Budget Efficiency Ideas from the Community
Community Suggestions 2008-2009
I received a report card from Altadena this week and it cost $1.05 to mail it. Why don’t they just send them home on the last day of school like the elementary schools or at least put them in small envelopes for $.44. We could save approximately $6000.00 if they were sent home and $3360 if they were mailed in a smaller envelope, which in the overall picture doesn’t seem like much, but I think in our situation, every penny counts.
Why not consider spending less money for pre-owned books of high quality, instead of paying full price from publishers? Why not sell surplus books now, before they depreciate more?
Here are a two suggestions:
Cut CASA VIDA - home school is a choice not a obligation for all to pay for
Cut superintendent salary -- recent reports are that it increased 50% while teachers increased 16%
The bond dollars have been used to add rooms onto schools such as Lagos and Lomas that have a large number of bussed in open enrollment students. It seems that best use of these additions would be to offer for pay full day kindergarten for open enrollment students. Bussing should be supplemented but not paid by the state (yes we should look to lessen our impact on the state budget as well as the district ultimately the money comes from the same place tax payers - federal and state). If parents choose to open enroll their children they can provide for their transportation. Open bid catering to schools ask providers to come up with affordable lunches and such to maintain zero cost to schools. Dictate special classes (art, PE, and library) in such a way that funds set to extra classes/instruction can support these classes. Example once a week the instruction in PE is team building and they learn team building games (basketball, volleyball, ...) That builds character more than trumped up scenarios in the classroom they all know are not real. Divert health issues to state clinics - their better equipped for it. Get teachers to commit to paper (printing handouts) reduction - use whiteboard, blackboards and have the kids work out of books on their own paper.
Go from 1/2 day every week to 1 full day off out of 10 days (every other Friday off) you would not have to lengthen the school day by much. If half day is still your choice do not serve lunch that day.
School supply lists help the classroom get some supplies they need. Many other states also have classroom fees for the year. I have not seen this at my school. The additional $40 a student could help the teachers with supplies throughout the year. Due to the potential salary cut to teachers, this would help out alot. We all know that teachers use there own money to fund classrooms when their budget is gone.
We could save some money by cutting back on or eliminating library tech positions. Libraries seem to have plenty of volunteers that can shelve and check out books. Students could also be taught to help out in their libraries as a community service.
I keep reading about the CASA VIDA program for homeschooled families. Most of the responses state that their children enjoy the teachers, P.E. music, computers, Spanish and art. Amazing, those are the same activities that the public school children enjoy as well. If those parents would like for their children to experience those same activities, they should be placed in public school. No one is saying that the program is not worthy, but at a time when students enrolled in public education are looking at the possibility of the loss of programs, teachers, and classes; it is pretty evident that a "public" school district should not be so concerned with funding a homeschool program.
So you are going to get rid of a bunch of teachers, increasing class sizes in the other grades, because there isn’t enough money and pay for unnecessary full day kindergarten. No wonder our state and country are in such a mess with these kinds of decisions being made with our tax dollars. What’s wrong with the people who want full day Kindergarten paying for it themselves…especially when the research doesn’t show much if any benefits to a full day program other than providing free day care. This is absolutely outrageous.
We live in the middle of the desert. We should have solar panels on top of every building in Kyrene. I know the initial set up would be costly...but I'm thinking those funds could come out of the $111 million in bonds funds we have.
Please do NOT go back to tuition based full day kindergarten. My husband and I both work full time and will have 3 children starting kindergarten for 2009-2010 school year. A tuition based kindergarten x 3 children is financially unfathomable to us. Additionally, we have an 8 year old, and all our 4 children would need to go to Kids Club since we work full-time. The cost of kindergarten tuition and kids club from "rumors" would cost us almost $2,000 per month...$20,000 a year for kindergarten and childcare we cannot afford!.
A few other ideas:
1. Start school later in Aug or September and end in June. this would save a boatload of $$ during the hottest month of the year, August.
2. Have the 1/2 day be Friday so that the power down and power up only happens one time per week instead of twice.
3. charge the people not in that particular schools "zone" whose children attend the school. Only those who are bussed or within the one mile of school who are not bussed, should not pay. Others who attend should have to pay....unless their parents are teachers at the school.
4. Use Alcatel-Lucent MyTW application to allow teachers to present the curriculum remotely via collaboration tools to middle and high schools 1 day a week. This would save on bussing, cafeteria, air conditioning, lights, etc.... if the teachers taught their curriculum remotely for that one day each week.
Thank you for listening.
After reading all of the budget cut suggestions, I would like to submit (for the second time) ideas that will not impact students or learning but would seem to be cost effective.
1. Have teachers return on Wed. and not Tues. Give them 2 full days to set up their classrooms for Meet the Teacher. Do not let sites have any meetings until Fri. I do not know of any surrounding district that gives the teachers 4 days to get ready. Has anyone on the committee surveyed the neighboring districts to see what they do?
2. Do not have any type of beginning of the year all district meeting to kick off the school year. TOO EXPENSIVE. Even though Ron Clark was an exceptional speaker, I am sure the expense to get him, rent the Chandler Center for the Arts and hire bus drivers cost the district thousands of dollars.
3. Instructional aides start the year with the teachers - have all aides report on Fri. for one day prior to the start of kids.
4. Since we go extra minutes per day, why not have 2 early release days (this year May 20 and 21) and give the teachers the two afternoons to pack up and do paper work and then end their contract time on the last day with kids - not the next day. If a teacher is not finished with end of the year requirements, then they return on their own time.
5. I think most employees would agree to a pay reduction of 1-2% instead of increased class size and program cuts. If this reduction is set up for the first paycheck taxes will be adjusted and most will barely see a difference. Why not ask your employees how they feel about pay reduction opposed to larger class size and reduction in programs.
I see all of these ideas as saving money without taking away from programs or instruction. Cutting days at the beginning and end of the year seem to make more sense than cutting programs and raising class size. I would hope you will look at these ideas and give them some thought - I did.
I volunteer and work as a sub in the district schools. By doing so I am very familiar with the student population in these classrooms. There can be a range of children from mildly DD to fast learners. It takes skilled teachers to manage the learning of all these students and it takes the help of aides and volunteers to make it happen. At this critical time in their learning these traditional public school children should have the priority for funding. Optional learning environments-such as charter schools and home school programs should lose the bulk of their funding. Parents choosing these programs for their children should take the financial and extended learning costs upon themselves just as private school parents do. They are making the choice for an alternate learning environment for their children. That choice should not take money away from the children attending traditional public school which is the bulk of the population. The public schools take care of ALL children with all their multitudes of needs they cannot lose professional staffing.
