Dear GSCS Employees,
Several outstanding achievements were recognized at this week's Board of Education meeting.
One of the highlights was the recognition of our school system's 2014 Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Raye Aragon from Rehoboth Road Middle School. This honor is well deserved. Congratulations Raye!
A second recognition was for the 14 schools in our system that achieved operational or emerging status, as defined by the GaDOE, in the implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Students do not always come to us knowing what we expect. PBIS is how we teach them. Congratulations to our 14 PBIS schools!
Third was the delivery of our 2013 fiscal year financial audit. Each year an audit or review of our financial records is done to ensure we are in compliance with the law, and that we are spending taxpayer's money correctly. This is one way our Board of Education monitors and oversees what we are doing. I am happy to report that the 2013 audit was exceptional and I am very proud of the results. Congratulations to Jim Smith, Ryan McLemore, and the finance department. Also, congratulations to everyone in the schools who are a part of the financial function in our school system. You are all to be commended for being reliable financial stewards.
I want to share with you just a couple of the noteworthy observations that came from the audit:
- We have no long-term debt. No bonds exist for our school system. This is the first time in 10 years we have been debt free!
- In 2009, we were in deficient spending; meaning, our spending was more than our revenue. I am pleased to say that in 2013, we are not deficient spending. I contribute a part of that to our BOE for making some hard decisions and implementing cost saving measures. This action has allowed us to put in place a calendar for the next two school years with full 180 instructional days for our students.
The financial audit results are outstanding. They demonstrate our hard work and dedication to providing a quality education for our students in an efficient and effective way.
The audit is available on our website, under the finance department. I encourage you to review and share the results. Let's continue to do our very best.
Have a great weekend!
Curtis
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