Superintendent Blog

Paynesville Area Schools Makes Adequate Yearly Progress!!!

2011-10-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

Hats off to Paynesville Area Schools staff, students, volunteers, parents, and community members!!! Paynesville Area Schools made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the 2010-11 school year. Our staff has been working very hard to increase student achievement. Although I may not agree with all of the requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, it has enabled our staff to work collaboratively towards a common goal of student achievement. Our staff is working together analyzing test data, curriculum, and teaching styles to improve our approach to teaching. I can say that our staff has come together as a team to improve on our strengths and address our weaknesses, in providing the best education for our students.

The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act requires that all schools in the nation make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) toward achieving the goal of all students being proficient in reading and math. As you may be aware, Paynesville Area Schools has been designated as a school in need of improvement due to not making AYP for the last three years.

The goal of No Child Left Behind has been to have all children in the United States reading and doing math at grade level by the 2013-14 school year. To accomplish that, the law required states to implement a system of standardized tests with achievement levels ramping up each year.

Schools and districts must meet the requirements in a variety of subgroups to make adequate yearly progress. If they fall short in one category, the entire district may be labeled as not making AYP. The categories include ethnic minorities, students learning English, low-income students and special education students.

AYP status is calculated by the growth each district makes from the previous year and the target achievement rates from the base line year of testing in Reading and Math. Once the bar is set, it incrementally increases to 100% for the 2013-14 school year. Districts receive points for growth and reaching the bar. Once a district is identified as Not Making AYP, they are designated as a District in Need of Improvement for at least 2 years or until the district makes AYP for two consecutive years. Our district will need to make AYP again this year to get out of the District in Need of Improvement designation. This year, 226 of 335 school districts did not make adequate yearly progress. We were one of 109 school districts who made AYP for the 2010-11 school year.

We are working together within the district to ensure that all students receive the best education possible. The Paynesville Area staff has implemented the following strategies to improve the quality of education: Power Half Hour, Paynesville Area Targeted Services (PATS), Core plus More, and Summer Boot Camp for reading and math. Once again, hats off to our staff, students and parents on a great achievement. It truly does take an entire village to raise a child. Paynesville Area Schools is making strides to become an excellent school for student growth and achievement.

To review our scores and to see how other districts around the state are performing please refer to the Minnesota Department of Education’s Website, School Report Cards at http://education.state.mn.us/ReportCard2005/index.do. If you have questions please contact me at 320-243-3410 ext. 1149.

Todd Burlingame
PAS Superintendent

District Honors Support Staff

2011-09-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

Paynesville Area Schools is proud to give long overdue recognition to our educational support staff - paraprofessionals, clerical personnel, school bus drivers, custodians, food service personnel, buildings and grounds personnel, health and safety staff, technicians, custodians, school nurses and all other support staff.

On Wednesday, September 14th the educational community honored 75 support staff from 23 school districts. Paynesville Area Schools honored Polly Jaeger, administrative assistant, and Diane Utsch, special education paraprofessional, for their outstanding performance which has had a profound impact on our students and our community.

Support staff are an integral part of our school district. They promote student achievement, ensure student safety and contribute to the establishment and promotion of a positive instructional environment. The Educational Support Staff Recognition Event is an opportunity to recognize and honor those school support personnel who go above and beyond their required duties.

The following is a list of criteria used to help selecting honorees:

School support staff who:

* are non-licensed educators
* possess a thorough knowledge of work responsibilities, demonstrate safety for self and others, and cultivate respect for resources and facilities.
* portray a positive role model for students, staff and the community.
* are exemplary staff members who recognize students, peers and colleagues as individuals and who show genuine respect and concern for others.
* seek to improve personally and professionally.
* make a difference every day in the lives of students, staff and their community.

The district is proud of all our support staff, and would like to take this time to thank all support staff for their commitment and dedication to our students. Congratulations to Polly and Diane.