Like most businesses my employer is feeling the pinch in the economic crisis. We were forced to take a week off without pay in the first quarter of this year and will be asked to do the same in the 2nd quarter and possibly the third.
Although it is tough when we received that short paycheck I was happy that my company chose to have us take time off without pay rather than to ask me to take a salary reduction. At least I got the week off for the reduction and it is not permanent.
Although it is harder to ask teachers to take time off without pay I think it could still be doable. If each teacher took one day per month it seems like the other teachers for that grade could cover.
Just an idea!
A significant portion of your budget is in operations -- precisely keeping the air conditioning running. Kyrene SD should start school later in the year to avoid the August heat. This will also align with the rest of the country nationally as far as school starts. Can you imagine, cousins can actually have Summer vacations/family reunions together?!?! The month of May is also hot -- this is true, however, not as hot as August throughout the day. May is still cool enough in the morning for it to not trip off the air conditioning.
You may want to think about reverting back to having early release day on Friday to avoid shutting down and ramping up the power and air conditioning twice in one week. By powering down the schools on Friday, you do it once, and your done for the weekend.
If you're serious about saving money (and your job), think outside the box. Run the school district like it's your personal business. What would you do if this was YOUR business and you needed to make changes to stay in business? How would YOU run it? Remember, the possibility always exists.
I suggest maybe some more fundraisers for each school.
I do not believe in cutting teacher pay. Kyrene's salaries are not competitive to begin with. Perhaps top admin should take the cuts.
I would like to say how much we have enjoyed CASA Vida. I was pleasantly surprised that we, as home school families, had such a program in our district. What an opportunity. YES, our own tax dollars were being used for home school families to feel supported. It would be a terrible shame if our CASA Vida program was discontinued. I hope the board hears our voices. I hope you continue our home school program. Our children love CASA Vida, and so do our families.
Is there some kind of fundraising activities for the school district, that could help offset the budget cuts? Is there any type donations (i.e. classroom supplies, computers, etc) that could also help offset school district costs, so funds could be diverted from supplies/technology to other budget areas? Thanks for the updates. We will continue to correspond with our elected officials to voice our concern over the budget cuts in education.
It is unfortunate that there is any mention of salary reduction in your message. As a former vice president of two different companies, I am aware of the difficulties involved in matches expenses to ever dwindling available funds. As seen in the reaction to the building issue at Waggoner El, school can continue without a building but not without teachers. I come from Illinois where teachers are valued and paid according. It has been tragically obvious here that the dedication of educators is being taken advantage of by cutting potentially cutting their salaries. It is the teachers that make the schools - not the technology, or the standardizations, or the overhead at the district office - that give the children the education. Cut the non-essentials and see the dedicated teachers give more and more to teach the children. If we are heading to "back to basics" because of the economy, we need the teachers and the textbooks. Thank you for the forum to make own concerns known.
It never ceases to amaze me as to why we start school in the hottest part of the year. If we started school after Labor day and went until early June, or something like those dates, wouldn't that save us a bunch of money on air conditioning?
If we could get legislation passed to increase the AZ tax credit for donations, we may see more donations. We could then use that money to support aids, supplies, etc. and offset the reduction in revenue.
There are a lot of requests to keep the CASA VIDA program. Personally, elimination of it should be considered. Home schooling is a choice, just as private schools are a choice. If you want to home school, taxpayers should not be paying additional cost to support that decision.
Instead of laying off teachers, have you ever considered reducing the number of superintendents and executive level staff you have? Seriously, we NEED teachers but do we NEED 6 different superintendents?
Although the idea of a longer school day and shorter week may make sense financially, please consider these are children you are talking about. Most elementary school children do not have the attention span for an eight hour school day. Children do best in school when they have good experiences and enjoy learning. Don't loose sight of the main goal of education. Also I would like to voice the opinion that kindergarten should be half day. If fits the needs of a five year old’s skills and cognitive abilities. It also is an easy solution for schools to accommodate more students with fewer teachers. It is a parent's primary responsibility to care for their children; not the school's.
My child is and has been for three years enrolled in the Kids Club after school program. What if any dollar figures does the school make for providing this servcice at the school? At $215.00 per child per month and $225.00 for 09, seeing the staff is not the most educated or experienced with children the money must be going somewhere other than paying for the staff. With no other options for after school care, we continue to pay the increased amounts and accept the decrease in care. Also, maybe discontinue the free lunch programs for children who cannot afford lunch.
Stop busing in intercity kids to KMS. The school is deteriorating! The money per child is not worth Kyrene's reputation! The district will save money in gas and drivers.
At Cielo, we are in the middle of construction. Could the phase of construction on the east side of the school be suspended for the next few years, since the portables are still in place and nothing has yet been done. Go back to using the 4th grade portables for a few more years and reprogram some of the construction dollars back into classes?
Switching the phone systems to Voice IP using the desktops would save a lot of money and give you better control of inbound and outbound dialing.
Energy Conservation can save significant amount of operating costs and can make Kyrene SD qualify for stimulus dollars since a portion of the stimulus dollars are set aside for energy conservation projects.
Has anyone ever done an accounts payable audit? It would make sure that payments are not being double paid, along with identifying other payment errors? I can have this done for free for us. EVERY "business" ever check has turned up errors, and usually in the hundreds of thousands.
Please provide suggestions as to who and how to contact our government officials to increase education's share of our state funds.
I contacted Senator John Kyl and he turned me back to the state Representatives. While it may be more appropriate for the State Representatives to determine local budgets, Senator Kyl's apparent lack of interest was disturbing. We must impress upon state government the importance of education. A populist movement is needed and can be accomplished with everyone's input.
Since July and August are our two hottest months, I'm wondering if we would save thousands of dollars if we start school in September and go through June? I think there would be a significant savings due to using less air conditioning. School districts across the country are on this schedule and it works for them. August is too hot to hold outdoor sports games and practices anyway - so why not give it a shot for a year and see what the savings are? Couldn't hurt to try.
KSD, TUHSD, Tempe Elementary all 3 districts need to combine the support staff administrative costs and get economies of scale. This may help to fund teacher salaries. Have 1 Transportation Director, Food Service Director and Support Services Director oversee operations for all 3 districts This will also eliminate the need to have administrative assistants for all 3 of them. Bids can be combined for all 3 districts for paper supplies, food etc to again lower costs.
I have a relative that works at a Kyrene school and she says there are certain funds set aside that can only be used for certain things and can't be used for anything else. So there is a use it or lose it mentality at her school. They recently upgraded all the laptops even though they were perfectly fine because they had the funds and didn't want to lose them. I'm sure there are laws that prevent these funds from being used for something else, but at the very least, don't spend the money if you don't have to. Last year, my child's elementary school got smart boards. Nice to have, but necessary? No. Any top of non-critical spending needs to stop.
