Last Week:

• School’s out for summer! 😀
• This was a quiet week, with the focus on wrapping up the school year. The only thing I reported on was the teacher appreciation bags at two of the schools…not just the quantity, but that the district took down a post from the High School’s Facebook page showing the large number of bags there.
• I’m seeing an increase in the number of letters to the editor at the Courier that parrot the same pro-board talking points. I dove into one here, fact checking what I could.

Here’s what’s coming up this week:

• The district is officially on spring break, but we expect some activity this month on a few fronts. First, the preliminary budget needs to be presented and discussed, in the June 14 board meeting. As part of that, we’ll be hearing the board’s plans detailed for improved security, including $1 million from the reserve fund to be spent on one-time infrastructure improvements, and money to be spent on security personnel in our schools (presumably, but not confirmed, to be through Sheriff Mikesell’s private security company).
• In the budget overview last month, the district predicts per-pupil funding to increase about 11%, and district enrollment to remain flat. Given these numbers and the increased revenue it suggests, will the board be giving teachers a raise? They made (and continue to make) a really big deal last year about using extra revenue to give teachers a raise so it’d be odd for them to not once again take advantage of this opportunity, especially considering the large numbers of staff leaving the district.