Todd Burlingame
PAS Superintendent

Facilities Improvement Update

2011-09-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

I would like to publicly apologize for being misled into a facilities improvement project which would have cost our residents $16.4 million dollars. I believe the board acted in good faith believing that we had good information from Johnson Controls. I believe we are guilty of trusting Johnsons Controls and their recommendations. Johnson Controls misled the board and me into believing we needed to make improvements to our buildings through Health and Safety funding. The district is going into mediation with Johnson Controls in an effort to get out of the contracts. I have learned a lot from this experience. The board and I are committed to doing what is in the best interest of the students, staff, parents and community members. The district has hired Deb Metz, who is representing the district in this facilities improvement project. The board has hired Hallberg Engineering to provide an independent neutral opinion as to the actual needs of our buildings. Hallberg identified similar issues with our facilities, but gave us less expensive solutions. The board has also enlisted community input by including three community members as part of our facilities committee. We have taken several steps in these past months to ensure we are making well informed decisions, assessing our needs and looking at all options available for improving our infrastructure with the intent of obtaining the most value for our costs.

The 12 person facilities committee met several times over the past 10 months, working diligently to learn about our mechanical systems, to understand how they function and to discuss and assess our needs. This was done with the goal of providing a comprehensive recommendation to the full board. I would like to thank all those involved including: Deb Metz; Kyle Simonson from Hallberg Engineering; the entire facilities committee including staff members Lorie Floura, Donnie Mayer, David Oehrlein, Max Meagher, Matt Dickhausen, and myself; board members David Johnson, Lew Storkamp and Mark Dingmann; community members Bob Pederson, Dick Johnson, and Paul Bugbee. Community members Dick Kruger, Daryl Larson and Bruce Vanderpool also provided much input throughout this process.

At our last board meeting on September 13, the board had a lengthy discussion on our operation referendum which will expire after the 2012-13 school year and our facilities needs. We feel both are important to the success of our schools. The board decided to put the facilities project on hold and focus their attention on the operating referendum. The board would like to recalibrate the pneumatic controls and complete a test & balance process to our current systems, in an attempt to get our systems working as efficiently as possible at minimal costs for the time being. The district will solicit bids and explore funding options to accomplish this task. The board believes dollars would be better spent educating our students vs. upgrading our buildings. These are tough economic times for all of us and we all are faced with difficult decisions on spending declining resources.

I would like to thank all of our board members for their dedication and commitment to making Paynesville Area Schools a great academic experience for our students.

Todd Burlingame
Superintendent of Schools

Keep the Quality Foundation Works Collaboratively with Paynesville Area Schools

2011-01-11T06:35:00.000-08:00

Keep the Quality kicked off the 2010-11 school year with a bang. Teachers were asked “What would you do with $1,000 in your classroom to improve student achievement?” Keep the Quality sponsored an essay contest and awarded $1,000 to any teacher with a great idea to implement in their classroom. Keep the Quality awarded 2 classroom sets of SMART response clickers that work in conjunction with the SMART boards. The clickers help to determine the gaps in understanding for students and provide instant feedback for teachers, as well as making learning fun. The district has one set in the elementary and one in the secondary building. Keep the Quality also purchased a Forensics curriculum and kits for our consumer science class to instill the love of science. The K-1 multiage teachers wrote a grant called “Bridging the Summer Reading Gap” where they will purchase books for students to read over the summer. Students will receive a bag of ten age appropriate books each summer and will have 2 bag exchanges over the summer. Keep the Quality also sponsored 2 partial grants. One supporting gifted/talented materials for grade 1 and another supporting our foreign languages by purchasing web cams to record lessons which allows students to take a German class online. Keep the Quality is looking at making this an annual event. The response and ideas received were great.

In December, Keep the Quality also sent out 105 “Thank You” postcards to individuals and groups who volunteer their time at school. In March, Keep the Quality will be sponsoring a “Showcase and Tell” event. Students will be invited to display their work for our residents. Examples may include taxidermy, art work, and much more. This will be done before and after the Lollipop Concert on March 25th.

The Keep the Quality Education Foundation was formed to support and improve the Paynesville Area Public Schools.

