District 12 working to overcome financial obstacles

On behalf of the Roselle Elementary District 12 board of education, staff and administration, I would like to welcome everyone to a new school year and to all of the excitement that comes with it.

It has been an incredibly busy summer in District 12 as we prepare to roll out our new initiatives and simultaneously work to address our financial obstacles.

I would like to take this opportunity to share information and invite our community to engage in the important conversation and work that will take place this year.

Throughout the last school year, District 12 devoted a tremendous amount of effort, time and energy to answering the following questions in regard to student achievement and financial stability:

• Where are we now?

• Where do we want to be?

• How will we get there?

In the course of our work, we have had the pleasure of working with some amazing parents, community members and experts to help us answer our questions and begin the process of tackling our financial challenges.

Where are we now?

Our focus will continue to be on quality implementation of and alignment to the Common Core Standards and preparing our students to be ready for the rigors and opportunities they will encounter in high school. This year, we are very excited to introduce:

• A new math adoption in kindergarten through eighth grade;

• A Chromebook pilot that will put 400 devices into the hands of students; and

• A gradual alignment and shift to the Next Generation Science Standards.

In addition to our instructional initiatives, we are thrilled to be participating in a Family Engagement of Illinois Grant through the DuPage Regional Office of Education. This opportunity will allow us to develop a sustainable commitment and system to engage parents as partners in the education of their children.

We very much look forward to collaborating with the regional office of education; together, we look forward to partnering with our parents and community in a much more personal way.

Financially, District 12 has some significant challenges to face and decisions to make. Historically, District 12 has operated on a very limited budget. As expenses have continued to rise and revenues have fallen, the district has been forced to operate a deficit budget or make significant cuts in programs and services to students.

District 12 has held firm on its commitment to students but cannot sustain with a deficit that continues to grow as expenses far outpace revenues. Our growing deficit is further complicated by the fact that District 12 has aging buildings that are in need of roughly $5 million in repairs, replacements, and Life Safety work.

During the last school year, we had four community engagement meetings to share information and begin the process of brainstorming and soliciting input from the community. Together as partners, we will continue to work toward achieving our goal of enhanced communication.

For further information, please visit "Community Engagement" located on our district website, sd12.k12.il.us.

• Melissa Kaczkowski is superintendent of Roselle Elementary District 12. Her column will appear monthly during the school year in Neighbor.