Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/author/alan-addley-ed-d/)
Last year the district established a community School Start Times Taskforce to study the impact of different school start times on students’ wellness and academic performance and to assess the feasibility of implementing new start times for all Granby schools.
On March 6, I will present the FY20 Administrative Budget to the Board of Education. The budget is a spending plan that is responsive to the needs of the district, a Board of Finance budget guideline of 4 percent, a huge State budget deficit, and a proposed Governor’s budget that reduces $254K in State educational funding to Granby.
Over the years, in response to the significant economic challenges, the district has taken steps to reduce its budget by realizing line-item efficiencies and closing a school.
February is not only budget season on the school calendar but it is also the start of the legislative session at the State Capitol. It promises to be another challenging season as a new governor and legislature work to address a $2 billion budget deficit in 2020, followed by a $2.4 billion deficit in 2021.
This past week Granby Memorial High School hosted its 10-year New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation visit. The high school staff did a terrific job preparing for this important school improvement visit.
The summer flew by and school started a week earlier this year, breaking the tradition of starting after Labor Day. By the time this article is published, teachers will have returned to work and received professional development training and students will have already had a week of classes.
The Granby Board of Education (BOE) recently charged the Superintendent of Schools to conduct an administrative study to explore the impact of different school start times on students’ wellness and academic performance and to assess the feasibility of the implementation of new start times for all Granby schools. In Connecticut, school districts such as Greenwich, Wilton, Guilford, West Hartford, and Simsbury have implemented, or are currently exploring, new start times.
The February mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, resulting in the senseless loss of 17 lives was another tragic event for public education and the nation. It is a sad day when any superintendent of schools cannot 100 percent guarantee the safety of students and staff in school.