On Nov. 13, Picture Rockwood held it’s fourth Community Engagement Session, where members of the Rockwood community were asked to voice their opinion on the future of Rockwood.
Picture Rockwood is currently on Phase 2: Feedback. This phase focuses on hearing the opinions of those involved in the district and community.
Chief Communications Officer Kim Cranston spoke about the importance of reaching out through “all communication channels.” These include business leaders, rotary clubs, churches and PTO.
Chief Financial Officer Tim Rooney gave the financial update where he stated the possibility of a $6.6 million budget reduction.
The session ended with a small group work activity, which gave each individual table or group of people 45 minutes to discuss which picture they feel is the right choice.
Those attending were given a choice between two “pictures.” The Apple picture would provide for:
- full implementation of the curriculum management plan
- Tuition-free full day kindergarten
- Improving ability to recruit and retain staff by improving salaries to the median of St. Louis Co. public school districts
- Reducing class sizes by hiring additional teachers
- Allocating funds for technology in the operating budget
- BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) at all levels
The Orange picture would provide for:
- Full implementation of the curriculum management plan
- Improving ability to recruit and retain staff by improving salaries to the median of St. Louis public school districts
- Reducing class sizes by hiring additional teachers
- Allocating funds for technology in the operating budget
- BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) at all levels
The budget to go forward with the Apple picture would call for a 97 cent tax rate increase and a $37 million bond issue. For the Orange picture to go forward, there would be a $1.13 tax rate increase and no bond issue would be needed.
Picture Rockwood’s next session will be a “summary of Phase II findings and the proposed recommendations to the School Board.
Follow this link to the Picture Rockwood website for more information:
http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/picturerockwood/Pages/default.aspx
