Winter 2010 - Mariemont City Schools

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mA Message from the Board of Education 2010 will be an exciting and historic year for the Mariemont City School District. We are so grateful to all community and staff members who have joined in the important work of helping to planning the direction and solutions for our facilities needs. We encourage everyone to get involved. Call the board offi ce (272-7500) and volunteer your opinions, your time, your help. In order to implement a responsible solution to our facilities issues and in response to declining state funding, the Board voted to place a combined bond issue and operating levy on the May 4 ballot. The plans for what comes next are underway, and we need your continuing assistance. Residents, parents, staff and facilities experts are currently detailing the specifi c building design and space plans, while another set of teams are planning for a smooth transition for all students – both out and back into their improved school buildings. This winter and spring, a special task force of Fairfax community members, alumni, staff and students will focus on properly celebrating the history of Fairfax Elementary as it closes its doors this June. We have also experienced transition on the Board of Education itself. Our deepest thanks to Kevin Grimmer for his leadership and dedication to the students of this district as his board term ended in December. We know his support and involvement in the district will continue for many years to come. The Board started 2010 by welcoming new member Bill Flynn who will be a tremendous asset in this position. Re-elected members Peggy Braun and Ken White returned for a new term of offi ce. Also, at the January meeting, Mr. White was elected to serve as president for 2010 with Dee Walter serving as vice president. Your Board of Education is passionate about meeting the current and future needs of our students and the goals of our communities. Our mission continues to be “preparing Scholars of Today to be the Leaders of Tomorrow”. We welcome your questions and concerns. Our contact information can be found on the back of this newsletter. Meet your newest BOE member Bill Flynn Bill Flynn is a Cincinnati native and has lived in Williams’ Meadow for 18 years with his wife Beth and their three children. He has served in many capacities throughout the Mariemont community and for the school district itself, including co-chairing the successful 2007 operating levy campaign. Mr. Flynn has been a private practice attorney for nearly 25 years and is a member of the board of directors for the Cincinnati law fi rm of Strauss & Troy. m Financial Update We want every resident of the Mariemont City School district to be aware and informed of the necessity and of the impact of the school district’s upcoming fi nancing request. On February 11, the Mariemont Board of Education voted to place a combination Bond Issue and Operating Levy on the May 4, 2010 ballot. Bond Issue: To fi nance new construction and renovations to school facilities and sites, a 5.28 mill bond issue (collected at a net increase of 3.6 mills bond rate) repaid over 37 years. This would fi nance the entire $39,800,000 Board approved Facilities Master Plan. This issuance will allow the district to take advantage of historically low interest rates and construction costs and to attract lower bids with a multiple-site project. Operating Levy: To fi nance continued operating expenses of the district, a new continuing operating levy of 5.15 mills. Cost to Property Owner: These additional monies will be collected beginning in 2011, with an estimated annual cost of $268 per $100,000 of auditor’s tax valuation for owner-occupied residential properties. In order to fi nance the same quality level of education programming for our students, the district has adopted a three-step overall plan: 1- Have Reduced Budget by $1.8 million: From May 2008 – May 2010, the district has cut a necessary $1.8 million from our annual budget in order to avoid falling into defi cit spending. 2- Implement Facilities Master Plan: With the funds from the proposed Bond Issue, we will be able to implement the boardapproved Facilities Master Plan that will fully address our facilities issues while reducing our operating costs by an additional $1 million dollars. 3- Replace Declining State Funding: As we have reiterated many times over the last several years, our state funding has continued to decline. This means that we (along with our peer public school districts) must seek additional monies from our taxpayers (operating levy) to continue to operate the district at our current level of instruction and programs for students. If the request for this combined bond issue/operating levy is unsuccessful, the district would be forced to reduce the annual operating budget by an additional $3 million or more over the next two school years to continue operations. The impact of these reductions would be signifi - cant district wide. For complete information on the combined fi nancing request, the Facilities Master Plan and budget reduction recommendations if the request is unsuccessful, please visit www.mariemontschools.org/facilities. Natalie S. Lucas, Treasurer/CFO nlucas@mariemontschools.org 272-7500 Mariemont City Schools Financing and Facilities Community Information Meetings Please come to any one-hour session: Thurs, Mar 4 7:00 pm, TP Community Bldg Sat, Mar 6 10:00 am, Fairfax Municipal Bldg Mon, Mar 8 7:00 pm, Mariemont High School Tues, Mar 9 1:00 pm, Mariemont Community Church Parish Center
Fairfax Elementary Each school day, Mrs. Hanahan’s 1st grade students test their spelling skills with the interactive help of SMART Board technology. Elementary Newsm Second grade authors work diligently to complete their Writer’s Workshop assignment about President’s Day. A festive FX door greeter made by FX student artists. Mariemont Elementary WARRIOR CREED We are WARRIORS. We... Work hard Act in a safe manner Respect ourselves Respect others Intend to succeed Organize for success Respect the property of others Speak with kindness Students participated in a moving Veterans’ Day tribute and fl ag ceremony. The Caring & Sharing program this year provided a brighter holiday for 114 local children. On Dec 8, ME students traveled around the globe, the infl atable Earth Dome globe that is, for a very large geography lesson. Terrace Park Elementary Save the Date: Saturday, May 1 for the ME PTO Derby Adult Fundraiser For more info:www.mariemontschools.org/elementary As part of the TP PTO “Everybody Counts” program, Bryan Eubanks shared the challenges of his hearing impairment with 2nd grade students. A shout out to all the hard-working, coldenduring 6th grade crossing guards! Master spellers Jacob Herring (3rd), Trevor Bruno (1st) and Nathaniel Arington (2nd) ruled the TPE Bee! Pumpkin Festival Redo! Join the fun Friday, March 12 5:30- 8pm
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Winter 2010 - Mariemont City Schools

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