MONROE - School administrators have their priorities in line when it comes to the budget for next school year.
The Monroe school district administrative team has reviewed its budget priority list for the 2009-2010 school year. Administrators review instructional and budget priorities throughout the year as one of the district's objectives for effective budget management.
Superintendent Larry Brown shared the priority list with the Monroe school board Monday.
The 2009-2010 priority list includes:
1. Maintain the K-5 instructional facilitator position. Cost: $85,000. The position, held by Gail Murray, was added to the budget for this school year, and the district would like to make the position permanent. Murray functions as a teacher coach; coaches are a "highly effective tool for enhancing instruction and pupil achievement," according to the priority list.
2. Adding a fifth-grade teacher. Cost: $60,000. An additional fifth-grade teacher would help equalize class size among next year's fifth-grade sections throughout the district, reducing the need to force fifth-graders to transfer to a different school for their last year of elementary education.
3. Gifted and Talented Resource staff at each building. Cost: $12,500. GT resource staff would help with programming ideas in conjunction with the district's GT coordinator. Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jennifer Thayer said parents have expressed a strong desire to have GT staff in each building.
4. Adding to the supply budget at the elementary schools and Monroe Middle School. Cost: $40,000 ($10,000 per building). Supply budgets have been frozen for several years, even though the cost of supplies has continued to increase. Business Administrator Ron Olson said the district "is really feeling the pinch at the elementary level," where a large portion of supply budgets are used for photocopying expenses. Monroe High School Principal Mark Burandt has said the MHS budget is sufficient for now, and no increase is needed immediately.
5. Curriculum chairpersons. Cost: $30,000. The district would use one curriculum chairperson per elementary school, Thayer said. For grades 6-12, one curriculum chair could oversee more than one area. Chairpeople would provide modeling and coaching for instructional staff.
An additional priority item, the position of a 6-12 instructional facilitator position, is not being recommended at this time. While administrators identify it as a "potential need and a positive resource for our staff," it is not a high priority.
Other possibilities for 2009-2010
1. English Language Learning: The district may need to hire an additional EEL teacher and/or aide, if the district has more non-English speaking students entering the district.
2. Virtual school teachers/administrator: Although the open enrollment period is over for next year, the district won't know exactly what Monroe Virtual School staffing needs are until next fall when final students numbers are tallied. "We won't have a clear picture of it for a while yet," Olson said, noting the number of students may surpass the need for a part-time administrator. Cory Hirsbrunner serves as principal of the Virtual School, as well as principal of Northside Elementary School.
3. Additional kindergarten teacher. Initial numbers show a large kindergarten class - 180 students - for next year, Olson said. That's up from this year's class of 140. Final enrollment numbers will determine if the additional teacher is needed, Olson said.
The Monroe school district administrative team has reviewed its budget priority list for the 2009-2010 school year. Administrators review instructional and budget priorities throughout the year as one of the district's objectives for effective budget management.
Superintendent Larry Brown shared the priority list with the Monroe school board Monday.
The 2009-2010 priority list includes:
1. Maintain the K-5 instructional facilitator position. Cost: $85,000. The position, held by Gail Murray, was added to the budget for this school year, and the district would like to make the position permanent. Murray functions as a teacher coach; coaches are a "highly effective tool for enhancing instruction and pupil achievement," according to the priority list.
2. Adding a fifth-grade teacher. Cost: $60,000. An additional fifth-grade teacher would help equalize class size among next year's fifth-grade sections throughout the district, reducing the need to force fifth-graders to transfer to a different school for their last year of elementary education.
3. Gifted and Talented Resource staff at each building. Cost: $12,500. GT resource staff would help with programming ideas in conjunction with the district's GT coordinator. Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jennifer Thayer said parents have expressed a strong desire to have GT staff in each building.
4. Adding to the supply budget at the elementary schools and Monroe Middle School. Cost: $40,000 ($10,000 per building). Supply budgets have been frozen for several years, even though the cost of supplies has continued to increase. Business Administrator Ron Olson said the district "is really feeling the pinch at the elementary level," where a large portion of supply budgets are used for photocopying expenses. Monroe High School Principal Mark Burandt has said the MHS budget is sufficient for now, and no increase is needed immediately.
5. Curriculum chairpersons. Cost: $30,000. The district would use one curriculum chairperson per elementary school, Thayer said. For grades 6-12, one curriculum chair could oversee more than one area. Chairpeople would provide modeling and coaching for instructional staff.
An additional priority item, the position of a 6-12 instructional facilitator position, is not being recommended at this time. While administrators identify it as a "potential need and a positive resource for our staff," it is not a high priority.
Other possibilities for 2009-2010
1. English Language Learning: The district may need to hire an additional EEL teacher and/or aide, if the district has more non-English speaking students entering the district.
2. Virtual school teachers/administrator: Although the open enrollment period is over for next year, the district won't know exactly what Monroe Virtual School staffing needs are until next fall when final students numbers are tallied. "We won't have a clear picture of it for a while yet," Olson said, noting the number of students may surpass the need for a part-time administrator. Cory Hirsbrunner serves as principal of the Virtual School, as well as principal of Northside Elementary School.
3. Additional kindergarten teacher. Initial numbers show a large kindergarten class - 180 students - for next year, Olson said. That's up from this year's class of 140. Final enrollment numbers will determine if the additional teacher is needed, Olson said.