School District to Benefit from Education Jobs Fund (Ed Jobs) Program

2010-09-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

The Ed Jobs program is a one-time Federal program that provides $10 billion in assistance to states, (including $167 million to Minnesota), to save or create education jobs for the 2010-11 school year. Jobs funded under this program include those that provide educational and related services for early childhood, elementary, and secondary education. The Ed Jobs program is authorized in Public Law No. 111-226, which was signed into law on August 10,2010.

The main goal of this program is to put people back to work. Our district will receive approximately $213,000. We received our preliminary allotment on Monday, August 30th. The staff and administration are putting a plan together for board approval, with the main focus on hiring staff to improve student achievement. These dollars may not be spent on supplies/materials or staff training.

Todd Burlingame
PAS Superintendent

2010 Legislative Session

2010-06-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

Some key legislative action as it relates to K-12 Education and funding:

• Budget Bill payment shift at 70 – 30 for the 2010-11 school year
• Modified MS 127A.46 to make state aid payment delays to school districts optional instead of mandatory before the state does short term borrowing.

What does this mean to our district? The payment shift affects our cash flow and the district may have to borrow money to stay in the black. The analogy I like to use is this: you will receive 70% of your salary, yet you have 100% of your bills to pay like car payments, house payment, insurances, and utility bills etc. The district will receive the remaining 30% in the 2011-12 school year. It costs money to borrow money and with the tough economy, this adds additional costs.

MS 127A.46 gives the state the option to delay state aid payment to districts with a fund balance of $700/resident pupil unit. This again has a direct impact on our school as it has a direct impact on our cash flow. This may force the district to create a line of credit or do some short term borrowing, because we do not know if the state will delay our payments, which makes it difficult to budget for.

The next legislative session will be difficult as we will have a new Governor and many new legislators. The state will be looking at a $5.8 billion budget shortfall. There will be numerous tough decisions that will need to be made to correct the State’s financial issues.

Todd Burlingame
PAS Superintendent

Spring Brings Change

2010-03-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

The calendar tells us it’s spring and we have moved our clocks ahead. As the days get longer and warmer, our thoughts turn to the various projects that need to be completed as the school year’s end draws nearer.

Some of our staff members are approaching a new season in their lives as well. The following staff members will be retiring after the completion of this school year: Gary Haglund - 32 years teaching MS/HS Science, Gwynne Nichols -32 years teaching Elementary Special Education, David Rangaard – 26 years teaching Elementary, Jane Hjelle – 29.5 years teaching Elementary Special Education, Lori Asche – 29 years teaching Elementary Special Education, Pat Nelson – 25.5 years teaching MS/HS Special Education, and Diane Dutcher – 25 years teaching Physical Education/Health and Adaptive Physical Education. I would like to personally thank these staff members for their 199 combined years of service and dedication to our students and our community. They have touched many lives and we are all better for it. I wish them much happiness and a long healthy retirement.

A special group of young people that have seen a dozen springs in their educational calendar are now approaching a very important season in their lives with their high school graduation. We can all be proud of the role that we as parents, guardians, and educators have played in raising these children. We wish them all life’s best and hope that they bloom where they are planted by using the tools of their Paynesville Area Schools education.

April marks an important time for our students as they will be taking the MCAII’s tests. Not only must our students pass these very important tests in order to graduate from high school, our school district is also held accountable for the test results. I encourage you to stress to your student how important it is to do their best on these tests. In addition to working hard on the practice tests, students should get a good night’s rest and eat a healthy breakfast for best results.

I would like to congratulate the Bulldog Wrestling team for their 6th place finish at the State Wrestling Tournament. A special thanks to all those who supported the Bulldogs this season; it was great seeing all the students and fans down at the Excel Center. I would also like to congratulate all of our winter coaches and athletes as well as our fine art students and advisors for all of their accomplishments this past winter. I wish our spring coaches, athletes, fine arts advisors and participants a warm, dry and successful season. Studies prove that involvement in extra-curricular activities not only promotes teamwork and increased self-esteem in our athletes, it also brings a community together as coaches and parents demonstrate excellent sportsmanship and camaraderie at the events.

