Dear Parents,
This past Monday evening the Unit 10 Board of Education heard a presentation on reducing costs in the Education Fund and Transportation Fund. As you are aware the state has been cutting revenue to schools across the state, including Unit 10. The transportation study could impact school boundary and attendance centers. Two options were presented that would save the district money. Option one would adjust school attendance boundaries by focusing on sending students to schools closest to their home while balancing class size across the district. One bus route would be eliminated saving approximately $50,000.
Option two is more ambitious. It would entail turning Twin Echo School into an Early Childhood & Pre-School Center. Kindergarten through 4th grade from Twin Echo would be sent to the following schools: Caseyville, Webster, Summit and a few to Jefferson and Renfro. Substantial staff savings, estimated to be $305,000, would be realized with another $100,000 savings in transportation costs. Portable buildings at Twin Echo would no longer be needed.
Detailed maps showing all current school boundaries and proposed changes for both options are available by clicking on the purple link above.
An additional fact for you to consider is that Unit 10 currently buses 5% of our elementary students outside of their home area; Changing the school boundaries can result in additional savings by eliminating the need to use buses to transfer students from one school to another due to overcrowding at the home school.
The School Board intends to hold a special meeting soliciting input in January, 2013. The date, time, and location are still to be determined. It is the School Board’s intention to provide as much information as possible as they work through the budget crisis our school district faces.
Sincerely,
Robert E. Green, Ed.D.
Superintendent