September, 2012

"Durand Area Schools is a Model District Where Students Want to Be"

Message from the Superintendent

Welcome back to all our students and families to the 2012-13 school year. I am looking forward to a fantastic year. Our buildings have all gone wireless, bringing new educational opportunities for our teachers and students to expand learning.

As you know, our budget, like most districts across the state, continues to be an issue. We are working very hard to ensure that our district remains financially stable. It also means that we must continue to tighten our belt and be vigilant in regards to our spending. We will be asking voters again this fall to consider a Headlee Amendment vote. We continue to lose approximately $91,000 per year because of the legislative rollback. We will be asking voters for a 2 mill increase to restore our district to the full 18 mills that we can legally levy. This millage adjustment will enable the school district to levy the statutory rate of 18 mills against non-homestead and non-qualified agricultural property, which is required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation guarantee.

In addition to all the financial pressures we are facing, there continues to be many changes surrounding accountability. Our district has been working on an evaluation model that has been selected as one of four models which is to be pilot-tested throughout the state this year. We are proud of the work our teachers and administrators contributed to this process. Our focus continues to be on learning and the educational success of our students.

I would like to encourage you to attend school functions, athletic events and fine arts performances. Education is the key to our children's future and a strong community partnership with the schools is critical to making sure that our programs are of the highest quality. We are always looking for volunteers for the parent groups, help in classrooms, or members of booster groups. Get involved today!

I would like to thank you for visiting our website. It has been designed to provide you with easy access to district information and our outstanding programs. If you did not already know, we created a Facebook page last year. Check both our website and Facebook often for up-to-date schedules and other pertinent information. If you cannot find what you are looking for, please do not hesitate to contact the appropriate school or my office for assistance. We will be happy to answer questions that you may have.

Sincerely,

Cindy Weber

Superintendent of Schools