In this newsletter, you will also find the spring calendar. As I mentioned earlier, this is a very busy time of the year filled with many sporting activities and other events like prom, track and field days, testing dates, and field trips. Cut it out and keep it handy on your refrigerator. You can always refer to our calendars on-line at www.paynesvilleschools.com.

Mr. Todd Burlingame
Superintendent

Race To The Top Funding

2010-01-25T12:57:00.000-08:00

On July 24, 2009, President Obama and U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced federal eligibility and competitiveness requirements for states to compete for $4.35 billion in Race to the Top funding, the single largest pool of discretionary funding for education reform in U.S. history. State applications for securing a portion of the $4.35 billion education funding available nationally are due to the federal government by January 19, 2010.

Race to the Top is a highly competitive federal grant program and only 10-15 states will have access to this unprecedented opportunity to improve education and overall achievement for their students. This could mean more than $175 million for Minnesota.

Race to the Top is prompting an historic undertaking with the potential to change the face of education in Minnesota. By investing in state and local systems that will accelerate and drive growth in student achievement, Race to the Top represents an opportunity to engage in the fundamental reforms that are needed to develop our workforce and fuel future innovations.

The development of Minnesota's Race to the Top plan and MOU is an important collaborative effort that is the result of the ongoing work between education leaders across the state. It is important to note that the MOU represents just one piece of the state's application process – the legislature must pass legislation to ensure Minnesota can be highly competitive for this funding. Districts must sign the MOU by January 13, 2010 in order to participate in the grant. The school board and I signed the MOU at our January 12, 2010 regular board meeting.

The selection criteria have 4 primary assurances that compose the overall strategy for Race to the Top.

• Standards and Assessments- adopting internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the workplace.
• Data Systems to Support Instruction- building data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and principals how they can improve their practices.
• Great Teachers and Leaders- recruiting, developing, retraining, and rewarding effective teachers and principals.
• Turning Around the Lowest-Achieving Schools- turning around the persistently lowest-achieving schools.

Todd Burlingame

School Audit Results

2009-12-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

Our 2008-09 audit is complete. The audit shows a total general fund balance of $1,431,100.

What the $1,431,100 includes:
$259,394 reserved for operating capital (general upkeep of our buildings)
$13,122 reserved for staff development (staff training)
-$1,949 adjustment for health and safety
$89,902 Trust Fund
$1,070,631 unreserved/undesignated fund balance
$1,431,100

$360,469 of this amount is restricted, and can only be used for buildings & grounds, health and safety, and staff development expenses. The remaining $1,070,631 unreserved/undesignated funds can be used for general education operating expenses. This $1,070,631 represents just under two months operating expenses, and is a $46,165 decrease from last year’s fund balance.

Audited unreserved/undesignated fund balances over the past 5 years are as follows:

2004-05 $621,321.00
2005-06 $960,146.00 an increase of $338,825.00
2006-07 $1,068,362.00 an increase of $108,216.00
2007-08 $1,116,796.00 an increase of $48,434.00
2008-09 $1,070,631.00 a decrease of $46,165.00

If you have any questions, please email tburlingame@paynesville.k12.mn.us or call 243-3410 extension 1149. Thanks

Todd Burlingame
PAS Superintendent

District Expenditures Per Pupil Unit

2009-10-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

Why are we seeking to revoke and replace our current Operational Levy?

The decision to revoke and replace our current Operational Levy in the amount of $415 per pupil and replace it with $615 for the first two years and $815 for years three through ten was recommended to the school board by the school’s financial committee. The committee consists of the superintendent and three school board members. The board considered the following:
• State funding has not kept up with inflationary costs.
Examples of such costs include building maintenance, fuel and utility costs, salaries and benefit programs, technology, textbooks and supplies
• Declining enrollment.
Fewer students means less revenue.
• Cost of maintaining current academic programs.

Has the District carefully managed our schools?

