Cost Per Student, Communication Among BOE's Goals for New School Year

The Region 13 Board of Education has its own homework this school year.

At Wednesday's meeting, the board unveiled a list of four goals and objectives that newly elected board chairman Kerri Flanagan said would result in a more collaborative relationship between the board and school administrators.

"One of the goals is to really get the board engaged, as much as we can, in the educational process that's happening in the district," Flanagan said.

One of the more important new initiatives will result in an adjustment to the timeline of the school budget. Flanagan said the board and administrators plan to work together to have initial budgets ready for review by mid-February, rather than in early March.

"It seems to me that we could have a smoother process with the board if we had a little more time to digest the budget than we have right now," she said. In an effort to achieve the goal, administrators have been invited to the board's October budget retreat.

The board is also planning a more careful which revealed that enrollment in the district may decline by as much as 20 percent over the next ten years.

"Every area, every aspect of the budget really has to be given some consideration to what is this doing on a cost per student basis and what's happening with student enrollment," Flanagan said.

"If we're going to stay focused on academic achievement we have to understand that we have to manage cost per students in all aspects of the budget."

Flanagan said the board planned to review the course offerings at the high school and middle school level in order to ensure that the district was meeting the demands of the new world.

Improved communication with both administrators and the public will also be improved, board members said. One idea being considered would match board members one-on-one with administrators in order to "understand what the priorities are in that building."

A new district website expected to launch in early October as well as the addition of a second period of public comment at the end of each board meeting will improve the lines of communication between school officials and the communities, the board said.

"I think the board has a lot on its plate," said Flanagan. "Whether we'll get each goal done to 100 percent of our own satisfaction I don't know. I would to like to believe that we can."