Archive for the 'Board' Category

More on the Budget

Published
by
bnewbold
on May 19, 2009
in Board and Budget
. Closed

Another phase in developing the District budget for next year has taken
place. Preliminary results from a Dan Jones & Associates survey indicated preferences of patrons in meeting our budget deficits (watch for a more complete report of the results to be available in about two weeks).

Patrons rank-ordered their preferences for budget balancing. An increase in class size was clearly an area the patrons did not want used to balance the budget. Patrons also did not favor eliminating academic programs in the District. There was support for reducing non-teaching staff and administrative costs. Increasing taxes was the least acceptable option, although the public did express some support for a tax increase.

The Board spent considerable time discussing these results. As a result, they have chosen at this time to leave the student/teacher ratio unchanged for next year. They did authorize an additional $1.8 million in additional reduction in force from all employee groups in non-teaching capacities. That’s about 35 additional FTE positions. All items of the budget have not been finalized, but many things are beginning to take shape.

A Challenging Season

Published
by
bnewbold
on April 20, 2009
in Board, Budget and Employees
. Closed

We have entered a season of significant events.  Between now and June, the
Board of Education will prepare next year’s budget, we will enter into
negotiations with employee groups, and the class of 2009 will graduate on
June 4.   Employee negotiations begin next month.  Preparation of next
year’s District budget is already in full swing.

The budget deficit for next year is approximately $25 million.  The Board
is adopting a multiple-solution approach in large measure because there is
no single solution to resolving the deficit.  Much discussion will continue
to be held regarding the mix of program restructuring, budget reductions,
reassignment of employees, reductions in staff, tax increases, and employee
compensation.  The relative roles of these elements have not been
finalized.  It’s as challenging a year financially as I have ever seen in my
professional career.  Coupled with the financial implications of the
District split, we are faced with sobering choices.  There’s likely to be
lots of rumors about what will happen.  Reliable information about how we
will meet our financial challenges will come through proper channels as
“official information.”  Beware of  “I heard . . .” this or that.  Some of
what you hear may be true or close to the truth, some may be partly true,
and some will be absurd.  I will keep you informed as we move through the
next several months to help you know what’s happening.  We’re in this
together and we’ll find the solutions together.

Updates on the District Division

Published
by
bnewbold
on December 4, 2008
in Arbitration, Board and District Division
. Closed

I’ve met recently with PTA leaders, School Community Council Chairs, and school administrators from around the District.  Without exception, everyone is looking for information about issues relating to the District division.  Here is an update:

• Hearings before the three-member Arbitration Panel begin Monday, Dec. 8, and will last through Dec. 19.  Then the decisions of dividing the District assets rest in their hands.  We’ll have to wait until mid to late January to know what the panel decides.

• The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver will hear oral argument regarding the Herriman City appeal of the constitutionality of the vote to divide the District on Jan. 14, 2009.  We don’t know when to expect the court’s decision.

• The three boards of education have come to an understanding about how they will fill administrative vacancies that occur between now and June 30, 2009.  Vacancies will be filled by Lead or Interim assignments, and permanent administrative positions will be named as soon as possible.

• The Remaining Jordan School District Board is studying budgets and school enrollment estimates in preparation for developing a funding strategy that will ensure our success.

Relocation Plans

Published
by
bnewbold
on November 20, 2008
in Board and District Division
. Closed

We have made great deal of progress the past two weeks in finalizing lease agreements for new District facilities.   Jordan School District has signed an agreement to lease property at 7800 South Redwood Road.  Many District services currently housed at the Auxiliary Services Building and some District services will be housed there.  The Board will soon finalize a lease agreement for additional space to ensure that all current District-level services can be in place by July 1, 2009.   Our lease agreements are for three years with options to renew the lease or, if desired, purchase the property.  We have kept every option open for the District so we can maximize our financial resources and be able to continue to provide exceptional services to students and patrons.  Once the lease agreements are finalized, we will enter into a third-party contract to have the space modified to fit our needs.  I encourage you to keep an eye on the property on Redwood Road to see the transformation to a very functional, appropriate District facility we will all be proud of.

Districts Will Not Share Services

Published
by
bnewbold
on November 10, 2008
in Board and District Division
. Closed

The Jordan School District Board of Education (west) is moving forward with steps to be independent of the Canyons District regarding shared services. After nearly a month of proposals and counter-proposals, the remaining Jordan District Board has determined it is in the best interest of its students and employees to move on without sharing services. The history of these proposals can be found on the Board’s Web site.

