10/26/2009 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Centennial Schools 2008 -09 Stockholders' Report CENTRNNIAL SCHOOL mISTmmCT 12 Centennial School District's annual report to its stock- holders, the 42,287 residents who make up the Centennial community, begins on this page. A look back at the 2008 -09 school year includes district data — numbers of residents, students, staff, and an additional breakdown of student numbers along with numbers served in various programs. The report features test scores and shares areas where Centennial struggles. It lists district, student and staff highlights along with accomplishments, and gives a finan- cial accounting of the past school year. Centennial continues its focus on three areas: • Achievement —Test scores for Centennial outpace the district's neighbors and the state average. • Attendance — Centennial students attend school at a rate of 96.31 percent, exceeding the target of 90 percent attendance. • Good behavior — Expulsion rate of .00029 or 2 students. These statistics are a credit to the Centennial community, where caring parents and other adults team up with teach- ers and support staff to create students whose achievements are included in this report. Challenges this year: Centennial's challenges have almost always been fiscal. As a property -poor school district with little com- mercial and industrial development, Centennial relies on local taxpayers to provide additional operating revenue to maintain class sizes, programs and services. The Centennial School Board and Superintendent Paul Stremick are determined to solve the tax equity issue. The issue is two- fold — district taxpayers pay more than taxpay- ers in other school districts, and Centennial receives less revenue as compared to other districts. Since the district's 2005 operating levy referendum ex- pires in 2011, this November the Centennial School Board is asking voters to approve an extension of the levy in one question, and a modest increase in a second question. These are difficult economic times, but this levy is vital to the district's ability to continue to provide a quality educa- tion.