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OpinionWe pledge to do our best for the children and communityBy Dr. Bob Stepaniak Welcome to the first installment of the ìSchool Newsî column. School News will appear weekly in the Post-Review and will feature commentary from the North Branch Area School District #138. Administrators, principals and other program directors will share information with the community on a variety of topics. This first installment features Dr. Bob Stepaniak, superintendent, and a discussion on school district communication. It was decision-making time at 5 a.m. last Friday when the wind-chill hovered around minus 38 degrees. Later, as I talked with some folks about why we did not close school, it reminded me of the old maxim that it is ìimpossible to please everyone.î When it comes to decisions about schools, this maxim has become a constant. This predicament applies to a lot more than just weather closings. We hear from people who believe class sizes are too large and those who think they are wastefully low; from those who think we are too tough on students and those who think we are too easy; from those who think families should pay more for education and those who think they should pay less; from those who want to cut back on taxes for schools and those who are willing to pay more; from those who think we waste money communicating with them and those who say we never tell them anything; and from those who think schools should reflect tomorrow and those who think they should reflect yesterday. The upcoming budget reductions will amplify these criticisms. In forecasting the budget for the 2004-2005 school year we will again face budget reductions. With heavy hearts we will be forced to reduce services for the children and community. At the forefront of our minds will be the children ñ how can we continue to deliver a quality education with decreased operating monies? You will likely hear someone say that the reductions were made only to rile up citizens for the next levy vote. Not so. The budget reductions we make for the 2004-2005 school year are a direct result of decreased operating monies from the State and the lack of an operating levy on our tax rolls. We understand that as we make reductions it is inevitable that people will be unhappy. So what do we do? We make the best proposals possible with the information we have today, listen to the perspectives of others to see if the proposals should change, and then make the decisions in the best interests of our students. We pledge to do our best for the children and community. ©ECM Post Review |