Superintendent's Article - June 26, 2008

I want to thank everyone from the community, as well as the staff who recently attended the retirement celebration for me at Skyland Pines. It was a very special evening for my family and me. As I said at the dinner, I have met a lot of wonderful people over the course of 20 years in this district. The support for children here is tremendous. The support for our schools has been a positive thing over those years. And as I said at a recent Board of Education meeting, do not take for granted the many wonderful things that we provide in our schools. This educational process happens because we have a lot of caring and conscientious staff. That, coupled with a very dedicated Board of Education, helps to establish a solid base for learning. We need to be ever mindful to show our appreciation for these folks when you get the chance. There is no question that the strength of a democracy depends upon the education of its people. Thank you Louisville. It has been a terrific ride that I will remember forever.

A new recognition established by the Board of Education this year is the Award of Excellence to deserving administrators in the district. Retiring High School Principal Polly Doyle was one of the recipients. A very deserving honoree, Mrs. Doyle has been the Principal at LHS for the past 13 years and has been a pillar of excellence. She has led by example and by her values in a very difficult position. I want to thank Mrs. Doyle for all of her time and energy in a conscientious effort to do what is right for students. We wish her the very best in her retirement.

We had an excellent closing to school this year. Commencement was held over the Memorial Day weekend and was a huge success as we graduated 250 seniors. This larger class led to a packed gymnasium for the ceremony. Congratulations seniors. We will miss you, but certainly wish you the best as you move forward in life and in your careers.

The school district is very busy planning for the new school year. We have summer school going on now and will be receiving state test results back soon. Results will be sent home to parents once all are verified.

The Board of Education is also moving forward with Phase II of the facility plans for the district. It appears that a small bond issue will be on the ballot as early as November. Passage will ensure that we receive the nearly $37 million of state money for our district's facilities.

My successor, Mr. David Redd, is in the process of reviewing applications for the High School Principal position. A committee will be established to review the candidates.

The Board of Education, along with Treasurer Jina Lingle, is carefully watching our expenditures as well as revenues. The $2.1 million in cuts over the past two years has certainly helped us with our general fund balance in the short term, but will continue to impact programs now and in the future.

Have an enjoyable week. Go Leopards!