DOLLAR DAZE IV - SHUT OFF THE SYPHON

OUT OF DISTRICT TUITION - $8,000,000
TRANSPORTATION               -$2.5,000,000
TOTAL                                         $10.5,000,000 

Let those numbers sink into you for a moment. Now the TOTAL 2016 budget is only $136,000,000. So that works out to be about 8% of the ENTIRE budget spent on somewhere around 150 kids that must be sent elsewhere because LPS can not provide them with the REASONABLE and APPROPRIATE education that they are entitled to by law.

This cost is roughly the same year after year.It just seems to me  for that amount of money we could be developing our own programs where we save and recapture some of that money. Not to mention, everybody feels more comfortable at home.

Now I wish I could take credit for this idea but honestly it wasn't my original thought. Outgoing LSC member RICK STARBARD has been sing this song for a few years. Looking at the numbers for the past few years, it appears that no one at LPS cared much for the music.

DOLLAR DAZE IV - SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW

LPS budgets $68,000 for a READING teacher at ST. PIUS and $31,000 for a PARA at SACRED HEART. How is this legal you may ask?

It is, I guess, because it is paid for out of TITLE 1  grant money and ell all you got to be is poor and money from this grant follows the student whether it's LPS, a private school, or that quasi-public one called KIPP.

CONGRATULATIONS, BUT.........

	The superintendent is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Mary Panagopoulos as the newPRINCIPAL of the Sewell-Anderson Elementary School. Effective July 1, 2015, Ms. Panagopoulos will replace Ms. Patricia Mallett who willRETIRE at the end of the school year after serving the Lynn Public Schools for over 40 years, the last nine as the principal of Sewell-Anderson School.

Ms. Panagopoulos, a Lynn resident and graduate of the Lynn Public Schools, is also a seasoned Lynn Educator with over 30 years of experience.  She began her career as a teacher of students with special needs and has served at Connery, Drewicz, Harrington, Ingalls, Shoemaker, and Tracy.  She is currently the Curriculum and Instruction teacher at the Drewicz Elementary School.  At Drewicz she serves as the MCAS coordinator, a member of the instructional leadership team, the Student Study Team coordinator and as acting principal.  For the past three years she has served as the coordinator of the Lynn Public Schools Tutorial in Place summer program, a collaborative summer program with outside agencies, private home day-care providers and the Lynn Public School Department. Over her years in education she has developed excellent relationships throughout the Lynn Public Schools and with our community partners.

Ms. Panagopoulos received a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Lesley College, and aMASTER OF Education degree from Salem State College.  She holds licenses with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in elementary education, moderate special needs and elementary school administration; and she is a certified Wilson reading instructor and a trained Safety-care Behavioral Safety specialist.  She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to support differentiated instruction for all students and is dedicated and motivated to continue the excellent academic successes seen at the Sewell-Anderson Commendation School.

Not to take away anything from MS.P but why is it too leave a GAP in service for 2500 or so LPS SPECIAL NEEDS students but we got to rush to fill a Principal's position?  Of course I'm talking about the fact that the DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL NEEDS is retiring next month and there has been no interest, publicly anyway, in filling that position?

The LSC doesn't even meet in the summer. There are rumours out there of some sort of restructuring so a back door appointment of someone who got froze out of the DEPUTY'S job because of the unexpected addition of the DOCTORAL requirement. But as you all know, I am not one to spread gossip.

Well anyway, I hope I'm wrong so that the RIGHT thing can be done!