Friday, February 8, 2013
SECURITY UPDATE: Rockwood School District administrators recommended five new safety initiatives at Thursday's Board of Education meeting; the measures and corresponding budget adjustment were unanimously approved.
Rockwood School District parent and Wildwood resident Nancy Robinson asked Board of Education directors at Thursday's board meeting to consider securing a police officer for every Rockwood school building. She said 20 Rockwood schools still need an officer, which consists of 19 elementaries and an early childhood center. She also said she spoke to some attendees after last week's Safe Schools Partnership meeting to "get their take," because it wasn't open to the public. For Patch post-meeting coverage of that regional safety event, read: Intruder Disarmament Training Offered to School Districts Around St. Louis "Many feel the best way to have safety is to have an officer in each building. We welcome that, if it’s truly the best way to keep…
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Part 2: Get sneak preview of new findings prior to presentation to Rockwood School District's board of directors Thursday evening. Administrators say district still will be in deficit spending for FY 2014. Safety needs top list of patron support.
Editor's Note: Part 1 of this article previously was published this week as 'Picture Rockwood' Feedback Summarized. That article highlighted findings based on telephone surveys conducted last month. This article continues with other information classified as "key findings" from the entire community engagement process began in September. Picture Rockwood co-chairs will present their recommendations during Thursday's (Jan. 10) Board of Education directors' meeting. The qualitative and quantitative feedback indicated the community-at-large is not ready to move forward with all of the district's stated priorities, but the current focus is on some of the priorities. Rockwood School District Finances' Summary Points from Monday's Public Session…
Friday, December 14, 2012
LAST CHANCE TO SUBMIT FEEDBACK: For many years, Rockwood School District leaders have used bond funds to pay for ongoing maintenance. But that source of funding came to abrupt halt once the April bond issue failed.
Is Rockwood School District's financial future really a case of comparing "apples and oranges"? It was lately, with today (Friday, Dec. 14) being the last day to submit feedback regarding the district's situational and strategic comparison—all while facing a $5.1 million budget deficit. After comparing the proposed apple versus orange pictures, or scenarios that resulted from the past several months of a community engagement initiative, of Rockwood's potential future, feedback can be submitted a variety of ways: Both Apple and Orange pictures/scenarios include the district eliminating about $1 million from the operating budget for the coming school year. But, the proposals suggest tax increases that would raise revenue over that of the …
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Now through Dec. 14, Rockwood School District taxpayers have opportunity to share feedback via telephone survey or online feedback form regarding final summaries chosen to guide district's future strategic direction.
The future direction of Missouri's third largest school district now pivots around two visionary "pictures," which actually are recaps of outcomes based on specific assumptions, revenues and expenditures. A multimonth community engagement process to shape Rockwood School District's strategies moving forward has peaked, and district officials will host the final workshop of the process during the first week of January as they move from Phase 1 to 2 of this overall project. Details of the so-called district "pictures" were supposed to capture broad strategies, not specific action plans, said Rockwood representatives when the project was initiated in October, after Rockwood Board of Education directors approved the project in July. Background…
Friday, June 8, 2012
VIDEO: Rockwood School District administrators and board of directors say Missouri formula funding level is not enough, but it could have been worse.
Compared to some other Missouri districts, Rockwood School District representatives are quick to remind that state legislator-related funding could have been less for the upcoming school year. Rockwood chief financial officer Shirley Broz said Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) funding for the coming year is only a $1 million additional swing of Rockwood's approximate 2012 $200 million annual budget. "It's a small percentage of what is needed to run Rockwood," she said. However, Broz said, given the overall state funding circumstances, it could have been much worse for the district. Rockwood School District will receive another $540,742 for the 2013 school year from the state funding formula, based on current …
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Any potential bond language to be on an April 3 ballot must be certified by Jan. 24. Board of education directors need to decide about the bond issue at the Jan. 19 meeting.
Presentations from three Rockwood School District departments at Rockwood's board of education meeting Thursday night led to board directors again discussing the possibility of placing a bond on the April 3 ballot. "For the Rockwood District, we do rely on a bond to be issued every two years, said Dennis Griffith, Rockwood's assistant superintendent/director of administrative services in a presentation Thursday evening. "We can argue about it, but that is where we are. Whether things change in that avenue going down the road, I don’t know." Griffith summarized points from a Rockwood bond issue committee meeting held Jan. 3. Another bond issue committee meeting is scheduled for Jan. 17. "We'll be here on Jan. 19 at the next board of …
Monday, July 25, 2011
One Rockwood School District taxpayer submits a few observations and opinions to one of the board of education directors about views on wise budget spending practices. He also submitted it to Patch.
TO: Matt Fitzpatrick Rockwood School District board member, I noticed on the RSD site under school board members your position on spending money wisely was: "Having been a school board member in a much poorer demographic, I know how important it is to be responsible with people's tax dollars. With little affiliation to any school committee or organization, I offer a fresh unbiased approach towards board governance. After all, board members do not just represent parents of Rockwood School children, but every citizen in the district. As a taxing authority, school boards owe it to the public to see that tax dollars are spent properly in providing the children of this district with a safe learning environment, and a sound curriculum". My …
Jeanna Benny
1:59 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
Thank you taxpayers, parents, and Rockwood Board of Directors. The Tally for the 5 steps is practical, needed, and consists of well made choices for the safety of the Rockwood Community. The breakdown of the cost is needed for transparency and it gives a true reflection of how we are committing and putting our tax dollars to work for a top priority of safety. Tim (CFO), thank you for the … more ›