There are many ways to cut expenses that do not involve cutting services to the kids. Get rid of all those standardized tests and let the teachers continue to teach. The kids are testing from April through the end of the year. This is an enormous expense, with training, staffing then the handling and grading of each test. Is it really necessary? Your good teachers, and there are many, know where the students are academically and are continually assessing them throughout the year. Ask any parent or teacher if they put any stock in these tests, not many do. All they are testing and teaching the kids is if they know how to take that test. Get rid of them, stop teaching for the tests and get back to educating the children. Also with all the technology in place in Kyrene you need to require that your teachers are sending their newsletters electronically at least 90% of the time. Many already do this but not all. Also you can send district newsletters, catalogues, surveys and other messages electronically. Also maybe you need to stop changing standards and curriculum so often. We are continually dumbing down the standards that are set for the kids. When my son was in kindergarten they were required to count to 110 now it is 50 what will it be next year? Stick with strong basic’s in K-3 and build from there. Students who are not learning the early skills must be tested and remediated earlier. Kindergarteners need to be tested for speech and occupational therapy if there is any question that they are not developmentally on tract. Place these kids correctly early and you won’t need to spend so much time and money on them later to catch them up. Spend the time and money where it will do the most good, early intervention. You will see the kids blossom and you will have a lot less behavioral problems.
If the Teachers would not throw away brand new pencils and packages of note book paper and construction paper, we could save some costs. This has been found every year in dumpsters all over the district.
Perhaps instead of the idea of eliminating instructional assistants working the first week before the students return to school, ask for volunteers that do not want to work that week. Therefore, those of us who are single and need to work, can.
I think it is a horrible idea to cut teachers salaries. They already don’t get paid enough. If you figure the cost of their education and the immense responsibility they hold (they are teaching the future), they could never be paid enough. Administrators, though important, I’m sure get paid double a teachers salary; they should take the pay cut. I’m not sure why anyone would even want to be a teacher, but I'm so grateful that some see the value in educating the future. Where would the administrators be without their schooling? Anyone making six figures should be the first to get cut, you may need to downsize but you will still have food and a home. Why cut the people who make so much less and devote so much time to our children?
I have been attending Casa Vida for seven years and from those years, I have gained a lot of knowledge and skills for music, art and P.E. I have a new found interest in Science from Casa Vida. Casa Vida provides an excellent opportunity for homeschooled kids and it should not be cancelled out.
Please don't cut the budget for CASA VIDA! My 2 children, 5th and 2nd graders, have attended C.V. for the last 3 years and truly enjoy going! We drive about 40 minutes each way just to go to CASA VIDA. My 4 year old can't wait to attend in fall of 2010 just like big brother and big sister. Again, please don't cut the budget for CASA VIDA.
Thank you for supporting the home school parents by providing outstanding resources for our children. Casa Vida is an excellent program that allows our children to function within in a traditional classroom while learning from dedicated, enthusiastic instructors. This program has been a blessing to our family for several years and we hope it will be continued.
I was informed you were considering cutting the Casa Vida program for homeschoolers. I would ask you to reconsider. I know budgets are tight, but this program is actually SAVING the district money. If these children were enrolled in the public school system, you would be spending tax dollars to pay for each child to attend every day of the year, instead of one day a week. It is a valuable program that gives families more choices in the education of their children. Homeschoolers already pay an enormous amount of money out of their own pocket to educate their kids, with no tax benefit or credit to them at all. Let's find other ways to trim the budget.
It has come to my attention that the Kyrene school district is considering the elimination of the C.A.S.A. Vida program. I currently have three of my children enrolled in this wonderful program, and it has made such a huge difference in their lives! The teachers are awesome and are very connected to the kids (what a terrific bridge between public schools and homeschoolers!).
My kids always look forward to Fridays. Please do not cut this program. As homeschoolers, we already do not have much faith in the public school system, and for many of us having our kids enrolled in C.A.S.A. Vida lets us have a positive experience with public schools. My children, and many others, would be devastated by the elimination of this program. Please think very carefully about the impact this kind of budget cut would have.
No computers in K-2nd grades. Most Kyrene students have computers at home, but even if they don't instructional time is better spent on pencil and paper work than the computer. Also, this would eliminate the frustration and time spent by the teacher "repairing" or requesting repairs from the IT department.
Any personnel paid hourly (aides, cafeteria workers, etc) ask if they can start work 15 minutes later. It is a small amount of time, but can add up. It might even save a few jobs.
Make the schools in the district so enticing that more families that live in the district send their children to Kyrene (not to a charter or private school). What are things that are enticing to parents besides high test scores?
Have one school on each side of I-10 similar to Tempe Prep/Chandler Prep, but NOT as part of a school like KMS prep. KMS prep is a disaster for the neighborhood kids who go to Kyrene and are not in the prep program.
Have one school similar to a traditional academy, such as Heritage Academy in Mesa. Many parents love the idea of a school that is based on founding fathers/mothers values. I would have sent my kids to Heritage if we lived closer to it. Possibly convert Niños to traditional?
Have the best arts programs in the East Valley, if not in the state, especially in Orchestra. Look at your demographics, especially for Asian students, who tend to have private string lessons, because they know the worth of starting strings at a young age. Kyrene ought to be tops in the East Valley, or at least close to Mesa's level for Orchestra programs. One word: Culture. Culture is a draw for parents who move here and are used to top-notch school orchestras where they come from.
Some local religions/cultures are not fans of comprehensive sex-ed in public schools, apparently on the horizon for Kyrene. For staunch Catholics, birth control is not something they want taught at public schools where they send their kids. They'd rather have solid refusal skills reinforced, from resources that are working well. Keep in mind that abstinence education with professionally written resources has not been in place in schools in America for that many years for studies to show how well it works. Comprehensive sex-ed in America has a much longer history and still no great record of reducing sexual activity for pre-teens.
Take your marketing budget and allocate those monies to principals to apply towards their top student-attracting programs. For example, I know KMS (where both of my children attended, one an 8th grader this year) attracts many out-of-boundary students. But all of the boundary-exception friends of my children were drawn there for the arts programs and the dyad program. Yet the aide position for the music department has been cut (and I don't know that the dyad ever had any support except for excellent teachers). How many students really enroll in a school because of that giant (and I would assume, somewhat costly) sign in Chandler mall? And how many attend because of a great program that they've seen in action for their neighbor's kids, or heard of through the parent-grapevine? Let the programs do your marketing, because they are ALREADY your best marketing tools. And the families who are currently in your schools will feel better served than now, when they hear yet another program is being gutted, but they can see an ad at the movie theaters. Don't pay for that while you're cutting the education out from under my child. Again, I KNOW that every student you attract means money for exactly those programs. But have you done any data-gathering on how many actually enroll due to those ads? I would argue that many, many more enroll due to Kyrene's notable programs.
