May 11, 2008
Murray Preschool Update
Attention Parents,
THANK YOU all for your overwhelming support and response in contacting the Murray City School District Board, Administration Office and the Murray City Council in an effort to keep our children’s preschool open.
The HUGE attendance at last week’s meeting was key in meeting two of our original goals:
1. The continuation of the preschool program for many years to come. 2. The retention of the current teaching staff including Mrs Debi Evans.
Current Status:
As promised, the Murray School District administrators have been working diligently on restructuring the preschool so that it remains an affordable, high quality program that complies with the state mandates. I have learned that they have proposed a plan that will
1. Keep tuition at the current rate~ Which is great news however, the other key component to the plan is of some concern to me as a parent.
2. Mrs. Evans will no longer be the Director. Instead, there will be an off-site person acting as the director. Mrs. Evans’ position will change as follows:
a. Clerical Duties b. ½ time teaching c. ½ of salary cut
Note: I am disappointed that after 20+ years of service and creating this outstanding program the district is placing such little value on her professional/industry knowledge and tenure in the district.
Next Steps:
We need ALL of you to come to the Murray School Board meeting on Wednesday May 14, 7:00 pm at the district office, 147 East 5065 South and speak in support of:
Our Director, Debi Evans- why demote Debi as director????
What is the new “Model” under which the program will be run?
What will be the overall health of the program, the children and the staff without Debi at the helm?
CRITICAL: In order to speak during the “Patron Comments” section, you must call the District Office, 264-7400 OR arrive 5-10 minutes early and sign the “Patron Comment” sheet located outside the board room.
Final Note: The theme and message to the Board and the District Office during Wednesday’s meeting is:
“We the parents are keeping our eyes on you and our preschool!”
We don not want to loose what we have and it is therefore critical that our School Board knows how we feel about this matter.
Can’t Attend the Meeting: Please voice your concerns by calling/emailing the following people:
Murray School Board
District #1 Mitzie Huff mhuff@murrayschools.org
District #2 Laura Baker lbaker@murrayschools.org
District #3 Darrell Pehrson dpehrson@murrayschools.org
District #4 Lloyd Naylor lnaylor@murrayschools.org
District #5 Marge Tuckett mtuckett@murrayschools.org
Murray School District Office
Richard Tranter-Superintendent of Schools rtranter@murrayschools.org 801/264-7400
Steve Hirase- Assistant Superintendent of Schools shirase@murrayschools.org 801/264-7400
Thank you all,
Petra Winegar, Parent PTA Legislative VP 801/949-1009 Pwinegar10@comcst.net
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
NOTES FROM PARENT MEETING
Here is what was covered at the parents meeting last night. All in all it was good news. There are some rough spots that need to be worked out, but it was nice to have the information laid out so we can at least understand.
In attendance: Superintendant, Richard Tranner, Asst. Superintendant Dr. Steven Hirase, members of the school board and Rep. Cosgrove.
WHY? Why the problem now? A "concerned citizen" wrote to the state educational attorney. Through a Q and A, the question of: Can a school district have a preschool in which it charges tuition? The answer: The school district may have a preschool on its premises, but may not put any district funds toward program. The preschool would be a seperate entity that simply rents space from the district.
The current daycare that is ran at Murray High School is not included in this because it is part of the High school curriculum. Students can sign up for an actual class that helps to run the daycare.
The attorney sent the Q and A to Tranter. After discussing it with the school board and associates, Tranter took his questions to the attorney herself. She told him that they were definately running the preschool against state law and would have to change it.
After weeks of trying to come up with a plan that would keep the preschool open and be in compliance with the law, the school board came up with this solution:
Combine the preschool with headstart. The headstart program agreed that they could integrade the preschool children and teachers, but only gradualy. The first year they could only take 30-35 kids.
Being the only plan the district could come up with, they held the meeting last Monday night and informed the staff at the preschool of what was happening.
By the next morning Tranter had starting recieving calls from parents. He immediately got on the phone with the attorney. She told him that they were trying to come up with a plan to keep the school open. Tranter explained that their 45 day time frame was not going to work. Within a couple of hours they came up with a plan to keep the preschool open.....for good.