Yes, the school district has a history of excellent fiscal responsibility. Even with declining enrollment in the past few years, we have continued to provide a quality education and operate in the black. The school district:
- Reduced its expenditures through attrition over the past 5 years.

- Reduced expenditures by $60,000 this past year.

- Will continue to reduce expenditures as
needed due to declining enrollment.

When you compare expenditures on a per pupil basis the Paynesville Area School District is far below the statewide average and below area schools.
School District Expenditures Per Pupil Unit*
Albany…... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,428
Paynesville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,053
Melrose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,066
EVW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,175
Rocori . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .$8,180
NLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …….$8,259
Sauk Centre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..$8,380
Group AVERAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..$8,814
BBE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9,023
ACGC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9,092
Montevideo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9,144
State Average . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9,311
LPGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9,416
LQPV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9,737
YME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,100
Minnewaska. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,349
*Source: FY 2008 Department of Education Profiles

Your school board members and I will be attending various community meetings to review and answer any questions you may have. I will also have information on my blog located on the district website www.paynesvilleschools.com. You may also email me at tburlingame@paynesville.k12.mn.us with any questions. I will have a Sup’s On columns addressing our operation referendum each week as well. You are all invited to attend the public hearing, hosted by the school district, on Monday, October 19th at 7:00 P.M. in the auditorium.

Mr. Burlingame
PAS Superintendent

2009-09-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

Paynesville Area Schools will be seeking voter approval to revoke and replace the current operation referendum on November 3, 2009. The district had passed a 10 year referendum in April 2002 for $415.60 per pupil. This is set to expire in 2013. Due to declining enrollment, increased operation costs and lack of state funding, the board and I have decided to revoke our current $415.60 and replace it with $615.60 or a $200 increase for the first 2 years. Years 3 through 10 it will increase another $200 to $815.60. The state average for current school district referendums is $827. The district has chosen an incremental approach as we realize the current economy is not doing well and are optimistic that it will bounce back soon.

This Sup’s On column will illustrate the comparison of area referendums and where Paynesville falls in the mix. As you can see by the graph below, Paynesville is on the low end in comparison to our neighboring districts and other conference schools.

2009-2010 Referendum Allowance per Resident Pupil Unit
**New London Spicer $398
Albany $405
*Paynesville $416
*Eden Valley Watkins $450
Rocori $472
*Montevideo $507
Minnewaska $632
Group Average $660
Melrose $700
Long Prairie Grey Eagle $700
State Average $827
BBE $838
Yellow Medicine East $984
Sauk Centre $1000
ACGC $1075
Lac Qui Parle Valley $1100

*Going to voters in November to increase their referendum.
** Passed $200 last fall moving NLS to $598 effective next year.

Lack of funding from the state is forcing school districts to ask their local tax payers to assist in funding our schools. In order to remain competitive with neighboring districts by offering programs that will allow us to maintain or increase our enrollment, we must increase our per pupil dollars. Without adequate funding, we may be forced to cut educational or extracurricular activities.

Your school board members and I will be attending various community meetings to review and answer any questions you may have. I will also have information on my blog located on the district website www.paynesvilleschools.com. You may also email me at tburlingame@paynesville.k12.mn.us with any questions. I will have a Sup’s On columns addressing our operation referendum each week as well. You are all invited to attend the public hearing, hosted by the school district, on Monday, October 19th at 7:00 P.M. in the auditorium.

Sincerely,

Todd Burlingame
PAS Superintendent

President Obama's Opening Day Speech

2009-09-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Our district will not be airing the President's speech on the first day of school. The administration and staff will preview the speech and curriculum for content and grade level appropriateness. If the decision is made to show the President's speech later in the week, letters will be sent home to parents giving parents the option to opt their student out of the speech. There will be no consequences for students opting out.

