LSAT Minutes
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Present for the meeting: Chris Cebrzynski, Mary Eckstein, Emily Kallaur, Megan Lavin, Adam Riggs, Jen Stark, Maurice Werner, Lauren Miller, Vicki Otten, Lauren Reed
Minutes from November meeting were approved
Principal Cebrzynski began the discussion on the 2018-2019 budget.
- There will be an earlier start to the process this year
- This is an important year for us; we need to shape a budget that allows us an easy transition into the new building and paves the road for a number of initiatives in the coming years.
- We need to create an avenue for parents to be more engaged and actively involved. Can we come up with a vehicle to have more parent input – a way to more actively engaged parents in the process than we have been able to do in years past?
- Moving into the new school we have the opportunity to do some things we haven’t been able to do before; we have a variety of budget decisions that we need to make in coming months
- Everyone to know why decisions are being made, what the decisions are
- Important to set up budget that not only meets Chancellor’s goals but also the goals we have set up for the Murch school community
Budget Timeline:
Enrollment projections: December 8th: either accept that or go back with another figure
Projections finalized late December/early January by downtown
Chancellor will open up the budget process based on funding that is available
Typically the budget submission in early March; usually schools have about one week to turn the process around
School timeline:
Wednesday, December 13th: the information from the teacher sessions that was shared with the LSAT will be shared with ALT – the school leadership team.
At the ALT meeting following the one next week, the leadership team will create a plan of action that administration and staff will follow: this will be presented at the January staff meeting.
The group then discussed the process: what does the process look like to create high levels of engagement of parents in the budget process? A number of different alternatives were considered including a budget forum, small discussion or focus groups and a survey. All agreed that with the importance of this year’s budget process and the time line crunch, we need to create a sense of urgency about the need for parent input.
The group decided that one of the most effective way to ensure widespread parent involvement was to create a survey that would be done by students and parents together. The survey will go home in Friday Folders on January 12th. A letter will be drafted by Administration and LSAT members explaining the budget and setting forth the priorities for the next school year.
A survey will be developed that focuses on thematic areas, gives specific options for spending and asks parents to assess where they would like money to go. Completed surveys must be in by January 30th. There will be several initiatives created to support the need for parents to complete the survey.
Here is the breakdown of activities on which LSAT members will work in the coming weeks.
- Developing questions – 10 thematic areas; synthesis of Ward 3 document (Emily, Lauren M, Vicki, Lauren R)
- Handout – one pager on what the process is (Sophie and Jen)
- Communications strategy to build the urgency needed
- Good incentive for the class that wins
- Robo calls? Through HSA newsletter
- Communications to class reps to chase this process: (HSA via Maurice)
- Setting up the survey (Adam and Mary)
SCHOOL NURSE Update: DCPS and the Department of Health have agreed that all DCPS schools will have a registered nurse in the school building for 40 hours a week for the next school year beginning August, 2018. Now the money needs to be requested by the Mayor and approved by the City Council.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Vicki Otten