Monitor use of facilities- These are missed revenue opportunities. Many community groups are using the fields without permission.
I have 2 children in Kyrene and 1 in the Tempe school district. Has anyone ever looked at pushing the school year in to June and not starting back till Sept. It would greatly reduce the amount of electricity that they use. August is one of our hottest months, I know my home electric is much higher during the months of July and August. I'm not sure the cost to run the a/c units at each school but I would think it could free up quite a bit of money to be used else where. I grew up in Phoenix and went to school here, we always started the Thursday before Labor Day and went till mid June. I'm not sure when or why that ever changed.
Reduce electric use by unpluging 1/3 to 1/2 of all lights in secondary rooms, halls, etc. Also, unplugging anything that draws "vampire" power through a transformer when not in use. Pencil sharpener, computer, any transformer for a charger of any sort, TV's, Papershredders, anything. Make a project out of it to teach the kids and ask them ways to save. Call it "Saving Every Watt, Ways to Save Energy."
Go to a 4 day school day
Savings: Transportation, Energy/Power, Meals, and general operation of facilities.
All Day kindergarten
This has been an additional expense on schools to maintain additional teachers, supplies, classrooms, energy, transportation, and benefits.
Close entire schools for 9 days throughout the school year.
Examine teacher classroom numbers. Combine classrooms with low numbers in classrooms.
Examine specialty programs. May be able to combine teacher expertise.
Lengthen the school day a bit and have a shorter week 4 day school weeks.
It is surprising that, when there is a budget cut, why you have to always think of cutting the teacher or some educational program. Why you cannot make a proposal on the cut of administration expenses including the clerical work. You can automate a number of very inefficient admin functions which are non productive. The schools can share some common admin infrastructures to share cost.
Certainly the budget cuts are painful. They are painful for individuals and families too. This is a time for tightening our belts, as my family has had to do in the past few years. We have had to cut out many extras. We have lost jobs and income. We have survived on 40% less income. I believe we need to take a look at each and every expense and program and keep only the essential items. When times are better, we can start to add-responsibly! Education is important, however, our state has not been fiscally responsible and now is the time to face that fact and become fiscally responsible. It hurts. It isn't pretty. But frankly, part of educating our kids is teaching them they can't have everything they want, when they want it!
In speaking with my friends and coworkers about what is happening in our State and in our Country, there is one recurring theme: We must be responsible with our budgets as individuals, we must cut expenses; and we expect our institutions to do so as well!
In order to help the budget, yet not hurt the quality education that is needed for our students. I suggest freezing all wage increases and asking that administrators - not teachers, take a 3 - 5 % pay cut until the economy improves. Mean while continue with saving on paper and copying resources. For homework, teachers can send weekly or daily emails to parents or post homework on class web sites. Students can write down questions/problems on their own writing note book then submit. There needs to be a concerted effort to cut energy costs by raising the AC several degrees, lowering heat & turning off all AC & heat during nites/weekends as much as possible.
It has been an ongoing problem in that children/teachers are wearing jackets during warm months, empty rooms are freezing cold, and so on. I have asked why it’s always so cold in certain rooms & usually got the same reply: “we have no control over it”. The schools can save a lot of $$ by looking at timers and/or having the cleaning crew adjust the AC/Heat. (and also reduce the effects of Global Warming!)
I propose our legislators, both statewide, AND nationally, take pay cuts of 30% to coincide with the budget cuts they are asking us to endure in our schools. Too often our elected officials forget they are PUBLIC servants, and have so often done things contrary to the community's wishes. Our elected representatives need to lead by example, either take a pay cut or lose their job in the next election.
Many professional parents would be willing to volunteer and lend their skill sets to schools. What about creating a volunteer board that taps into this skill set?
There are ALWAYS ways to streamline and improve processes. What about asking professional parents that are trained in 6 sigma to provide free evaluations for school processes. Efficiency improvement impacts per process can be small, but every improvement and/or waste reduction frees time and resources for other processes. The cumulative effect results in providing the same services using less resources. Rather than first looking for what can be tossed, look at everything you want to keep and figure out ways to deliver, but more efficiently, with the least impact to resources. I do it everyday at work. For those of us in the business world, we want to keep our overhead low, and profit big. For our schools, we want to give our kids the best education possible with maximum efficiency of resources. Nothing like a crisis to take a good hard look at how you do things and see if you can do the same thing better.
My family is new to the Kyrene School District, and I have noticed something done here that I have never seen anywhere else: paid class fieldtrips. I am sure this is helpful to some, but totally not necessary for most to participate. I would be more than happy to pay for my children to attend fieldtrips and have this money be used where needed.
I wish I could say something wise and articulate about the budget issues and restrictions that Kyrene is being forced to handle. But like so many, other than our government officials, I feel that cutting back on the educational benefits to those who are the future of our nation is a crime against not just the young, but those of us who will suffer the consequence of a poorly educated and limited generation. Unfortunately, government would rather pay excessively for non-essentials than adequately provide for our young. I think this is not only a poor example to set for our children, but a great reflection on how the economy has gotten into such a sad state: poor planning with no thought to the future. Trim expenses, but not at the cost of our children or the people who need us most.
Kyrene School District can save 100’s of thousands on utility bills by doing the following:
1. Extend the school year to the end of May.
2. Delay the start of school in the fall.
The cost of air conditioning in August is astronomical.
You people need to stop whining! This country is in one of the worst recessions it has seen in decades, possibly a Great Depression 2, and all you can do is whine whine whine. All you are trying to do is protect your outrageous $100K salaries and benefits while the rest of the country and state are suffering. If I were Governor, I would have told the Lawmakers to cut your monies by at least 15%! As a matter of fact, I think I will call the Governor and suggest she do just that for the next fiscal year.
I don't actually know rules regarding school donations outside of the tax credit that can only go to extra curricular items, so not sure if this idea is feasible. However, should cuts result in impacts to teacher maintenance and other vital resources, I would suggest calling on parents to assist with fund donations for these purposes. I don't have a lot extra but what I have would surely go to ensuring a proper education for my daughter.
Improve budget by reinstating payment for full-day kindergarten
One of my children is in 1st grade. At this level, students receive "consumable" copies of the Harcourt decodable books. Children use these for homework and then keep the copies. Most families throw these books away. Teachers could collect back as many consumable copies as possible and reuse them in the next school year. The number of copies needed for the following year would be greatly reduced.
