Greetings! In this post, I want to explain how the snow day or delayed opening is determined. While it is true that the Superintendent shoulders the responsibility for determining whether to close school or not, he is not alone in the process. Others involved typically include paid weather services, local road agents, the bus companies, police departments and other superintendents. Let me explain.
The day before a storm approaches, superintendents begin watching the weather and formulating thoughts about the following morning. When will storm hit: late night or early morning? Will it stop during the day and if so, around what time? Will it snow throughout the day? How much will it accumulate, and will it be mixed with sleet and freezing rain? Each of these questions must be answered in order to make an informed decision.
The morning of the storm, superintendents are usually up at the computer and/or watching the Weather Channel around 4:45 a.m. Those who contract with weather services are in contact with them early. Others watch the weather and the computer models to make determinations. At about the same time, the phone lines heat up with calls to or from the bus companies, road agents, and sometimes police departments. The same questions are reviewed from the night before, with special attention to current and anticipated road conditions. Superintendents in neighboring districts also talk to compare notes, taking into account the geographical differences of the districts. Based on the answers to the questions, the superintendent makes the determination as to whether or not it is safe to put busses and staff on the roads. Busses in particular, do not fare well in the snow because of their size and weight.
In the event that roads are dangerous and not likely to improve by 10:00 a.m., a snow day is typically called. If it appears that conditions will be improving, a two-hour delay is called. The toughest calls come when it appears to be raining, but the roads are icy. Looking outside it looks like simply rain until you step outside to find everything a sheet of ice. The other tough call is when the storm moves in during the day. Do we bring the students in? Will we be able to get them home? The timing of the storm is critical in the decision process.
Once the decision is made, typically between 5 and 5:30 a.m., the phone calls to notify radio and television stations are made. The AlertNow phone system is used to notify the entire staff, including the administrators. At the same time, the parents are notified of the decision as well. The radio and television stations post the notice on their websites and on the air.
For superintendents, the “snow day” call is a source of great anxiety. School time is valuable, but the safety of our students and staff is paramount. A wrong decision could mean injury or death to someone needlessly being on the roads in bad weather. School districts throughout the State are required to have 180 days of school, with 10 additional days built into their calendar for snow days. With these built-in days, schools are typically scheduled to end in mid-to-late June.
The snow day on Tuesday threw everyone for a loop. All of our contracts and computer maps had the storm starting early morning and snowing throughout the day. In hindsight, we could have gotten in at least a half day of school. The issue with that is that parents then have the added stress of finding childcare for students during the early release time. The fact that most of the southern tier of the State was also out made me feel somewhat better. My wife and kids loved having the day off. I spent the day in the office...
A funny thing happened to me years ago during my first year as a superintendent. It was to be my first “snow day” call. A storm moved in during the night, but conditions were improving in the morning. After speaking with the road agent and the bus company, I called the radio stations, Channel 9, and the principals, proudly announcing that we would have a two-hour delay. Little did I realize at the time that according to the school calendar, we had an early release scheduled for that day. I brought the students in, fed them lunch, had a few shortened classes, and sent them home again. I still get ribbed by my colleagues. Needless to say, I watch the school calendar closely now as well.
For the kids,
-Brian
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
The deliberative session for the school district warrant was held on February 4, 2009.
In this post, I would like to review the warrant taking into consideration the impact of the major articles on the estimated tax rate in each town. The first two articles deal with the election of officers for the ensuing terms while the second article asks the voters to accept the reports of the various agents of the school.
Article 3 is the Operating budget for the 2010-2011 school year. The proposed budget is $30,495,649. This represents an increase of 2.1% over the current operating budget. During the deliberative session, Mary Marshall , chair of the Budget Committee, made a presentation and walked those in attendance through the budget process. I also presented an explanation of each of the requested budget increases. There was very little discussion on the budget warrant article and the article will appear on the ballot as presented. The estimated tax rate resulting from this article is $16.95 in Kingston and $16.58 in Newton.
Article 4 is the warrant article for the teacher contract. As you recall, the voters have turned down the teacher’s contract for the past two years. Listening to the voters, the negotiators on both sides of the table were able to reach a tentative agreement that we believe will meet the demands of the taxpayers while providing our teachers with a contract. The two-year agreement reached with the Professional Staff includes a step increase for teachers without a cost of living allowance (COLA). Teachers at the top of the salary schedule will receive a flat payment of $1,100. in year one and $1,500. in year 2. Health care, which reportedly was an area of concern for voters last year, has changed significantly. Teachers will now pay a higher co-pay as well as contributing more to their share of the health insurance costs. We will also be offering a health savings account medical plan that will potentially save the district and employees significant money. The estimated tax rate impact of this article is 53 cents per thousand in Kingston and 56 cents per thousand in Newton in the first year of the contract. In the second year, the rate is estimated to be 42 and 44 cents per thousand respectively. That translates to approximately $53.00 on a home valued at $100,000.