HOW?: The New Preschool
There should be no big changes to the school itself. The district will run the preschool through Special Education. The Federal law says that a school district must provide education for special ed students from age 3-22 years old. The students are to be combined with regular classroom students. Usually the ratio is more special ed students to non. In our case it is oppisite. About 1:4, 1 special ed students to 4 non special ed. By running the preschool through this program the school can stay open, but the only funds the district can put into it are for the special ed students. They can pay the teachers salaries and a small amount of funds for suplies, etc.
On a side note, there are currently 45 special ed students enrolled at the preschool. So, no change there.
HOW MUCH?
The school district has been putting aprox $50,000 into the preschool each year. They will not be able to do this. That money will need to be made up some where. Tuition will go up. Parents at the meeting made a point to tell the school board they'd rather pay higher tuition than to loose staff.
WHEN?
There are a couple of dates to list here.
One month: The school board will send out a letter in aprox. 1 month, with the details of the meeting as well as what they have come up with as far as tuition increases and changes in the school.
First day of school: The tuition will be increased starting the first day of the 08-09 school year. The tuition increase will not effect the summer program.
2nd Wednesday of each month: Meeting with the school board. Parents are encuraged to attend meetings. Not only for issues such as this, but for all education decision are made during these meetings.
WHO?
Children that were enrolled for next year still are. There are no changes there.
The teachers should all be there, but there is no guarentee. The district was addement that they did not want to loose any teachers or directors, but they do have to cut spending. The parents again were very addement that they would rather pay higher tuition than loose teachers. Tranter explained, they need to keep tuition within reason or no one will be able to afford it.
There is also the problem with it being ran through special education. There may be certifications/education that may play a part in it. There was nothing particular that was said on this issue, but it was implied.
WHAT?
What can we do as parents. It's all about money at this point. In order to keep the preschool running as it is today, we need money. Even if the school board can make the numbers work to keep the tuition reasonable and not loose any staff, things will be cut. ie, field trips, class rooms supplies, computers. That's where we as parents will need to step up.
Fund raising will need to be a big part of continuing this program and it's going to take more parental involvement that than ever before. It will be more than signing up to go on a field trip once or twice a year.
PTA was brought up. We are looking into that currently. If anyone is interested please email me at savemypreschool@gmail.com.
Bottom line: The preschool will remain open. There is no reason to believe that this will not be a permenant arangement.
In attendance: Superintendant, Richard Tranner, Asst. Superintendant Dr. Steven Hirase, members of the school board and Rep. Cosgrove.
WHY? Why the problem now? A "concerned citizen" wrote to the state educational attorney. Through a Q and A, the question of: Can a school district have a preschool in which it charges tuition? The answer: The school district may have a preschool on its premises, but may not put any district funds toward program. The preschool would be a seperate entity that simply rents space from the district.
The current daycare that is ran at Murray High School is not included in this because it is part of the High school curriculum. Students can sign up for an actual class that helps to run the daycare.
The attorney sent the Q and A to Tranter. After discussing it with the school board and associates, Tranter took his questions to the attorney herself. She told him that they were definately running the preschool against state law and would have to change it.
After weeks of trying to come up with a plan that would keep the preschool open and be in compliance with the law, the school board came up with this solution:
Combine the preschool with headstart. The headstart program agreed that they could integrade the preschool children and teachers, but only gradualy. The first year they could only take 30-35 kids.
Being the only plan the district could come up with, they held the meeting last Monday night and informed the staff at the preschool of what was happening.
By the next morning Tranter had starting recieving calls from parents. He immediately got on the phone with the attorney. She told him that they were trying to come up with a plan to keep the school open. Tranter explained that their 45 day time frame was not going to work. Within a couple of hours they came up with a plan to keep the preschool open.....for good.