When considering your budget situation, please consider keeping your full day Kindergarten and the option for children who turn 5 before Jan 1st. to test in. We are in the Mesa district but our older daughter is currently at a Tempe school. Tempe has just changed their policy to not let in children who do not turn 5 by Sept 1st. Our younger daughter's birthday is Sept 28th and she is ready for Kindergarten. We also have some friends in the same situation. Both our families are considering pulling our older children from the Tempe El district and placing them in the Kyrene district if we can get our little ones into the Kindergarten in Kyrene. Its an opportunity for Kyrene to draw in more enrollment with Tempe's new policy and Chandler maybe going to a half day Kindergarten. Just something to consider.
Every teacher should be able to explain to parents what supplies are needed to best serve their students which the district is unable to provide funding for. i.e. paper. Parents will donate whatever is needed to best serve the students.
We received a letter from Linda Dokken (food service) on District letterhead declaring a negative balance of my student of 75 cents for lunch money. Other parents I know received letters for 10 cents overdue. In the past, the kids have had their hand stamps to alert parents to pay the lunch account. If hundreds of letters are going out for these tiny amounts, using District postage, ink, paper, etc. then it is a big waste of money. If this is happening at all Kyrene schools, then it probably is thousands of dollars of wasted time and resources. Maybe someone could look into this?
During difficult times, necessity requires that we think creatively about solutions. Here is one.
The district should tap into the local community for volunteers to fill gaps.
The moms and dads in Kyrene are pretty smart and many would welcome an opportunity to help out 1-2 hours per week. As aides, as instructors, sports, music. Let's create a method where you folks disclose your needs, and a mechanism that volunteers can sign up and commit to help out in the schools. Here's another idea. The school is vacant during evenings and weekends. Is there a possibility that the district can partner with community colleges or businesses to lease space during non-use hours?
If all day kindergarten is cut, I would like the option of having a tuition based program with a teaching assistant as was offered in the past for my incoming kindergartener. I was extremely disappointed to learn that there is a potential for the Early Admittance to Kindergarten program to be a casualty of the budget crisis. My son will miss the Sept 1 deadline by 40 days. I understand it is a way decrease the funds per pupil the state would pay the school, to allow these 'early' kindergartners to attend. My suggestion is, instead of in effect punishing a child who missing the state approved age deadline, making up the funding in these other ways -- Increase the cost of PreSchool. You could more than DOUBLE the tuition you currently charge for pre-school tuition. Any private school, charter school, montessori, day care, etc... charge triple what you are currently charging. Bring back the All Day Kindergarten mandatory tuition. Not only bring it back, but increase that as well. By adding these increased dollars to the income of the district, you could remove the need to abandon the early enrollment kindergarten program. Studies have shown there has been a zero % retention rate in Cerritos elementary, for children than have been 'early enrolled', tracked up until 8th grade.
I was reading the Warner Wrangler which prompted readers to contact he schools about budget cuts. I would like to recommend a simple solution to reducing cost: raising the temperatures in the schools. The schools are so chilly that the teachers remind the children to bring jackets. I understand the schools continue to maintain these cool temperatures throughout the summer months, which appear wasteful as well. We have saved a substantive amount in our home by maintaining certain temperatures, I wonder if the district could as well.
I've already contacted our legislator asking not to cut anymore from the schools but I know it'll have to happen. But what if every employee took a pay cut so no one would have to loose their job? Maybe this would help. I'd hate to see any changes is this wonderful school district.
Take your top performing teachers with outstanding classroom control techniques and add to their class sizes while laying off underperforming and mediocre teachers. In lieu of PE class, ask for volunteers to run a structured class with a set curriculum and not a free-for-all--Perhaps a classroom teacher would take this role on instead of their planning period if the stipend were fair and if their were structured lessons already outlined.
When my son was at Mariposa, he was in a multi-age classroom for 1st/2nd grade, which was a wonderful experience. O wish that my second son would have had the same experience. Unfortunately, the multi-age program was done away with when the teacher did not return to Mariposa. Maybe multi-age classrooms will be a solution for schools that need to cut back a position, but have an extra handful of children that won't justify hiring another full time teacher, but can be mixed with a grade above or grade below to create one full classroom.
While I understand the Districts need to conservative regarding the budget, it is equally important that it takes a stance regarding the type of K program it will offer in Aug. 09. This inability to make a swift decision is leaving many parents in limbo when they need to be making decisions regarding their childs future. After enrolling my child I was concerned by the survey I received regarding Full Day or All Day K. As I district I employ you to make some type of decision quickly and if need be make it as a worst case scenario. Parents need to make decisions regarding after school care for their children and enrollment for these (limited programs) are due in March. The survey questions gave the impression that Full Day K was not going to be an option in 2009-2010. If this is the case state it openly. If there is going to be a cost, figure it out and make a statement of what it will be. Most working parents will have to pay a cost somewhere, this will just help them plan for the future and make decision on their child future educational needs.
Why can't we modify our school calendar so that school starts in September and ends in June? It must be significantly more expensive to operate all the buildings in August (second hottest month of the year) than in June, when the temps are lower (2.5 degrees lower on average, which must represent significant energy savings across the district). I realize there are other things that impact the calendar but perhaps we can look more closely at the impact it has on operating costs.
As strange as it may sound - I think that it would be possible to save quite a bit of money by cutting the school week down to four days a week. If Kyrene students went to school for 8 hours a day, four days a week (M-Th) and cut out the half day - they would only be losing one hour of instruction time per week and save all of the operations costs for an entire day (lights, cafeteria support, etc. etc.). Of course this option will most likely upset many families if child care on Friday's is an issue. Just a thought if times get desparate!
Is it possible to reduce the school week to four days? It seems that we could bring about a greater efficiency in how class time is used and reduce the amount of time students spend at school.
My sons' school has recently "gone green" in an effort to save money and they are sending newsletter via email. I think this is a great idea and we should continue in this direction. Every year we fill out tons of paperwork for the school and Kyrene Kids Club all with the same information as last year and one for each child. Why can't each family have an account with password and update information on the computer website for each new year - and Kyrene Kids Club should connect with the schools sites so that there is one data base with all families information in them. Cut down on the amount of papers going home. Also have families bring in more supplies -- construction paper, Xerox paper, file folders, paper clips etc.
Cost saving ideas: These are simple but could amount to money being saved even if just a little:
§ Parents providing additional classroom paper:
§ Instead of snacks parents must provide 5 reams of paper for the classroom 3 white and 2 colored. These can be provided all at once or every other month. Reminders can be sent out. Correctly budgeted this would not be a huge expense for a family. Add an extra snack for your child to their lunch each day. If they buy lunch send a snack.
§ Teachers need to utilize both sides of papers even if the children use them as scratch paper or to correct errors form the front. Ex: when instructing the children to write the spelling word they got wrong on a test 5 times have them do it on the back of the test-not a new piece of paper.
