Key Communique

By a unanimous vote, the Jeffco Public Schools’ Board of Education has approved a nearly one billion dollar budget for the 2007-2008 school year. The community engaged in the budget process through a series of forums held in the spring. Citizen stakeholder groups also reviewed the $967,091,600 budget and gave input. The district once again used the “Budgeting for Results” process that was implemented last year. It creates a balanced budget that requires district leadership to align resources, services and structures with the core mission of increasing the achievement of every student. Hoping to address some of the teacher concerns over workload, the 2007-08 district budget includes $750,000 for extra paraprofessionals in elementary schools.

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Several well-known members of the Jefferson County community are being honored by having preschools named for them. At its June 14 meeting, the Board of Education approved the naming of the former Fruitdale Preschool to the Norma Anderson Preschool. Anderson served as a Jefferson County representative in both houses of the Colorado State Legislature for nearly 20 years and was actively involved in public education issues. The dedication for the new school is scheduled for Thursday, October 25 from 8-9 a.m.

The former Tanglewood Preschool will be named the John and Karen Litz Preschool. Karen Litz, who recently passed away, served as a member of the Board of Education from 1999 – 2003. She was re-elected for another term but was unable to serve the term for health reasons. John Litz is a long-standing member of the Jefferson County Open Space Advisory Committee. The dedication for the John and Karen Litz Preschool will be held on Thursday, November 1 from 8-9 a.m.

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According to a report published by the journal Education Week, Jeffco Public Schools had an 81.5 percent graduation rate in 2003-04 – the third highest of the 50 largest school districts in the country. The district however, reports a 76.3 percent graduation rate. The disparity in the two numbers points to the difficulty school districts have in clearly and consistently reporting graduation rates. The Education Week report used a formula very different from the way the Colorado Department of Education calculates graduation rates. The CDE graduation rate is calculated by using the number of students who actually graduate as a percent of those who were enrolled and could have graduated over a four-year period (i.e., from Grades 9-12). If you want more information on how graduation rates are calculated, please see the CDE Web site. The State Board of Education, per Senate Bill 05-091, enacted rules which take effect this school year in an effort to reduce the inconsistencies in the calculation of graduation rates.

Weber Elementary fire damage estimated at $6.5 million

A two-alarm arson fire damaged 50 percent of Weber Elementary School in Arvada this month causing an estimated $6.5 million in damages. There is extensive smoke, fire and water damage to the core of the school building, including the library, computer room and classrooms. The cleanup efforts have begun at Weber Elementary removing soot throughout the school, cleaning up classrooms, replacing portions of the roof and salvaging books in the library. A suspect remains in custody of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Dept. on a $50,000 bond. The Arvada Fire Dept. is still seeking information about the fire on the Arson Tip Line at 1-877-89-ARSON (27766). The Arson Tip Line is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Those who provide information about whoever started the fire are eligible for up to a $5,000 cash award.

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Jefferson Foundation present board with year-end check

The Jefferson Foundation provided the Jeffco Schools board of education with a check for $401,886 at the Thursday, June 14 board meeting. The check represented the 2006-07 funding for programs and projects, classroom grants, student scholarships and event sponsorships. The Foundation has served as an ambassador for the district for the past 24 years. Some of the Foundation’s community funding and participation highlights for the year include:

 Second Wind Fund
 Serving Kids
 Computer for Kids
 Student scholarships
 Student and Teacher Hero
 Colorado Kids Marathon Miler’s
 Support Education License Plate
 Sharing the Stars” Crystal Ball
 Eat for Education
 The West Chamber’s Links for Learning program and the Youth Leadership Jefferson County program

What additional information would you be interested in about the Jefferson Foundation?

Upcoming Board of Education meetings