the budget or other current issues of the districtreceivesappropriate attention, a specific email account has been established for these inquiries. Going forward, the email address for these types of inquirieswill be:
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Update for Wednesday February 10th
Wednesday, February 10th Update
The BOE adopted its budget at 6.87%. The First Selectman has asked for a reduction of 850K, resulting in the mitigation strategy of the closing of Chalk Hill School for the fall becoming a reality. With the closing a school, all options have been considered for reconfiguration of the district. Data from an updated transportation analysis has been completed precluding the establishment of the Early Childhood Learning Center at the high school. Kindergarten students would have to get picked up too early, come home too late, or it would just cost too much to put in place. Planning is now underway for the 5th grades to remain in the three elementary schools and for the 8th grade to move to Masuk.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Can we install geothermal heating units and solar energy...
Can we install geothermal heating units and solar energy units on our buildings?
The capital outlay to retrofit facilities for geothermal has such a long payback that it would cost taxpayers in the long run because the facilities don't have that much life in them. Geothermal in any new construction is definitely the way to go. Active solar in the northeast is not a price performer. However passive solar in the northeast makes good sense for new construction. Passive solar is the building site orientation of facilities combined with building materials that absorb the heat from the sun and radiate the heat after the sun sets.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
There must be federal and state grants available, e.g. Clean Air...
There are some competitive grants out there and many competing to get them. Because Monroe is in the top 20% of the towns in the state based on our economic need, our community would not be perceived to be as high as many other communities. Unfortunately that takes us out of the running for grants that are awarded based on economic need. We can certainly pursue grants as they become available but understand that the time it takes to research them, write them, monitor the process etc is very labor intensive. The district has no designated grant writer and all administrators assist as they can to secure grants to support the district.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The district has spent money on mission statement signs...
These items are part of the expenditures for operating a district. Having bright yellow jackets for our staff who manage school traffic [both foot and vehicular] provides a level of safety to them. Items such as mission statement signs go to the core of who we are and what we do as an organization.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Can we reduce Sodexho’s service to our district and use local vendors?
The entire business of serving food to students is controlled by strict state and federal guidelines. SODEXHO has managed the program in a manner that has been economical to the district and responsive to students' nutritional needs and desires.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Do the citizens have to vote on the closing of Chalk Hill?
Do the citizens have to vote on the closing of Chalk Hill?
No, this would not go to a referendum to decide. The Board of Education would need to vote formally on this issue to revert control of the facility back to town as of a set date.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
What is KinderAcademy?
What is KinderAcademy?
For years, the YMCA ran KinderTime in our schools that provided a half-day wrap-around program of learning and childcare for students in kindergarten. This means that a morning kindergarten student would stay the afternoon in KinderTime [or vise versa], and pay the YMCA for this extended care. Monroe Public Schools received no remuneration for this program under the YMCA arrangement.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
What revenue is generated from KinderAcademy?
What revenue is generated from KinderAcademy?
This is the district's first year with the program and we are tracking finances. Since this program is not funded by the BOE, it is considered an entrepreneurial initiative and recorded in the enterprise funds for the district [where athletic pay-for-play fees, student parking fees, etc. are tracked]. We expect the program to generate 30-50K, depending on enrollment until the end of the year. These monies would be able to fund the before-school and Saturday CMT tutoring program for several hundred Monroe students next year that are not included in the operating budget for 10-11.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Can any of the suggested "compression plans" of consolidating...
Can any of thesuggested"compression plans" ofconsolidating all K-8 schools in 4 buildings work for next year so we don't have to send a grade to Masuk?
There has been much talk in the community about which school should be closed and how the grades should be configured. As I have publicly stated in BOE meetings after the enrollment prediction reports were completed, the district was anticipating closing a school, not next year, but within a few years. The acceleration of this process leaves fewer options in terms of configuration and does make the process more difficult than if we had waited. [Click the title for more]
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Superintendent's Budget Presentation
Superintendent's Budget Presentation from Monroe Board of Education meeting on February 1, 2010 now available in the Superintendent's documents.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Can the district close Chalk Hill and consolidate K-8...