§ When rotating between centers have the children carry a weekly packet of papers that are 2 sided rather than providing a one sided worksheet at each center.
§ Eliminate the substitute teacher bonus plan for the next 2 years and then reevaluate.
§ Eliminate the special assemblies that cost money. Instead the district could work out free assemblies provided by local companies-Boeing/flight, Motorola/bringing the world to you (cultures they work in around the world), Bashas/Where does our food come from? Art Museum: The gathering and care of exhibits. Docents could present these for the cost of mileage, community services dept. of large companies may already have programs in place. If you can’t schedule an assembly to award good behavior then schedule an extra recess—the children would love that and it doesn’t cost anything.
§ Never pay $700 for snow even in the good times!
§ Make due with current text books for a year and supplement the knowledge through homework assignments relevant to the grade level.
§ Email and/or have attached to the web sites all homework assignments/packets.
§ Print packets only for children without computers or printers.
§ Make-up a bunch of visitor passes that can be worn around the neck and assign those to individuals as they come visit. This will eliminate the purchase and printing of hundreds of sticky tags. If one is missing you will know who has it since it was checked out by number. Shoe laces can be used as the lanyard and purchased at the Dollar Store two per packet. The cards can be designed as a Word product and laminated, a hole punched in and the shoelace attached. (I know this sounds too simple but if you add up the cost of bright colored labels, and printing ink across the district I bet it would amount to a few hundred) Obviously you would need to revert to sticky tags as an over-flow on busy days at the school but if each school had 50 tcards on hand I bet that would be enough for a full day.
§ Look at staffing— could more be done by less? Are there too many people moving slowly or not busy enough?
§ Could more jobs be made into shared jobs worked by 2 part-time people? This would eliminate benefit costs and eliminate a work standstill if one took time off since the other could come on and work the job without a break. Obviously you would want to keep the PT staff at PT hours to prevent paying OT. This could be done through the job contract/description and in compliance with State and Federal wage and hour regulations.
§ Doing this would also prevent you from having to totally eliminate positions and allow you to keep staff at reduced costs.
Start thinking like a company that needs to make a profit and less like a government agency and you will be surprised by what you can eliminate and redesign.
I'd like to see the Kyrene District go back to free 1/2-day Kindergarten and tuition-based full-day Kindergarten and NOT cut part-time Kindergarten Aides. It worked beautifully before and it can work now to get us out of this budget crisis. When my daughter entered Kindergarten in 2004, the cost of the full-day program was less than I was paying for half-day Preschool, so I was getting a bargain! Anyone who didn't want to pay, could go with the half-day option; everyone was happy. Kindergarten classrooms need part-time Aides! Most of the kids can't tie their shoes or button or zip their pants when they use the restroom -multiply that by 25 kids, and it's easy to see that not much teaching is going to get done if there is only one adult in the room. Bring back tuition-based full-day Kindergarten with a part-time aid in each class, and you'll still be saving $$$ without cutting services to ANY kids. It's a win-win for the district, the teachers and the students.
1. We need to know how each of the schools will be impacted by the budget situation.
2. We need to have fundraising teams (with parents leading the effort) at each of the schools so we could minimize the impact of the budget situation.
3. I was shocked to find that the school my son goes to did not even have some basic supplies (like paper). I was able to help out and i am sure there will be more parents willing to help out if we get the word out about the needs of the various schools.
4. Would be willing to help in any way I can.
Cut Costs. With warm/hot days soon approaching, we should consider a 4day school week. As it stands now, children go to school half day only on Wednesdays.
Office supply & printing companies can be solicited to donate all their unused & left-over paper for the school's use.
Staples, Office Max and Walmart have great $.10-.20 school supply sales just before school. Parents can be asked for a one-time minimum donation for school supplies vs. asking parents to buy the items themselves (in many cases they don't). The school can work direct with these stores to buy the supplies directly.
Programs like CASA Vida are wonderful for arizona students, when funding is available. If programs need to be cut, this is one that needs to be looked at. The loss of this program would not affect as many children as the loss of teachers in the regular ed. classroom. The teachers who are used to teach the CASA Vida program can be moved into the regular ed. classroom. Since they are part time teachers they could possibly job share. The administrator in charge could act as one in another school. I know that targeting specific programs can cause an uproar, but I think that more parents would be upset if quality programs in the regular school setting are cut, when a home school program goes untouched.
I have heard that the Casa Vida homeschool enrichment program is one of the things that might be cut to meet the budget. My son will be in kindergarten in the fall and we were counting on him being able to participate in that program. It is sad to think that students who don't cost the district nearly the amount of a full-time student would lose their access to the facilities. I hope you will reconsider cutting the program. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.
The CASA Vida program is an important part of our homeschool. My son has been in the program for three years and his
little sister is very excited about starting next year. The program has helped my son develop independence away from the family. With the classes he takes at CASA Vida he is becoming a more well-rounded child. Therefore, I’m saddened to hear that CASA Vida is being discussed as a budget cut. The Kyrene School District has a unique relationship with homeschoolers. A relationship that is open, friendly, and supportive. CASA Vida is a wonderful program that sets a fine example for other districts. A connection of family and community. I think all the teachers and administrators involved in the program should be proud of how their hard work has paid off in assisting homeschooled kids and their parents. My understanding is that the funding for the program comes from the previous year’s attendance. In a sense, our students have been banking up spots for themselves for the 2009-2010 year. Please don’t take that away from them. Cutting CASA Vida is different from taking away a class or making students use last year’s textbooks. You would be taking all their classes; sending the message they are not wanted in Kyrene. I know the budget cuts are heavy, but please don’t disenfranchise our homeschooled kids. The program has done much good in our community and we’d like to see that continue.
Casa Vida has been a very important part of our family success with our adopted child. She came from a situation that was less than ideal and between home schooling and the wonderful, caring, and supportive staff at Casa Vida we have seen great improvements in her educational and social skills. We (as a family) feel a great need for this support and feel the absence would leave a child (our child) without a much needed chance for personal advancement and a brighter future.
Regarding the C.A.S.A. Vida Program, I know the students and parents who participate get enrichment that is rarely offered from another source. It brings students who regularly don't have art, music, p.e., Spanish, and science enrichment in their schooling. As the art teacher for the program I can see the joy and excitement my class, if not the others bring to their day. I hope this program continues to be one of the programs that sets Kyrene apart.
My son William Webster has greatly benefited this year from your CASA VIDA program. Each week he looks forward to Thursday, where he attends your program and has the opportunity to learn from wonderful, nurturing teachers great subjects. Please continue this great program. Personally, we have shared our love for it with our friends and neighbors who homeschool in the Phoenix area. Many have joined or plan to attend this unique program this coming fall.