Article 5 is the Support Staff contract article. Negotiators reached a 3-year agreement with the Support Staff. This agreement calls for a 2% Cost of Living increase and a step in each year of the contract and a 3% increase for each year for members at the top step. The 64 members of the bargaining unit will also be increasing their contribution to health care and have the option of participating in the Health Care Savings account at a cost savings to the district and the employee. The estimated tax rate impact of this agreement is 11 cents per thousand in Kingston and 12 cents per thousand in Newton for the first year. In years two and three, the rate is estimated to be 13 and 14 cents per thousand in each town. This translates to approximately $11.00 on a home valued at $100,000.
Following a presentation of the articles and explanation by School Board Chair Kurt Baitz and Vice Chair Nancy Ross, there were a few clarifying questions and the articles will all appear on the warrant as presented. One of the concerns raised was the notion of the “Evergreen Clause”. I would like to take a moment here to explain what this means to the voters.
The evergreen clause is a clause that is now part of negotiated contracts as a result of State legislation passed two years ago. The language of the law indicates that in the event that a new contract is not passed in the future, bargaining unit members continue to receive their step raises. Opponents of the evergreen clause suggest that bargaining unit members have no need to negotiate in the future since they will get pay raises anyway. True, bargaining unit members will receive step increases, but they will not receive any type of Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) tied to their contract. There are also many other reasons why bargaining units WANT to negotiate new contracts (working conditions, other benefits, time, etc.). As a Superintendent, I do not see this as a “deal breaker” for voters. While bargaining unit members will receive a step increase, it is not the only reason for negotiation. I encourage voters to support both the teacher and support staff contracts.
The final article on the warrant is the Drugs are Dangerous article. The warrant article asks voters to raise $2500.00 for the Drugs are Dangerous program. This article results in less than 1 cent on the tax rate.
I want to thank the voters and members of the community who came out to the deliberative session last week. I look forward to seeing everyone at the polls.
In this post, I would like to review the warrant taking into consideration the impact of the major articles on the estimated tax rate in each town. The first two articles deal with the election of officers for the ensuing terms while the second article asks the voters to accept the reports of the various agents of the school.
Article 3 is the Operating budget for the 2010-2011 school year. The proposed budget is $30,495,649. This represents an increase of 2.1% over the current operating budget. During the deliberative session, Mary Marshall , chair of the Budget Committee, made a presentation and walked those in attendance through the budget process. I also presented an explanation of each of the requested budget increases. There was very little discussion on the budget warrant article and the article will appear on the ballot as presented. The estimated tax rate resulting from this article is $16.95 in Kingston and $16.58 in Newton.
Article 4 is the warrant article for the teacher contract. As you recall, the voters have turned down the teacher’s contract for the past two years. Listening to the voters, the negotiators on both sides of the table were able to reach a tentative agreement that we believe will meet the demands of the taxpayers while providing our teachers with a contract. The two-year agreement reached with the Professional Staff includes a step increase for teachers without a cost of living allowance (COLA). Teachers at the top of the salary schedule will receive a flat payment of $1,100. in year one and $1,500. in year 2. Health care, which reportedly was an area of concern for voters last year, has changed significantly. Teachers will now pay a higher co-pay as well as contributing more to their share of the health insurance costs. We will also be offering a health savings account medical plan that will potentially save the district and employees significant money. The estimated tax rate impact of this article is 53 cents per thousand in Kingston and 56 cents per thousand in Newton in the first year of the contract. In the second year, the rate is estimated to be 42 and 44 cents per thousand respectively. That translates to approximately $53.00 on a home valued at $100,000.
Article 5 is the Support Staff contract article. Negotiators reached a 3-year agreement with the Support Staff. This agreement calls for a 2% Cost of Living increase and a step in each year of the contract and a 3% increase for each year for members at the top step. The 64 members of the bargaining unit will also be increasing their contribution to health care and have the option of participating in the Health Care Savings account at a cost savings to the district and the employee. The estimated tax rate impact of this agreement is 11 cents per thousand in Kingston and 12 cents per thousand in Newton for the first year. In years two and three, the rate is estimated to be 13 and 14 cents per thousand in each town. This translates to approximately $11.00 on a home valued at $100,000.
