From the Desk of…
Diana Bourisaw, Superintendent
State Board of Education Meeting
I know many of you are concerned about the State Board of
Education meeting that will be held tomorrow. This afternoon
the Commissioner of Education, Kent King, sent out a press
release indicating the State Board is not expected to take
immediate action on the recommendations recently made by the
Special Advisory Committee on the St. Louis Public Schools.
Last November the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
agreed to provide us additional time to validate our data on
college placement. Many noted our annual performance report
had asterisks where the college placement data should have
been. We have now submitted our updated data to the State of
Missouri. I am confident the independently validated numbers
are correct and that we will meet our sixth accreditation standard.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - January 15, 2007
On Monday, January 15, the St. Louis Public School District
will be closed to commemorate the birthday of Martin Luther
King Jr.
Board of Education Meeting – January
16, 2007
On Tuesday, January 16, the Board of Education will meet at
7 p.m. at Carr Lane Auditorium.
There are many items for discussion, including revisions to
our budget for this fiscal year to ensure we properly fund
$6.1 million in previously under-funded areas, including:
- $2.24 million in payments to charter schools;
- $1.4 million in professional development costs. This amount
is required to comply with state requirements;
- $735,000 in food service overruns from the previous school
year;
- $600,000 to cover anticipated legal bills;
- $500,000 in building maintenance;
- $500,000 to subsidize the early childhood education program;
and,
- $125,000 to cover funding reductions in City of St. Louis
community development grants which support 16 community education
centers operated by SLPS.
This latest budget amendment continues to reflect a balance
between revenue and expenditures.
I hope you all take a moment on Monday to reflect on the life
and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It should not
just be a day off work, rather the opportunity to celebrate
the civil liberties this wonderful leader inspired.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge
and controversy.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
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