HOW?: The New Preschool
There should be no big changes to the school itself. The district will run the preschool through Special Education. The Federal law says that a school district must provide education for special ed students from age 3-22 years old. The students are to be combined with regular classroom students. Usually the ratio is more special ed students to non. In our case it is oppisite. About 1:4, 1 special ed students to 4 non special ed. By running the preschool through this program the school can stay open, but the only funds the district can put into it are for the special ed students. They can pay the teachers salaries and a small amount of funds for suplies, etc.
On a side note, there are currently 45 special ed students enrolled at the preschool. So, no change there.
HOW MUCH?
The school district has been putting aprox $50,000 into the preschool each year. They will not be able to do this. That money will need to be made up some where. Tuition will go up. Parents at the meeting made a point to tell the school board they'd rather pay higher tuition than to loose staff.
WHEN?
There are a couple of dates to list here.
One month: The school board will send out a letter in aprox. 1 month, with the details of the meeting as well as what they have come up with as far as tuition increases and changes in the school.
First day of school: The tuition will be increased starting the first day of the 08-09 school year. The tuition increase will not effect the summer program.
2nd Wednesday of each month: Meeting with the school board. Parents are encuraged to attend meetings. Not only for issues such as this, but for all education decision are made during these meetings.
WHO?
Children that were enrolled for next year still are. There are no changes there.
The teachers should all be there, but there is no guarentee. The district was addement that they did not want to loose any teachers or directors, but they do have to cut spending. The parents again were very addement that they would rather pay higher tuition than loose teachers. Tranter explained, they need to keep tuition within reason or no one will be able to afford it.
There is also the problem with it being ran through special education. There may be certifications/education that may play a part in it. There was nothing particular that was said on this issue, but it was implied.
WHAT?
What can we do as parents. It's all about money at this point. In order to keep the preschool running as it is today, we need money. Even if the school board can make the numbers work to keep the tuition reasonable and not loose any staff, things will be cut. ie, field trips, class rooms supplies, computers. That's where we as parents will need to step up.
Fund raising will need to be a big part of continuing this program and it's going to take more parental involvement that than ever before. It will be more than signing up to go on a field trip once or twice a year.
PTA was brought up. We are looking into that currently. If anyone is interested please email me at savemypreschool@gmail.com.
Bottom line: The preschool will remain open. There is no reason to believe that this will not be a permenant arangement.
Friday, April 25, 2008
PARENT MEETING
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Murray High School, 7:00 pm
Parents of Murray Community Education Preschool Center children are invited to attend a meetin to discuss issues impacting continuation of services at the preschool.
The Murray city School district administration has been working to find a solution and are happy to report that the Preschool will continue next year.
Please plan to attend the meeting if you have concerns or questions on this issue. The District is providing this forum in an effort to provide clear and accurate information to our patrons.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
A letter from the Asst. Superintendent 4/23/2008
Dear Parents,
In January 2008, the Utah State Office of Education sent information to school districts regarding the operation of preschools by Utah Public Schol Districts. In this document, it indicated that, due to state constitution issues, it is illegal for a schol district to offer an educational program, including preschool an charge tuition for enrollment. This information was of great concern to the district since we recognize the contribution a good preschool experience has in the preparation of children for kindergarten and their future success in school. In response to the correspondence, the district administration spoke with the attorney at the State Office of Education to determine what options we may have to continue the operation of our preschool. Unfortunately, we found the law to be fairly clear. We believed the only option that was available was to close the Community Preschool Program and work with Head Start to offer a tuition-based program to a small group of our current patrons since the district does not have the funds available to offer a tuition free preschool program.
On Tuesday, April 22nd, due to the response from our current preschool staff and parents, we once again contacted the attorneys from the Utah State Office of Education. During our conversation, we learned that we may have a viable option to offer a tuition-based program due to the federal requirement for inclusive programs for students who attend our Developmental Preschool (special education).
We are aware that this situation created a number of questions and concerns for many of you. We would like to invite you to a parent meeting on Tuesday, April 29th, at 7:00 p.m. We will meet at the Murray High, room to be determined.
Sincerely,
Steven K. Hirase, Ed.D.