Thank you for your support, Kyrene is AZ's best district for education and CASA VIDA is just one example of this greatness.
My four children attend CASA Vida on Thursdays. This is our third year using this program and we LOVE this program. It is the perfect addition to our homeschool choice. I love having my children at home but there are some subjects that I just cannot teach as affectively. CASA Vida fills these gaps well. My children just love coming and enjoy everything about their day. It also gives them a chance to meet friends and grow friendships. CASA Vida would be greatly missed. It would be a shame to cut such a great program for only one year’s benefit of funds. I do hope you will consider keeping this program.
Casa Vida is a very important program to the homeschooling community. It is imperative that you don't cut the program altogether. I understand there is not enough money...we all do! However, completely eliminating a program that gets federal funding per student is no kind of solution. If you have to cut it down to one day or do other cuts, but at least keep the program that would be more acceptable. Homeschoolers pay for everything themselves...we don't ask for help from anyone! We transport our kids, buy all our own curriculum, we don't have jobs so that we can stay home to educate our children. This is the one program that is available to our homeschooling community. Cutting it would only give revenue for one year, which is unacceptable benefit. One year of revenue is not going to solve the problem. Please keep Casa Vida on the fore front. It is the only service provided to homeschoolers and it gets federal funding. It is not going to help the budget crisis to cut it. Please look at the BIG picture and not just one year. That is what got us into this mess to begin with!
I would like to make a case for the importance of the CASA VIDA program at Kyrene de los Lagos. Many of us chose to homeschool because our children were falling through the cracks. In my case, my daughter was not learning to read and needed to be pulled out of school. She missed the time spent in school when I began to homeschool. We were so fortunate to have found CASA VIDA, one day a week, she gets to go to school. She gets to stand in line, raise her hand, play tag at recess in addition to participating in music, art, pe, science and so many other activities. She loves her time spent in there, likes her classmates. There will be a time when she will return, her reading has improved dramatically. When she returns to school, it will not be a difficult transition because she had CASA VIDA to ease the way.
Please keep the CasaVida homeschool program. Home school kids already save the school system a ton of money. Parents of homeschool kids pay taxes just like everyone else, but, hardly get use of their taxes that pay for public schools. Please do not cut the CasaVida program.
Our two sons are participating in Casa Vida this year. We love this program and it is our hope that it can continue in the future. Please consider this when making difficult decisions regarding the budget for the next school year.
Please do not eliminate CASA Vida in your district cuts. We are very involved and supportive in this outstanding program that is the best I know of in Arizona! With more and more families pursuing partial homeschooling, eliminating this program would reduce the Kyrene district's ability to generate more per pupil income in the future. Thank you for your consideration.
We value and appreciate the CASA Vida program for our son, Sanjay. CASA Vida is an excellent program which provides a liaison between homeschool families and the Kyrene schools. Please don't consider eliminating it.
I have just been apprised of the possibility of the elimination of the CASA Vida program for budgetary purposes. For my family, and many others in the program, this would be a huge loss. Our daughter LOVES Casa Vida, and we love the experience she has had there. As a homeschooler, CASA Vida enriches her schooling by exposing her to many wonderful people and different experiences she may not get otherwise.
I find it ironic that money you receive from the state because of the enrollment of the kids in the CV program would be funneled elsewhere. While I understand that times are hard and budget cuts are necessary, that money was allotted because of the enrollment of our kids, and it seems wrong to eliminate this valuable program and appropriate the funds for other things.
We wanted to let you know how much we appreciate the CASA VIDA program. Our children come home excited to have been there. It is so great to have a place where our children can go and learn some of those subjects that can be difficult for homeschoolers to teach/provide like music, art , P.E., computer science and science. Our children look forward to going each week. The teachers are wonderful and we truly appreciate their hard work and this wonderful program.
We see that the elimination of Casa Vida is one consideration for cutting district costs next year. I am writing to respectively ask you to save the Casa Vida Homeschool program. My oldest son, Jared, has been in the program since Kindergarten (now in the 4th grade) and loves Casa Vida immensely. We are greatly pleased with the instruction he receives there, especially in Music, Art, and P.E. In addition, our daughter, Gracie, is in 1st grade and has also greatly benefited from the program. Our youngest son, Jack, is scheduled to start there, as well, in a couple of years. It would break our children's hearts to tell them they could not attend next year. The sense of community, "family" and friends they've gained through participation in the Casa Vida program has been priceless. All of the staff there are to be commended. Also, I would like to voice my concern that the district would willingly accept funding for a program that they intentionally cut. I know with the current state of the economy, many must do "drastic" things to survive, but these kinds of actions seem to be unethical and very short-sighted for the future goals of the district and for the good of those they serve. Finally, we are taxpayers, and except for Casa Vida, we otherwise receive no educational benefit from the state. This is just one of the many reasons we would like to see Casa Vida continue in the future.
I understand the need for Kyrene to consider trimming and cutting programs in the tighter economy, but I sincerely hope that CASA Vida will be spared. In the past, when cutting the program was being considered, my understanding is that adjustments were made for our attendance funding to cover expenses, and that as long as those expenses were met, there was a place in Kyrene for CASA Vida. The proposal to cut an approximately 10 year old program and use qualifying funds from this year for a 1 year benefit in the 09-10 year is incredibly disappointing to me. CASA Vida is a great program. We have been involved with it for the last 6 years and feel it has positive benefits and also generates goodwill among not only the homeschool community, but the community at large. I have told many people about the program and even if they don't have children or homeschool, they respond very positively to it. I have always felt that CASA Vida was a really positive partnership between the homeschool community and the Kyrene District, and I hope it can continue. Even more so, my kids love the program and hope it continues as well.
I request that the Casa Vida Homeschool Enrichment Program is not dropped because of budget cuts. Casa Vida is a generous, wonderful expression of what Kyrene stands for as a district. My family is a stand that it remains intact. Thank you for your consideration.
I'm in a homeschool family. Two of my boys have participated in Casa Vida. One is currently enrolled and the other is now in 7th grade and too old. Two of my boys will enroll within a few years, when they reach the proper age, and two of my boys were never able to participate because they were too old when we learned of Casa Vida.
Casa Vida has made such a difference in our lives. Casa Vida offers a unique opportunity for advancement in both social and academic arenas. The boys that were able to participate have had an opportunity to thrive in an environment where learning is creative, fun, and social. They are given access to equipment and experiences that we are not able to provide at home. By the same token, we are able to prioritize our own academic goals. Giving my boys the "specials" in such a nurturing environment has given them a social and academic "edge" that my older two boys did not get to experience. Now that we have so many children we would never be able to give them all the "extras" that we'd like to. We still feel that homeschool is the right choice for our family but we're so super grateful for the opportunities that Casa Vida gives our boys that we would not be able to provide for them otherwise.I truly hope that Casa Vida will remain an option for my last two boys to participate in. I know it will make the difference and that they will enjoy it. It is the highlight of the week for the two boys that were able to participate.