Thanks
Mr. Burlingame

Legislative Summary as it relates to District 741 Finance

2009-06-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

The State legislature, in an effort to balance their budget, cut K-12 education by $500,000,000 or 8.7%. This money is being replaced by the Federal Fiscal Stabilization Funds dollar for dollar for a net change of $0. This is the good news. The bad news is that we are losing $51 per pupil unit of one time money placed on the formula last year and another $55 per pupil unit of one time technology and operating capital money resulting in a loss of $106 per pupil unit. We gain $33 per pupil unit from new legislation passed in 2008, which used to be subtracted from the formula. The adjustments in K-12 funding result in a reduction of $73 per pupil unit. This is an approximate loss of $90,000 in revenue to our district for the 2009-10 school year.
The district will receive additional revenue in the amount of $212,000 in Special Education and $70,000 in the Title programs over the next two years from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, ARRA. Basically, these funds are to help districts with Special Education and Title costs. We will be required to follow the federal guidelines as well as document and report to the state on how these funds will be used. This program is a reimbursable program where we incur the expenditures, pay for them and then get reimbursed. This should help free up some general fund dollars which have previously paid for Special Education and Title expenses. These funds will help the district through these challenging economic times. There are also grants available through the ARRA which we may or may not qualify for. We are waiting for more information from the Minnesota Department of Education.
In continuing his attempt to balance the state’s budget, the Governor has just enacted a 73/27 shift for K-12 education for the 2009-2010 school year. It had previously been set at 90/10. This means the district will receive 73% of its revenue in fiscal year 2010 and the remaining 27% in fiscal year 2011. This may cause a negative cash flow for our district, thus we will do aid anticipation borrowing to prevent any cash flow shortfalls during the year. We still receive our money, just not in the school calendar year and the state is able to utilize the 27% to help offset their budget.
The district just approved the revised 2008-09 budget which is deficit by $189,000 and next year’s budget shows a deficit of $389,000. The district has done a great job building a fund balance over the past 4 years. We are fortunate to have a fund balance as we have been able to use it to cover our budget deficits. With no new revenue coming into the district, we will be asking the voters this fall to revoke and replace our existing operating referendum. We are currently at $415 per pupil unit and looking to move to $615 years 1 and 2 and then $815 in years 3 through 10. Look for more information regarding the referendum this summer and fall. Please contact me at 243-3410 ext 1149 or email tburlingame@paynesville.k12.mn.us with any questions you may have.

Thanks
Mr. Burlingame
PAS Superintendent

H1N1 Virus

2009-04-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

April 30, 2009

Dear Paynesville Area Families:

Yesterday, I sent a note out to report on a probable case of H1N1 in a person connected to the Rocori Middle School. That probability was confirmed this morning when officials from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced that the CDC has identified the virus as H1N1 (swine flu). Health officials have also been careful to report that the individual who was infected was never seriously ill and is now well on the way to recovery. Indeed, all of the steps taken by the MDH and the Rocori school have been purely precautionary. In many ways, the swine flu virus is looking and acting like the kind of influenza that moves through the country every year. What makes this one different, apparently, is that it is a new strain so greater caution is in order.

I was involved in a phone conference call with MDH and Minnesota Department of Education officials late yesterday afternoon. On the line were the superintendents of nearly all of the districts in the immediate vicinity of Rocori. We had the chance to get detailed information regarding swine flu and we were able to ask many of the questions which are coming in to our own school districts. We received the kinds of assurances parents and caregivers would want to have regarding the safety of our children. We were all comforted in the call. The MDH provided an excellent link to us. You can find up to date information at http://education.state.mn.us/mdeprod/groups/communications/documents/announcement/013894.pdf

We will continue to follow the advice of the MDH as we attempt to keep our students on the usual course of studies and activities this spring. In yesterday's message, I highlighted the kinds of common sense procedures we should all follow: wash hands thoroughly and regularly, cover coughs, and stay home when sick. We should all be able to continue to go about our daily lives knowing that state health officials are taking all of the appropriate steps--including making sure schools are informed--to keep people safe. We will continue to count on you to help--and to offer our children ongoing assurances of calm and caring support.