Can the district close Chalk Hill and consolidate K-8 in the four remaining elementary and middle schools?
As the district goes through the process of evaluating the closing of a school, it welcomes feedback from the community. At the last BOE meeting, a proposal was submitted by Mr. Donlon regarding an alternative proposal of collapsing K-8 in 4 schools and closing Chalk Hill. We have begun to review Mr. Donlon’s suggested proposal, which, if accomplished, provides a way to avoid adding extra students to the high school. [Click the title for more]
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
What are the current plans being considered for closing a school?
What are the current plans being considered for closing a school?
Please see the attached PowerPoint which from the most recent BOE meeting on February 1st, which highlights the current options. As we review more information regarding transportation and other factors associated with these plans, we will have further clarity. Also, we are receiving wonderful suggestions and ideas from our community – all ideas will be evaluated for feasibility and effectiveness.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
If we close Chalk Hill, what happens to the building?
If we close Chalk Hill, what happens to the building?
If the district will not use this facility, the Board of Education may vote to revert control of this building back to the town. If the town operates this building, it becomes responsible for all costs next year. The town may opt to use the facility, sell it or “moth ball” it temporarily until it knows what it would like to do with the property. It may also decide to tear it down and rebuild on the site.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Does the district have any right to use Chalk Hill in the future?
Does the district have any right to use Chalk Hill in the future?
The district cannot access automatically have use of the building again unless the town votes to revert control back to the BOE. If the building is taken off line as a school, it would need to be brought up to current code and necessitate some costly repairs, including a new heating system to replace the 44-year old system in place. A very rough estimate at this time would it would be approximately 6M to bring this building back for use as a school. It would not require the town to refurbish to a state of “like new” which was being proposed in the 30M plan for Chalk Hill several years ago.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Would the district consider changing the busing back to the old system during this school year?
At this time, it is not feasible to revert back to the previous system of busing during this school year. Families have made daycare and work arrangements, and staffing for our schools was determined on the current start/end times of school. Numerous staff members are shared between various schools and changing the start/end times would mean major rescheduling of significant parts of our school schedules and programs to attempt to adjust to this midyear shift.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Are there going to be late buses this year?
Yes, late buses will begin during the first week in October. Since JH and MHS share regular buses, MHS will be on the route for late buses with JH, providing new late bus service for students at MHS. CH will also continue its late bus schedule as in the past. Students in grades 5-12 will all have late bus service this year.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
What is the earliest pick-up time in the morning?
All routes have been adjusted so that no bus stop is earlier than 6:30 a.m.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Why are students sitting so long on the buses at JH waiting to load?
The bus company and administration are addressing this issue at this time. For the first few days of school, we have waited for all the buses to arrive at JH before loading any students. Waiting to load all students at once is taking too long for the buses that arrive first. We will be loading buses in groups as they arrive to JH and allowing them to depart in waves, versus waiting for all buses to arrive and loading all concurrently. The goal is to have buses arrive efficiently, load expeditiously, and to let them begin their routes home as soon as possible. This should reduce time for high school students riding the buses.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Why did the district even try to change the bus system for 09-10?
Successive reductions during the budget process forced the district to cut approximately 2.5 million from what it would take to have the same level of resources during the previous year, 08-09.
Busing was not discussed as an area of possible cost savings when the supt. proposed budget was presented last December. That budget was at 4.15% and had 20+ staff reductions, program eliminations, and significant cuts to line items across the board. [Click on the Title for More]
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Monroe Public Schools Mission Statement
The mission of the Monroe Public Schools is to prepare students to be citizens in a world where they can make positive contributions to the diverse and global communities in which they learn, live, and work.
This is accomplished by a clear vision and focus on our core beliefs.
As reflected in our websites design we infuse the standards that our high school is evaluated on by NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) district-wide. We value equally the teaching and learning standards including curriculum, instruction and assessment and support standards that support learning through leadership, school resources, and community resources.
  
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