Dear Parents,

The first week of May promises to be sunny and warm.  It feels like we’ve jumped right from winter to summer with very little spring in the middle.  It kind of feels the same way at school – in my last newsletter I discussed mid-year State ELA and Math exams, and this month I’m jumping right to the end of the year by discussing the Budget Vote and the end-of-year Post-Assessment schedule.

On May 21^st, you have the opportunity to vote for the 2013-2014 HCSD Budget.  This year’s budget development process was strenuous, but in the end, the $72,280,168 spending plan maintains all major programs with a modest 1.5% tax increase which is well below the state tax cap.  An unexpected $1.7 million increase in state aid helped offset the cost of building security enhancements and a 12.9% increase in NYS Pension System costs.  You will find two additional items on the ballot; three seats on the Board of Education which are being contested by four candidates, and a Bus Purchase Proposition for which the district is reimbursed for 79.6% of the cost.  Polls open at Northwood Elementary and the High School at 6 a.m. and remain open until 9 p.m.  Your support is important, so please come out and vote. (See page 3 for budget details.)

8^th Grade Awards Night is Tuesday, May 14^th at 6:30 p.m. in the High School Auditorium.  8^thgraders receiving awards were invited by mail earlier this week. It is one of my favorite events of the year because it acknowledges students who have worked hard and persevered to fulfill their academic and character potential.

On the next page is the 2013 Post-Assessment Calendar for MW.  Included on the calendar are course post-assessments, make up sessions for post-assessments and Regents exams.  Our goal in creating the schedule was to minimize disruption to students’ routines and have students take no more than one assessment on a given day.  There is one exception to this on 6/14. We will follow a modified schedule, similar to the one we used for State ELA and Math testing in April.  Students will have all their scheduled classes each day after a 60 or 90 minute testing block beginning at 7:25 each morning. 

Thank you for your continued support of Merton Williams! 

Sincerely,

Timothy Dobbertin, Principal