Do not cut Casa Vida. It is a short term solution, and next year will be here before you know it. Then you will have to make the hard cuts anyway, AND you will have ended a very valuable program, and one that I suspect makes money year over year for the school because otherwise those class rooms would sit empty and you wouldn't get the head count funding. CASA VIDA is a great program, if you cut it, I will stop making my voluntary donations to Kyrene for that program. So will lots of other parents who enjoy that program. If hard cuts have to be made and the number of kids in classrooms needs to increase some, then I will support that and teacher layoffs. I will very much support reducing money that I see spent by classes for Pizza parties, etc.
As a homeschool mom of two, it saddens me to see the possible elimination of the CASA Vida program. Especially when you consider the potential saving will only equal two and a half teachers for one school year. The CASA Vida program is a great way to bring the public school experience to the homeschool community. My children have enjoyed many wonderful experiences while attending CASA Vida. I hope our relationship with the Kyrene School District will continue.
I am 6 years old, and I attend C.A.S.A. Vida on Thursdays in the kindergarten and first-grade class. My favorite things about C.A.S.A. Vida are P.E. and recess and seeing my friends there. I hope you keep it going.
There are a number of alternatives that the district could have chosen that would not have resulted in teacher reduction.
1. Full support of the ballot initiative to consolidate the district with Tempe El and TUHSD which would have reduced district level personnel and possibly reduced facilities use.
2. Elimination of middle school camps, out of state trips, and other field trips where teachers and "counselors" get to travel for free.
3. Reduction of front office staff by one HC/school.
4. Increase the fees for after school athletics and other programs. Most of the students in the district receive no benefit from these programs anyway.
5. Consolidation of bus routes traveling out of the district to support open enrollment.
6. Closure of one or more elementary schools by consolidation and increasing class size. Class sizes will increase anyway because of teacher reductions.
I am 8 1/2 years old, and I attend C.A.S.A. Vida on Thursdays in the second- and third-grade class. I like C.A.S.A. Vida because I get to see my friends, and I get to learn art, music, science, P.E. and Spanish with my teachers. Please keep the program around.
I am writing in regards to the CASA vida homeshcool program. As a homeshcool parent, I greatly appreciate the resources that you provide our families. They extend beyond the scope of what we can do as individuals. As budget cuts affect our options, please know that we would be willing to contribute financially to help keep these kinds of programs going. Thank you for your hard work and consideration.
As the 2009-2010 district budget is under consideration, I want to urge administrators to keep the C.A.S.A. Vida program (currently hosted by Kyrene de Los Lagos Elementary School) intact. The program is not only an incredible resource for homeschooling families such as my own, but also an innovative and forward-thinking way for the district to capture extra funding while reaching out to a community that might otherwise not otherwise consider district participation in the education of their children. I feel so fortunate to have this program as part of my local school-district offerings. It is just the kind of interactive partnership envisioned more than 20 years ago by novelist, public educator and homeschooling dad David Guterson in his inspiring nonfiction book, "Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Works." I know the district would see a one-year cost-savings if C.A.S.A. Vida is eliminated, but I encourage officials to examine the long-term benefits of keeping such a vibrant and truly unique program as part of the district's offerings.
This email is in regards to the consideration of removing the CASA Vida program. Our family is a firm supporter of this program not only through our children's involvement but through tax contributions as well. Home school families rely on resources like CASA Vida to supplement our at-home education. This program allows us to create a comfortable balance between public education and learning at home. The program is run very efficiently as consumes minimal district resources. Please consider keeping this program available to our community
This is regarding the CASA VIDA program. MY 9yr old daughter Ellen, loves the CASA VIDA program so much she wishes it was offered even more. Please take note of all the families that benefit from this wonderful program and all the teachers and staff that are involved in it. Our family is new to Arizona, having moved here from Minnesota in 2007. What a gift to have this program for families like ours to not only make the connections that are so important to homeschoolers, but to continue the love of learning. MY daughter can't wait each week for Thursdays which is the day she goes. How many programs can say that? that the children are excited to attend. Please take into your budget review a knowing that the CASA VIDA program is exceptional and topnotch. We tried Eagleridge in Mesa and didn’t like it at all. The teachers and staff there do NOT interact well with the students or the parents. In fact, it was a very cold place, whereas the teachers and staff at CASA VIDA are so warm and open which is why it's such a great program. Please let this wonderful program continue to survive so that more homeschoolers can excel.
Thank you for your time! I would like to express concern over the "worst case" scenario in the current budget plans. This scenario calls for the elimination of the CASA Vida program. My child has been in CASA Vida for four years and we would hate to lose this wonderful program. As the elimination of CASA Vida would result in only a relatively small savings during the 2009-2010 school year and NO savings during future years, it seems like a poor choice. The CASA Vida program is self-sufficient and is highly valued by the 107 children in the program. Please do not hurt these children for a small, one-time savings – especially since it will be difficult (if not impossible) to restart the program once stopped. As schools and businesses throughout the country are forced to find savings through various cuts, a number have chosen to go the route of salary reductions as a way to prevent the loss of programs and personnel. For instance, ASU has instituted work furloughs that -- in effect -- cut salary by approximately 10%. Though this is drastic, salary reductions do not have to be this severe. Has KSD considered 1% or 2% salary reductions?
Two of our children attend Casa Vida for homeschool enrichment. This program offers opportunities for our children that fill an important component for our learning. We, as well as many other families, need Casa Vida to remain for enrichment. We hope that the budget can be managed in other ways that will not influence the education opportunities of our children. Thank you for your time and efforts.
Please retain the CASA Vida program. My grandson loves his Thursday visit to this exceptional program. When it comes to education, every effort should be made to keep this program, as well as any others, alive and continue to provide a nurturing and stimulating environment. Love of learning is essential at an early age to encourage self esteem and ongoing excitement for the experience of learning. Please, please keep this program. Thank you.
I would like to request that the idea of closing Casa Vida be removed as an option to resolve the district budget issue. As a homeschooling parent, my children benefit from the curriculum and activities offered at CASA Vida. It appears that the benefit of closing Casa Vida will only produce a temporary savings to the district. This decision will have a long-term impact on my children and all of the children at Casa Vida.
Please do not cut the program. I like going to C.A.S.A. Vida. My favorite thing to do there is art so I don't won't it to stop. The teachers are great too.
