Saratoga News
News
School year may have ended, but district's work continues
By Michele Tjin
Another year is in the books for the elementary school district, but for administrators, it's no time to rest. The end of the year is a chance to reflect and look forward, and district leaders have identified goals to work toward next year. Managing expectations and defining what success is are part of the district's vision for next year.
At the Saratoga Union School District's last board meeting on June 22, superintendent Lane Weiss put forth several objectives he and the rest of the district will aim for next year. Many of the goals had to do with how success should be interpreted.
"How good is good enough?" Weiss said. "Is it trigonometry in third grade? We have to recognize the pressure this puts on families and staff."
Other components of the vision for next year include continuing to communicate more to parents and staff in different ways and managing what the community thinks the district should do.
"We're a small district, but we have large-district expectations," Weiss said. "What are we capable of and how can we leverage what we have?"
Weiss also stressed fostering a culture of kindness in the schools next year. If Saratoga emphasized that goal, along with properly handling the community's expectations, "anything is possible," he said.
Board members agreed with the merit of those objectives and will hear more at their next meeting at the beginning of the school year.
"It's great to be looking forward," said Michael Gipe, board president.
The superintendent also recapped for the board some of the highlights from the past year. The district was able to help teachers to be better instructors in math after it received a grant for professional development. The district has also made it a point to recognize excellent instructors, and there are plans next year to promote even more the achievements of students, teachers and staff on websites and in school newsletters so that more people are aware of the positive stories from the district, Weiss said.
At the meeting, the board also approved a $22.1 million budget for next year. As a result of the budget, the district's four schools will be able to share a full-time nurse. Until now, there were enough funds for just a part-time nurse.
The district also calls for a 2 percent increase in salaries for cost of living adjustment, but Ellen Tipton, chief business official, said that after contract negotiations, the increase could be higher.
Property tax makes up 80 percent of the district's income, and it has been averaging an increase of 8 percent during the past five years, Tipton added.
The district is also getting help from Saratoga Education Foundation. Next year, SEF is contributing $1.1 million, or 5 percent of the budget, to fund science, music and the arts, information literacy, physical education, computer instruction and counselors. The foundation has raised enough money to continue funding all those programs at full capacity, and the amount donated is the most given during the organization's 25-year history, SEF leaders said.
