DEBBIE STELLINI: Looking forward to the 2014-15 school year

By Debbie Stellini

President, Board of Education

The 2014-15 school year will prove to be a very exciting one, full of potential and possibilities.

As the school year begins we have been good stewards of your tax dollars and are set to eliminate the Taylor School District’s deficit. We would like to thank all who have made sacrifices to make this happen. With structural changes to the budget, by increasing efficiencies and accountability and by bringing in additional revenue, we will continue to insure that teachers and staff have what they need to do their jobs and build a financially strong district.

We are also on track to enhance the educational opportunities for our students with a new Early Childhood Educational Center in Johnson school, which was the first concept to be presented to the Board of Education for review by the Superintendent and Revitalization Task Force.

We have formed a Revitalization Ad Hoc Board Committee to study the other concepts presented and we welcome your input on these ideas for the future of our school district. Also, look for opportunities for our students with Early College, Dual Enrollment, Career Center, PAES, Taylor Virtual Learning Academy, and with our many opportunities with sports, band, Robotics and extra-curricular activities.

With strong team efforts we can rebuild our school district. We need partnerships with our parents to send students to school prepared to learn – and thank you to those who do just that. We need adults to stay focused on the needs of our students so that they may become successful upon graduation. Again, thank you to those who do.

We need parents, staff and community members to volunteer their time with our students. Thank you to those that take time to read to a child or mentor them or coach them. We welcome new businesses and thank those business owners who have businesses in our community as they provide revenue that supports our public schools and students. We thank our community leaders for supporting public education. Our community benefits in many ways by having a strong educational system. Thank you to those who contribute to this mission.

Please let us know what you think. We are your elected officials and represent you as advocates for our students and district. We look forward to an exciting school year.

Taylor Proud. Taylor Strong.