Progress Reports went home with your student on Thursday.
Parent-Teacher Conference Day is Thursday, September 15. Contact your child's school to schedule an appointment.
Monroe Messages
Newsletter of Monroe County Schools
Attendance Works:  Every Day Counts
Attendance is essential to school success, but too often students, parents and schools do not realize how quickly absences, excused and unexcused, can add up to academic trouble. Chronic absence,  missing 10 percent of the school year, or just 2-3 days every month, can translate into third-graders unable to master reading, sixth-graders failing courses, and ninth-graders dropping out of high school.  Some low-income students, who must depend on school for opportunities to learn, are especially harmed when they miss too much instruction.
Chronic absence is an alarming, largely overlooked problem that is preventing too many children from having an opportunity to learn and succeed. It affects 5 million to 7.5 million students- more than one in 10 - nationwide. This is not just a problem in middle and high school: It starts in kindergarten and preschool.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
  • Talk about the importance of attendance.  Make the expectation and show your child your good attendance at your work and your life activities.
  • Know Monroe County Schools' attendance policies and procedures.  You can find each school's student handbook on the school's website.  Ask questions if you need clarification.
  • Stay on top of your child's academic progress.  Check progress reports.  Use the Infinite Campus app to get attendance and progress information.  Signup for Remind messages.  Our schools and many individual teachers offer this free texting service. 
  • Set a regular bed time.  Establish and stick to routines.
  • Organize clothing and items to go to school the night before.
  • Don't let your child stay home unless he or she is truly sick.  Keep in mind that complaints of a stomach ache may be a sign of anxiety versus a reason to stay home.
  • If your child is sick, please take measures to help him or her get well so that the return to school is as swift as possible.
  • If your child seems anxious about going to school, please reach out to teachers and counselors so that we can help you and your family.
  • Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up.  Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent if you need assistance.
  • Avoid medical appointments if at all possible when school is in session.
  • Avoid vacations and extended trips during the school year.  Check our website for our school year calendar so that you and your family can plan accordingly.
  • If your child is absent from school, we will be calling your contact numbers to make sure that you are aware of this.  Please make sure that your contact information is up-to-date in our student information system.  You can contact your child's school registrar, and she can update your information.
  • Looking for ideas to encourage your child to attend school?  Contact our parent coordinators who can help and direct you to community resources as well.
Source:   Adapted from http://www.attendanceworks.org.  
A Message from Monroe County Schools Nurses:  When is Too Sick for School?

Press Release:  Announcing Proposed
Property Tax Increase
The Monroe County Board of Education announces its intention to increase the property taxes this year by 3.01 percent over the rollback millage rate.  

The increase, which comes as the tax digest trends down by about 3 percent overall, will balance the school board's $37 million FY 17 budget when began July 1.  In addition, the board will dedicate a portion of the revenue to a capital project fund for the first phase of a project to rehabilitate the aging windows, soffit and roof of the 80-year old Board of Education building (former Mary Persons High School).

Each year, the county board of tax assessors is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the county.  When the trend of prices on properties that have recently sold in the county indicate there has been an increase - or a decrease -- in the fair market value of any specific property, the board of tax assessors is required by law to re-determine the value of such property and increase or decrease the assessment.  This is called a reassessment.

For 2016, the overall value of the real and personal property on the tax digest in Monroe County has decreased by approximately 3 (three) percent.

When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia Law requires that a rollback millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year's new digest that last year's millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred. If the millage rate is higher than that rollback rate, the Board must comply with state law concerning its procedure to finalize its millage rate.

For tax year 2016, the "rollback" millage rate is actually higher than the previous year's tax millage due to the decrease in property values.  The FY 2017 budget (July, 2016 to June, 2017) adopted in June by the Monroe County Board of Education will require a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate.  

Therefore, before the Monroe County Board of Education may finalize a millage rate, Georgia Law (O.C.G.A. 48-5-32 and 32.1) requires that three public hearings be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on this increase.

All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at the following times:  Thursday, Sept. 22, at 11:30 a.m.; Thursday, Sept. 22, at 6 p.m.; and Thursday, Sept. 29, at 6:30 p.m. All hearings will be held at the Monroe County Board of Education's Central Offices located at 25 Brooklyn Avenue, Forsyth, Georgia.

A called meeting to set the final millage rate will be held at 6:45 p.m. following the third public hearing on Sept. 29.
The Superintendent's Parent and Community Advisory Council met this week with system leadership.  The group provides feedback regarding system and school initiatives.  We appreciate our volunteers who serve in so many different capacities in our system. Pictured below is a TGScott Elementary volunteer and student.  If you are interested in volunteering, please see our website.
MCBOE Regular Monthly Meeting is Tuesday
The regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Monroe County Board of Education is Tuesday night.  The meeting begins with the call to order followed by executive session at 6:30 p.m.  The regular business session is expected to begin at 7 p.m.  For board meeting agendas and minutes, see our eBoard website.