Dear BMES PTO Families and Friends:
We are writing to share some important information with you that we gathered at this week's meeting of the CCUSD Governing Board, on Tuesday evening, January 12. The CCUSD Governing Board addressed an aggressive agenda at this meeting, and we are only reporting here on several of the most noteworthy items covered, including: 1) CCUSD Demographics/Enrollment 2) CCUSD Budget Update 3) Desert Sun K-8 Academy and 4) CCUSD High School Prep Academy.
We found that some of the information presented was complex, some was sketchy, and some was very preliminary. Therefore, we're reporting out to you now as best we can, and encourage you to follow the links we provide below for more detailed information, and/or to attend upcoming CCUSD Governing Board meetings for additional information. Nonetheless, we did want to share what we learned with you in a timely manner.
Here goes...
1. CCUSD Enrollment (Somewhat Complex). Each year in January, demographics specialists report to the Governing Board on current and forecasted trends in our District as they relate to both demographics and projected student enrollment in our school district. Demographic factors that these experts report on include, for example: home sales, new home builds, and data related to families with and without school-aged children. These factors are used as indicators of current and projected student enrollment. School district student enrollment is, of course, directly related to school district funding. In brief summary, Applied Economics, the organization that conducted this research for CCUSD, and presented their findings at this week's Governing Board meeting, said:
a) The real estate crisis, while it struck hard in other parts of the Valley about two years ago, did not fully impact our District until this past year.
b) Last year's forecast of 6,004 students for the fall of 2009 was in excess by 127 students of the actual on the 40th day of the current school year (5,877). Nearly half of this difference is accounted for in the loss of a large number of last year's eighth graders (500) who became ninth graders this year (450). The marjoity of the balance of the loss was in the 6th through 8th grade, which lost about 50 students over the natural progression of last year's 5th through 7th grade group. Meanwhile, the progression of students to kindergarten through 5th grade was only 8 students less than projected.
c) CCUSD enrollment (PS-12) declined by 100 students this year to 5,877, the first decline in enrollment in the District since at least 1990.
d) CCUSD will lose about another 70 students in the 2010/2011 school year, but enrollment will begin to "creep up" in the 2011/2012 school year. Longer range, the District is expected to add about 920 additional students by 2019/2020.
To download a copy of the Applied Economics report, right click on the following link, click on "save target as" and the document will download to your computer: Applied Economics Report Link.
2. CCUSD Budget (Somewhat Sketchy). CCUSD Associate Superintendent of Finance and Operations Dr. Kent Frison reported on the CCUSD budget status, explaining that the District currently has a 2010/2011 budget deficit in excess of $850,000. Dr. Frison explained that several factors, including the erosion of CCUSD enrollment and the recent failure of the K-3 Override, are contributing to this existing deficit. You can see the District's explanation of this $850,000 deficit here. Furthermore, the state of Arizona is faced again this year with a tremendous budget deficit, which, depending on the source you choose, ranges from $2 billion to $3 billion. The State legislative session just resumed earlier this week, and so the District has not yet been told how this deficit may cause additional cuts to Arizona's public schools. However, District officials have signaled that these budget cuts -- above and beyond the already existing $850,000 deficit -- could be deep and severe. The BMES PTO Executive Board will continue to keep you informed as this situation unfolds, and as the disposition of this budget information evolves from "sketchy" to more clear.
3. Desert Sun K-8 Academy (Somewhat Preliminary). The CCUSD Governing Board voted unanimously to "approve moving forward with the option to create a Desert Sun Academy (K-8). " CCUSD issued a very brief statement about this on Twitter yesterday. According to information shared by CCUSD Superintendent Dr. Debbi Burdick, who reported on this development, the new Desert Sun K-8 Academy will involve: a) Core Knowledge Curriculum b) Uniforms c) Growth at one grade per year, with the 6th grade added in the 2010/2011 school year.
4. CCUSD High School Prep Academy 7-12 (Somewhat Preliminary). The CCUSD Governing Board also voted unamimously to approve "moving forward with the option to research and create a High School Prep Academy." According to CCUSD Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Dr. Jana Miller, who reported on this development at the meeting, this new High School Prep Academy will involve: a) Rigorous college preparatory b) Honors core subjects: Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Foreign Language c) Uniforms d) Possibility of one-on-one Netbooks e) 50 student grade level cohorts (grades 7-9 in year one) f) Growth at one grade level per year g) Interview/application process for students and staff. This High School Prep Academy would be located on the old Black Mountain campus that sits just south of our current campus on 60th Street. Cactus Shadows High School Principal Mr. Steve Bebee would also serve as the admin for this new school, while continuing as principal at CSHS, and select CSHS faculty also would serve this new school.
No information about Black Mountain Elementary School was discussed at this meeting, so we have nothing to report in this regard.
Congratulations Are In Order
Last, but not least, we do want to highlight the recognition of Mrs. Befort, BMES 4/5 multiage teacher, at this CCUSD Governing Board meeting. She and five other CCUSD teachers were recognized at the meeting for their recent completion of their National Boards. We want to extend our congratulations to Mrs. Befort on this significant accomplishment. We realize the tremendous amount of work involved in this regard, and we are very fortunate to have such a skilled nationally board certified teacher at BMES.
Again, we encourage you to attend these CCUSD Governing Board meetings. A schedule of 2010 CCUSD Governing Board meetings can be found here. In addition, you can view videotape of these meetings here. (This week's meeting was videotaped, but it has not yet been posted at the site.)
Please don't hesitate to contact either of us if you have any questions about the information we are sharing here, and, as always, thank you for your ongoing support of our students and Black Mountain Elementary School.
Regards,
BMES PTO Co-Presidents
PS -- To access the full board packet from this meeting, follow these steps:
1. Go to ccusd93.org
2. Click on the "About Us" tab at the top of the page
3. Click on "Governing Board" in the drop down menu
4. Click on "Agendas and Minutes" in the left hand column
5. Right click on the date for the board packet you choose to view, click on
"save target as" and the file will download to your computer
The following information was sent via
e-mail to all BMES PTO members
on January 14, 2010
The first of two public hearings re: the potential closure of DAMS will take place on Tuesday, March 9, at the CCUSD Governing Board Room, at the old Black Mountain campus on 60th Street. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm. The second public hearing will take place on Tuesday, April 13. The decision regarding the potential closure of DAMS will be made by the CCUSD Governing Board on Tuesday, May 18.
The CCUSD Governing Board met on Tuesday, January 26. At this meeting they voted to initiate the timeline for the closure of the Desert Arroyo Middle School. Read more here and see related information below.
Stay informed about this matter. It affects us all.
