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
School community chairpersons of Rockwood School District's Picture Rockwood Facilitating Committee on Wednesday said most everyone they interact with indicates they are surprised at the district's circumstance and financial shortfalls.
Rockwood School District's "Picture Rockwood" Facilitating Committee members huddled with back-to-back groups Wednesday evening to convey the status of a recent series of community engagement workshops, and to address new questions. With the Jan. 22 deadline to place a tax proposal on the April 2, 2013, ballot looming, they told Patch they realize there is not a lot of time to help others understand this engagement process. But they also said they are committed to reaching as many people as possible, and that they hope the majority of district residents will participate in this next feedback phase before they make a presentation to the Rockwood Board of Education directors on Jan. 10. Picture Rockwood focuses on a state-of-the-district …
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, July 15, 2011
Market research pros delivered preliminary results to Rockwood school board members at Thursday's board meeting. They said the data does not support a tax increase.
"The odds are not with you at the moment for patrons' support for a tax increase." That was the conclusion from UNICOM-ARC market researcher Rod Wright, who delivered results from a June survey of Rockwood School District residents to directors at Thursday's board of education meeting. Rockwood board president Steve Smith said while he had utmost respect for Wright and UNICOM, the board had called upon the market research firm "for advice, but not to make decisions" for the board. "You have given us very meaningful advice. When we had to make the decision about putting a tax increase on a November ballot, we only had the October 2010 survey results," said Smith. "These (new) results are better in some respects, and do not necessarily point…
Mark Schmiedeskamp
8:06 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
Rockwoods needs more money? My what a surprise. I wish I could understand how renovating fields and installing artificial turf has anything to do with academics. Maybe Borchers should hire another of his "consultant" cronies to explain the connection. more ›