Bobcat Bulletin

Breen Elementary School                                                                               February 2010

The Importance of Student Attendance

We would all agree that regular student attendance is essential to student learning and overall school success.  I clearly understand that good health contributes to student success in learning.  It is extremely important that parents ensure that students do not come to school when they are ill.  However, it is equally important for parents to ensure that students attend school at all other times.  Our district’s operating budget is dependent upon the funds we receive through student attendance.  Given the current realities of our State and District budgets, it is critical that we work together as a team to enhance all available school district revenue.  For your information, each day that a student does not attend school, whether the absence is considered “excused” or ‘unexcused,” the district loses $42 in school revenues.  Below is a data chart that shows the significant financial impact of lost ADA.  As you can see, our district loss in revenue from 2008-2009 was nearly $2,000,000.         

Holidays and Furloughs

This year the President’s Day Holidays on February 15^th and February 19^th will sandwich 3 furlough days voluntarily taken by our teachers.  This means that there will be no school from February 15^th-February 19^th. 

 

Crossing Street Safety

At just about every School Site Council meeting a parent member brings up the concern of children jay walking, usually with an adult.  Stories are told of just misses as children and adults jet out from between cars near the administration building and kindergarten rooms.  My concern is mainly for what children will do when adults are not with them.  Their safety is at stake when we tell them to do as we say rather than as we do.