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Tonight's School Board meeting will feature the presentation of the proposed 2009 LCPS operating budget by our superintendent, Dr. Hatrick. Two weeks ago he presented a proposed capital improvements plan (CIP), and the next month features several meetings on each, evenings and Saturday mornings. If you have a concern about the school budget, whether it's something you think needs adequate funding or something you think gets too much funding, now is the time to let me know and email is the best medium.
Also tonight, three of my colleagues will join me in proposing changes to the School Board Bylaws that, if passed, will affect the way our meetings are conducted in the future. The biggest change will be to hold one regular School Board meeting at each Loudoun County High School each year. There are other Virgina School Boards that do this with great results. While we'll be pushing Board members and senior staff out of our comfort zone at the Admin building, I think that the benefits outweigh the potential inconveniences.
It is my hope that holding alternate School Board meetings at High Schools instead of in the Admin building we will:
- Make the meetings more accessible to the public by holding them closer to home in a familiar building
- Generate interest among High School students about how they can influence how their schools operate, and how the decisions of the community affect them
- Make Board members more familiar with the High School clusters in different areas of the County (I envision each meeting in a High School beginning with a short presentation and welcome by the Principal).
2 Comments:
Great ideas all! I'm glad that the Board is being proactive to make its activities more accessible to the public.
Yes, excellent initiatives. I hope you have majority support. Hopefully the live webcast can be preserved for meetings held at high schools. Anything you can do to increase public (and student) awareness and involvement, as well as government transparency, is good. While I understand recognitions for staff and students are important, if additional time is needed for these events, then another date would be appropriate so they get the attention they deserve AND the School Board can focus on their top priority (business) during their meetings. Otherwise, on many occasions some of the most important decisions and associated discussions are delayed until very late when understandably energy and patience are limited.
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