Sincerely,

Todd Burlingame
PAS Superintendent

Parents and Community Members are Cordially Invited

2009-03-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

Please accept this invitation to attend a community meeting and participate in our district’s strategic/visioning process. The meeting will be held Monday, April 13 in our auditorium. We will have coffee and cookies at 6:00 p.m. and move into the auditorium for a sharing of information and ideas at 6:30 p.m. Our ultimate goal is to get a sense of what our community values in our schools.
As members of our community, we value your input and look forward to hearing your thoughts regarding the direction we should be taking in the education of our children. Please visit our website at www.paynesvilleschools.com, and click on the district survey to complete a community member survey. We will also have paper copies located in each office for those not having access to a computer. Surveys will be completed by community members, students, and staff. Results will be compiled and shared on the 13th.
The end result of this process will be a working document which the board and administration can refer to as we move forward providing the best quality education for our students and families.
If you have any questions or comments, or are unable to attend the meeting, please feel free to call me at 320-243-3410 ext. 1149, or email tburlingame@paynesville.k12.mn.us. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the future direction of our district.
Hope to see you on the 13th.
Sincerely,

Todd Burlingame,
Superintendent of Schools

District Looks To Revoke/Replace Referendum

2009-03-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

The board and I have been wrestling with the possibility of having a revoke and replace referendum and have made the decision to hold an election this fall. Our current referendum is $415 per pupil unit. The state average for Minnesota school districts was $850 per pupil unit as of November 2008. Due to lack of funding from the state, districts are being forced to increase their referendum to continue current offerings and programs, or cut programs and services. We have worked hard to build a fund balance of $1,116,796 as of June 2008. This year’s budget is deficit by $352,000 and next year’s preliminary budget is deficit by $600,000. It doesn’t take long to spend down our fund balance with no new dollars from the state. The district is looking at cutting $50,000-$70,000 for the 2009-10 school year. The state is dealing with a $4.6 billion deficit and many people have lost their jobs. The board and I began this discussion last year and had no idea the economy would fall like it has. I do not see any new dollars coming to K-12 education and hopefully we will not see huge reductions in education. The revoke and replace referendum would move our current referendum from $415 to $815 per pupil unit. Due to the economic uncertainty, we are looking at 2 options. Option one would increase incrementally to $815, with years 1 and 2 moving to $615 and years 3 through 10 to $815. This option would increase the referendum by $200 for the first 2 years and another $200 for years 3-10. The other option would move to $815 per year beginning with year one. Agricultural property would pay taxes for the proposed referendum based only on the value of the house, garage and one acre. Seasonal recreational property would pay no taxes for the proposed referendum. For tax impact purposes, I will use $150,000 market value for residential homesteads, apartments, and commercial-industrial property. Moving to $615, or an increase of $200, would increase taxes by $5.08 per month or $61 per year. $815, or an increase of $400, would increase taxes by $10.83 per month or $130 per year. If the district chooses the first option, the tax impact would be $5.08 per month for the first 2 years and then increase another $5.75 for years 3-10. Look for more information regarding the proposed referendum on our website www.paynesvilleschools.com and in the local paper. I would also encourage you to attend the April 13th Community Meeting, and/or contact me at tburlingame@paynesville.k12.mn.us or call 243-3410 ext. 1149 with any questions.

Thanks
Mr. Burlingame

Perspective Website Helps Students and Parents with Testing and Learning

2009-02-22T11:12:00.000-08:00

The MN Department of Education (MDE) requires that students, beginning in grade 3, participate in the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment – Series II (MCA-II). These tests measure your child’s progress in the Minnesota Academic Standards. The MDE has introduced a learning tool to coincide with these assessments.

There is a FREE website called www.perspectiveforfamilies.com that has worksheets, games, and other activities to help students improve their skills based on their MCA-II results. Just type in one of the Learning Locators from your child’s MCA-II Student Report and it will pull up games, assignments, and activities specifically designed for your student’s learning levels based on the MN Academic Standards. You may also use this site without the Learning Locator. Just go to the website and choose the activities you’d like to try.

This is a great way to get your kids to use the computer for fun activities that support their learning. These activities are directly linked to the state standards for reading, math, and science.

