As you are well aware, we face a challenging year ahead as we strive to meet a declining budget.  Senior staff and school administrators have been working very hard to reduce costs where possible while still providing quality instruction to our students.  Your children have continued to make steady gains in achievement despite tighter budgets.  I applaud your efforts in working with us while we make some very difficult decisions.

Brevard joins school districts throughout the state and the nation in looking for ways to remain fiscally responsible with minimal impact on classrooms and students. However, the budget challenges we are going to face in the days and months ahead are more serious than ever before. Tax rolls continue to decline. The Federal Stimulus dollars are coming to an end and the Florida Legislature will be asked to fill that void with state funding. We are forced to make difficult decisions as we meet these fiscal realities while still working to provide our students with the quality education they deserve.

On Tuesday, April 13, 2010, I announced the proposed cuts to our budget which will result in several positions being dissolved. We have looked at every scenario to curb spending to avoid employee layoffs.   However, these positions have been identified as ones who will have the least amount of impact on our mission of teaching and learning. We are asking employees and you, our parents to offer ideas for reducing costs and increasing revenues. All ideas are welcome and all will be considered.  To learn more, please visit www.brevardschools.org. You will see a link to BPS Budget right on the homepage. This webpage includes information about how school district budgets are developed, the timeline involved, and a place where you can submit your ideas online. I encourage you to view the video under the April 13 Budget Workshop portion of the webpage to hear the explanation of all the proposed reductions.  Included in this issue of the Mark of Excellence are the Finance Fast Facts which explains how funds are dispersed and gained.

We appreciate and need your continued support in carefully managing the resources available to support the ongoing success of our students and teachers.  I will continue to keep you informed about our budget planning efforts while adjusting to new information from the state.

We appreciate the opportunity to both partner with you and serve you as we seek to make a positive difference in the lives of our children.

Sincerely,

Brian T. Binggeli, Ed.D., Superintendent