Dear Kent Community Members,

You may recall that exactly one year ago we sent home to you our “FOCUS” newsletter issue dated Winter, 2010. This issue emphasized that we were “Stretching Our Bottom Line!” with cost-savings measures. Among the savings discussed were:

1.     Base salary freezes for all employees in 2010-2011 (our current school year),
2.     “Across the board” reductions of 5% in all equipment and supply accounts,
3.     Energy conservation program accumulating savings of $1.3 million in 6 years,
4.     Consolidating and reducing some staff positions, and
5.     Changing health care networks to achieve cost savings for employees and the district.

We were able to achieve over $1 million in savings per year for the next five years. These savings were achieved while we maintained the small class sizes that parents expect from us.

Our recent October Community Survey reported that 67.8% of all community members believe that Kent Schools are fiscally responsible with your tax dollars. You may find many more survey results posted on our district Web site at: www.kentschools.net. Read more »

November, 2010

Dear Kent Community Members,

It’s hard to believe that fall weather has turned to colder and snowy conditions. With the anticipation of changing temperatures, I want to inform you of the conditions we examine for school closings in the event of inclement weather or any other calamity sanctioned by Ohio law.

We base our decisions on the simple premise of “safety first” for your children–our students. Three conditions fly in the face of that principle. First, when temperatures drop into the teens and single digits, we watch the wind chill factor, which often carries single-digit temperatures into negative degrees. Second, when heavy snows create unsafe conditions for bus travel, Jim Soyars, our Director of Business Services, travels the roads in the very early morning hours to determine driving conditions. He also contacts a variety of sources, such as the Kent Police Department, Ohio Highway Patrol, the Internet, and so on, in order to assist me with the final decision. Third, we look at the depth of snow or extent of ice on city sidewalks. Several feet of snow can make it impossible for the little legs of first and second graders to forge a path from home to school.

If these factors or any combination of them occur, I likely will call-off schools by sending a parent broadcast by phone to all households. The range of times of this decision could be any time between the previous evening and the next morning before 6:30 AM, when the school busses start to roll. You also may consult with your local television news stations. As always, I approve as an “excused absence” any parent’s decision to keep a child at home on days that schools remain open when a parent disagrees with my decision. Please call my office (330-676-7610) if you have questions.

Sincerely,

Dr. Joe Giancola

Superintendent

Below you will find links to the Surveys conducted in October:

December, 2010

Dear Kent Community Members,

The month of December is packed with many school activities, and a letter like this one has insufficient space for a complete list. Generally, I would like to point you in the direction of our 2010-2011 School Calendar for many scheduled events such as concerts, programs, and meetings. Also, you may check our district Web site at www.kentschools.net for more information.

Speaking of our Web site, I want to inform you of a new feature article posted at the top of our home page. The 2010 October Survey results have now been completed! These results are posted at www.kentschools.net in the following manner:

• Kent State’s random-sample community survey results (comprised of:)

• Percents of community members who responded to survey questions in one way or another,
• Verbatim comments made by survey participants responding to questions,

and

• Kent City Schools’ parent survey, sent home with your children (comprised of:)

• Percents of parents who responded to survey questions in one way or another. Read more »