Stay tuned for announcements about upcoming parent/family workshops on using Perspective for Families. Questions may be directed to our principals Lorie Floura and Deb Gillman.

Mr. Burlingame

PAS Superintendent

Paynesville Area School Financial Picture

2008-12-05T13:04:00.000-08:00

We just completed our 2007-08 audit. The results were favorable once again. As of June 30, 2008 the district had a general fund balance of $1,116,796. This is the unreserved/undesignated account which represents about 2 months operating revenue. Our fund balance increased by $33,282 this past year.

We are in the process of revising the current year budget now that our audit is complete. We are looking at a deficit budget of approximately $350,000. The board will consider approving the revised budget at the December 16th board meeting. We hope to control our expenses, get good rates on our investments, and maintain our enrollment which will help the bottom line come June 2009.

We are still experiencing declining enrollment, but see it stabilizing in the near future at around 1000 students. Enrollment is a critical factor in determining revenue, as it accounts for ~90% of the general fund revenue.

We are also beginning the process of putting together the 2009-10 budget. We will be negotiating employee contracts set to expire in June of 2009. This, combined with several variables such as legislative funding, enrollment, and operating costs will make the budget process a challenge. The district is fortunate to have a fund balance at the present time as this will help during these tough economic times.
This is a K-12 education funding session for the legislature. They will determine the amount of funding for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years. The state is looking at a 5.2 million dollar deficit. I don’t see any new money coming to education, which means the district will be looking at making adjustments and/or reductions for the upcoming school years. Our school board, administration, and elected legislative officials will have to make tough decisions which will affect all of us.

Thanks
Todd Burlingame
PAS Superintendent

Bypass

2008-11-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

The bypass alone will not have much impact in my opinion on our enrollment. My hope is that the bypass will attract new businesses to our community which will have a positive effect on the school system as well as our community. The school system is one part of the community along with location. It takes businesses, health care, recreation opportunities, housing and a good school system to attract new families. I believe Paynesville is a great location as we are 30 minutes from Willmar and St. Cloud. We are only 90 minutes from Minneapolis/St. Paul. Paynesville also is located next to Lake Koronis which is a huge asset. To answer the comment I would say the bypass will have a positive effect on our community and school system.
Thanks
Mr. Burlingame

October 2008 Blog- Enrollment

2008-10-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

District 741 Enrollment

Student enrollment for the 2008-09 school year is better than projected. As of October 1st, 1036 students are enrolled in our district and our projected attendance was 1030 students. This was a pleasant surprise for us. As you know families are getting smaller; consequently, our enrollment continues to decline. I have attached an enrollment projection sheet which shows actual enrollment from 2005 through 2008 as well as projections through 2015.

Student enrollment projection is not an exact science. More variety in educational choices today present enrollment challenges for school districts. The following numbers reveal some of the alternatives available to Paynesville Area residents. High School students have the opportunity to attend college instead of attending our high school. We currently have one student in the PSEO (Post Secondary Education Option) program full time and 4 students part time taking a class or two. The district is in our first year of offering online classes through Infinity. Infinity allows students to take high school courses as well as college classes on line. We currently have 18 students in this program. This program allows the district to provide class offerings we may not be able to due to monetary restrictions and is a win win for our students. It also allows the district to retain students who may be looking at the PSEO option. Home schooling, another option for parents, has 17 students enrolled. Presently, five students are enrolled in private schools such as the parochial schools in Richmond and Willmar.

Alternative Learning Centers allow students to receive their high school diploma in a less traditional setting. We currently have 7 students attending ALC’s for different reasons. Open enrollment also plays a big part in our student enrollment figures. We have 115 students who reside in neighboring districts attending our schools. We also have 87 Paynesville resident students going to neighboring districts.

When family mobility is added to this mix of choices for students and parents, enrollment projection becomes a juggling act. As student enrollment is directly related to funding, the business of education has become more competitive. Paynesville Area Schools continually strives to provide the best possible education for our students with the limited resources provided to us. We are fortunate to be able to offer an excellent balance of both academics and extra- curricular activities for our district’s students.

Todd Burlingame