Asst. superintendent
In January 2008, the Utah State Office of Education sent information to school districts regarding the operation of preschools by Utah Public Schol Districts. In this document, it indicated that, due to state constitution issues, it is illegal for a schol district to offer an educational program, including preschool an charge tuition for enrollment. This information was of great concern to the district since we recognize the contribution a good preschool experience has in the preparation of children for kindergarten and their future success in school. In response to the correspondence, the district administration spoke with the attorney at the State Office of Education to determine what options we may have to continue the operation of our preschool. Unfortunately, we found the law to be fairly clear. We believed the only option that was available was to close the Community Preschool Program and work with Head Start to offer a tuition-based program to a small group of our current patrons since the district does not have the funds available to offer a tuition free preschool program.
On Tuesday, April 22nd, due to the response from our current preschool staff and parents, we once again contacted the attorneys from the Utah State Office of Education. During our conversation, we learned that we may have a viable option to offer a tuition-based program due to the federal requirement for inclusive programs for students who attend our Developmental Preschool (special education).
We are aware that this situation created a number of questions and concerns for many of you. We would like to invite you to a parent meeting on Tuesday, April 29th, at 7:00 p.m. We will meet at the Murray High, room to be determined.
Sincerely,
Steven K. Hirase, Ed.D.
Asst. superintendent
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Murray Community Education Center to close
Dear Parents,
By now you may have heard that the Murray District dmisnistation is going to close our Murray Community Preschool. This wil take effect the end of this school year. After 30 years of successful teaching and preparing several hundreds of children for their elementary education, there will no longer be a Murray Community Preschool for the children or parents of Murray!
Please join us immediately in expressing your concern and disappointment with this decision. There is only one way t fight this decision:
By now you may have heard that the Murray District dmisnistation is going to close our Murray Community Preschool. This wil take effect the end of this school year. After 30 years of successful teaching and preparing several hundreds of children for their elementary education, there will no longer be a Murray Community Preschool for the children or parents of Murray!
Please join us immediately in expressing your concern and disappointment with this decision. There is only one way t fight this decision:
- We must UNITE
- We must express our DISPPROVAL
- We must make our VOICES BE HEARD
Parents, I ask you to call and email the Murray Board of Education and the Murray City Council Members. I have included a prewitten statment for you to copy and paste into an email. Please don't delay. Your immediate action is critical in letting these entities know we do not want to loose the only preschool we have in Murray. Please also forward this request onto as many people as you can. the greater our public outcry the more supporters we have, and the louder we can make our voices be heard, the greater our chances and the more rewarding our efforts well be. Please, ask aunts, uncles, grandparents, neighbors, and teacher etc. to join our cause and preserve our COMMUNITY preschool!
Note: Please copy and paste the following statement into an email and send it to any or all of the school board/city council members. (or a statment of your own)
"Attention Murray school district, Murray school board members and Murray City, with this email I am officially stating my firm disapproval of the decision to close our Murrayn Community Preschool located at 73 West 6100 South. As a parent, I am outraged and disappointed with with both the school board and the City for making such a decision without consulting parents or giving us ample notice. We do NOT want THIS preschool program closed nor its academic programming shut down."
Thank you all,
Petra Winegar
Paren, Murray Community Preschool
Utah State School Board
Laurel Brown
266-4221
laurelobrown@hotmail.com
Murray City School Board Members
District #1
Mitzie Huff
mhuff@murrayschools.org
District #2
Laura Baker
lbaker@murrrayschools.org
District #3
Darrell Pehrson
dpehrson@murrayschools.org
District #4
Lloyd Naylor
lnaylor@murrayschools.org
District #5
Marge Tuckett
Mtucket@murrayschools.org
Murray City Council Members
District #1
Jeff Dredge
C 971-8382
jdredge@mdcpa.com
District #2
Robbie Robertson
C- 232-7382
Robbie.r@comcast.net
District #3
Jim Brass
c- 647-3764
jimrass@xmission.com
District #4
Pat Griffiths
c- 554-4418
pat.griffiths@comcast.net
District #5
Krista Dunn
c- 673-4046
Krista.dunn@slcgov.com
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