What does this mean? It means that both the Jordan District and the Canyons District will need to provide independent services and departments for payroll, insurance, accounting, information systems, printing, testing and accountability, intra-district mail, library-media, purchasing, nutrition services, building maintenance and repair, building security, energy management, transportation, warehousing, home and hospital services, and community education. Inasmuch as these need to be fully operational before July 1, 2009, both districts need to identify building space and get services up and running.

For the west, the first order of business is to lease office space within its district. Then, some remodeling will need to take place, furnishings and equipment must be ordered, and technology infrastructure needs to be established. This will take about seven months. By acting now, the Jordan School District Board feels it can be ready to provide services to students and staff without interruption by July 1, 2009.

Board Defines Mission, Vision, Beliefs

Published
by
bnewbold
on October 10, 2008
in Board
. Closed

Something very significant happened at Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of
Education.  They publicly announced and approved their mission, vision, and
beliefs.  This signals a tremendous leap forward for our District.  The
Board has been working on these for nearly six weeks. Why does it take so
long?  Well, for the Board every word has meaning. They wanted to be sure
that every member understood what the statements meant, and more
importantly, that everyone could stand by them.  The finished product is
very nice, but the process was invaluable!  For those of you who have ever
tried to write something by committee, you’ll appreciate how intense this
process is.  But once you are finished, you’ve really got something of value.
Everyone is on the same page.  I can now say with confidence, and so can
you, what our Board wants to accomplish, what they value, and what they
believe in.  These will be the foundation for every decision we make as we
go forward.  Congratulations to the Board for beginning their work by
defining who they are and what they believe in.  We’re off and running!

Joint Meeting of the Boards

Published
by
bnewbold
on September 29, 2008
in Board
. Closed

A very important joint meeting of the Boards of Education for the new and remaining districts occurred on Tuesday, Sept. 23. After introductions, each board member shared a thought about the process of getting ready for two districts next July. Without exception, each board member expressed the need to work together to ensure that services to students continue without interruption and that our employees feel secure in their positions and the future of the two districts. I echo their desires. During the coming month, discussions about shared services, interlocal agreements for student programs, and services that must be independent within each district will be discussed in earnest. This will be the true test of the spirit of cooperation expressed on Sept. 23.

Welcome To My Blog!

Published
by
bnewbold
on September 22, 2008
in Board and Welcome
. Closed

I’m pretty conservative by nature.  My wife would say that is an understatement.  I’m willing to try new things, but I like to think through the details first just in case there’s a chance of being totally surprised at the end result.  Sometimes, though, that element of surprise can be good.

So, when the idea of doing a blog (a new thing) came up, the reading on my enthusiasm-meter was pretty low I must admit.  Nevertheless, here I am writing my first blog.  I am hoping this will be a helpful, less-formal way to talk to employees about what’s going on in the remaining Jordan School District.  Sometimes, I’ll just tell you what I think about an issue.  I’m very interested in what you might suggest I write.  Your ideas would be helpful.

I’ve been meeting with a lot of new people lately.  Most recently, I’ve been meeting with Dr. David Doty, Superintendent for the new district.  I’ve known and worked with him in the past on several educational issues.  I have confidence in his abilities.  We have been seeing a lot of each other lately.  I anticipate this will continue.  There is a great deal to be accomplished before next July.  I’ll keep you informed on major decisions made by the two Boards of Education that will affect us next year.  There are none so far.

Since June, I’ve been meeting regularly with the remaining Jordan School District Board of Education.  I’m thankful that three of the existing Board members were automatically appointed.  Peggy Jo Kennett, J. Dale Christensen, and Randy Brinkerhoff are tremendous advocates for students and staff.  Their backgrounds and “institutional memory” will continue to be invaluable as we move forward.

I’m very, very impressed with the new board members — Carmen Freeman, Leah Voorhies, Rick Bojak, and Richard Osborn.  First of all, they are exceptionally fine people.  They are working so hard to “come up to speed” on District issues.  They always talk about doing what’s best for students, being accountable to their constituents, making the best decisions for our District, and wanting to be sure they have complete information before making decisions.  I love it!

The Board is focused right now on two activities.  The first is solidifying their vision, goals, and beliefs. This is a very important process for the Board to move forward in a unified direction.  Second, the Board is in process of organizing some community input meetings to allow public input and discussion into what patrons feel are the most important elements of education in the District.  The Board has already authorized some key activities related to effective communication with employees and with the public. These will unfold in the near future.

Also, very soon, the Board will be focusing intently on budgets, student enrollment, and housing issues.  That should take us several months.   There’s a lot of positive energy with the Board of Education.  I’m excited to be a part of it.