Reflecting on last week’s vote; looking ahead to snow

When the Lincoln Board of Education voted last week to select the current site at 5901 O st. for rebuilding Lincoln Public Schools District Offices, I had a great sense of relief. After many months of planning and deliberating, the School Board came to a thoughtful, reasoned decision. But it was a decision that didn’t come easily. I believe the final vote was a vote for familiarity and convenience – over a vote that was more about dollars. While proceeds from the possible sale of the existing site would have gone a long way toward helping us address facility needs, the School Board decided on the reasonable compromise of rebuilding at the original site – while also selling a portion of that site’s corner property. Plans are aggressively underway so that we can meet the targeted opening for a new District Office building by the summer of 2013.

The surprise “NOREASTER” that recently hit the east coast has prompted snow day conversation. I have jokingly told people that I don’t intend to call school off this year. In reality, we may be facing a tough winter so it is best to be prepared. We will again strive to make the decision as early as we can – if possible, before the 10 p.m. news. However, in the event we don’t have enough information by then, we will send out the announcement before 6 a.m. that morning. We understand that parents and staff have to make plans for a possible snow day, but we also want to ensure that any days of instruction that we miss are justified.

Ideally, we would never take a day for snow. But in the event we do, our employees at LPS are urged to understand the difference between a school closure (students and teachers are off but all other employees report), and a district closure (all buildings are closed and only maintenance personnel report).

Finally, I would note that the State Board of Education meets next week and will disclose the dreaded “Persistently Low Achieving” lists. While we know that several of our schools will be in that category, we also know that there is great, ongoing work taking place in our schools to improve our teaching and learning. I am encouraged by the aggressive responses taken by our leaders and staff as they seek ways to provide effective learning opportunities for populations of children with high needs.

Looking forward, the holiday season is fast approaching and with it comes the colder weather that impacts so many of our lower income families. I am incredibly proud of our LPS employees for their generosity in giving to the United Way, the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools, the Lincoln Food Bank’s BackPack Program, and many other worthy organizations. We are making a significant difference in the lives of many.

Steve