Following a presentation of the articles and explanation by School Board Chair Kurt Baitz and Vice Chair Nancy Ross, there were a few clarifying questions and the articles will all appear on the warrant as presented. One of the concerns raised was the notion of the “Evergreen Clause”. I would like to take a moment here to explain what this means to the voters.
The evergreen clause is a clause that is now part of negotiated contracts as a result of State legislation passed two years ago. The language of the law indicates that in the event that a new contract is not passed in the future, bargaining unit members continue to receive their step raises. Opponents of the evergreen clause suggest that bargaining unit members have no need to negotiate in the future since they will get pay raises anyway. True, bargaining unit members will receive step increases, but they will not receive any type of Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) tied to their contract. There are also many other reasons why bargaining units WANT to negotiate new contracts (working conditions, other benefits, time, etc.). As a Superintendent, I do not see this as a “deal breaker” for voters. While bargaining unit members will receive a step increase, it is not the only reason for negotiation. I encourage voters to support both the teacher and support staff contracts.
The final article on the warrant is the Drugs are Dangerous article. The warrant article asks voters to raise $2500.00 for the Drugs are Dangerous program. This article results in less than 1 cent on the tax rate.
I want to thank the voters and members of the community who came out to the deliberative session last week. I look forward to seeing everyone at the polls.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Important, exciting week!
Greetings,
Thank you for checking in on this blog. It has been an exciting first six months in the district In addition to getting my feet on the ground, meeting everyone, and learning about the various "systems" in Sanborn, I worked with the School Board to develop a single goal for the District: Strive to become one of the top 10% of school districts in the State as measured by a number of indicators. We also negotiated two bargaining unit contracts (teachers and support staff), launched a strategic planning effort, and prepared a budget that is fiscally responsible while meeting the needs of the system as we strive toward our goal.
This week, several of these measures will take significant steps forward. Tonight, at 6:30 in the High School Library, I am meeting with the volunteers to kick off the strategic planning process. A steering committee has spent several months developing a mission, identifying areas of focus, and preparing purpose statements for each area. Tonight, I will provide an overview of the process to the volunteers, and break them up into subcommittees to begin the work of developing the strategic goals for the next five years.
On Thursday, we have the all important Deliberative Session. Since we are an SB2 community, we don't have the opportunity to discuss things at a town or school district meeting. Thursday night is our first shot at educating the voters about the needs of the District and our staff. I am looking forward to sharing with the public our budget requests for next year and our negotiated agreements.
I strongly encourage everyone to come out to the Deliberative Session on Thursday night at the High School and gain an understanding of the proposed budget and bargaining unit contracts. Your participation in the process is critical in order to make informed, educated decisions. We are scheduled to begin at 7:00 in the auditorium. I look forward to seeing you there!
Should you have any questions or comments regarding this post, please feel free to contact me.
For the kids,
-Brian
Thank you for checking in on this blog. It has been an exciting first six months in the district In addition to getting my feet on the ground, meeting everyone, and learning about the various "systems" in Sanborn, I worked with the School Board to develop a single goal for the District: Strive to become one of the top 10% of school districts in the State as measured by a number of indicators. We also negotiated two bargaining unit contracts (teachers and support staff), launched a strategic planning effort, and prepared a budget that is fiscally responsible while meeting the needs of the system as we strive toward our goal.
This week, several of these measures will take significant steps forward. Tonight, at 6:30 in the High School Library, I am meeting with the volunteers to kick off the strategic planning process. A steering committee has spent several months developing a mission, identifying areas of focus, and preparing purpose statements for each area. Tonight, I will provide an overview of the process to the volunteers, and break them up into subcommittees to begin the work of developing the strategic goals for the next five years.
On Thursday, we have the all important Deliberative Session. Since we are an SB2 community, we don't have the opportunity to discuss things at a town or school district meeting. Thursday night is our first shot at educating the voters about the needs of the District and our staff. I am looking forward to sharing with the public our budget requests for next year and our negotiated agreements.
I strongly encourage everyone to come out to the Deliberative Session on Thursday night at the High School and gain an understanding of the proposed budget and bargaining unit contracts. Your participation in the process is critical in order to make informed, educated decisions. We are scheduled to begin at 7:00 in the auditorium. I look forward to seeing you there!
Should you have any questions or comments regarding this post, please feel free to contact me.
For the kids,
-Brian
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