By Jo Ann L. Groeger
The Board of Education had a mini retreat on March 6 in the high school library to examine the school district’s current goals. We are in the last year of our five year plan. The board will continue to rely on community input developing our next strategic plan. Business administrator/secretary Tom Eldridge presented a proactive budget prioritizing maintenance and our district goals. I am happy to report the budget is below the 2 percent cap. The budget will be presented again at the April 9 board meeting.
On the legislative side, a Senate bill mandates screening for dyslexia and other reading disabilities at an early age when students display signs of reading disability.
Remember attending elementary school holiday shows or award assemblies at the intermediate, middle or high schools and being uncomfortably hot? A state awarded Regular Operating District Grant (ROD) will soon make that a thing of the past. The ROD Grant enables the district to air condition the multipurpose rooms in each elementary school and intermediate school and auditoriums in Lawrence Middle and High schools. Additionally, the weight and exercise rooms at Lawrence High will be air conditioned.
If your son or daughter will be 5-years old on or before Oct. 1, 2014, they will be eligible to begin Kindergarten this fall as a member of the Class of 2027. Registration is now open and can be done online at registration.ltps.org/ezregistration.html or by contacting Theresa Amendola at (609) 671-5453.
Have you toyed with the idea of becoming a part of shaping the Lawrence Township School District and our students? Now’s the time to act and run for a seat on the Lawrence Township School Board. With the change to hold elections in November, the new filing deadline to be a candidate on the 2014 ballot is July 2 . Please consider joining our team; it’s rewarding to be involved and active with the school board.
To encourage communication between board members and the community, I will add the “Ask a Board Member” corner to this column. Please forward a question or a topic you’d like discussed, and if time permits, I’ll read it at a board meeting! Please direct correspondence to askaboardmember@ltps.org.
Jo Ann L. Groeger is a member of the Lawrence Board of Education. Her email is jgroeger@ltps.org.
