School
Advisory Council
The School Advisory Council
(SAC) is made up of teachers, staff and parents. The entire focus of SAC is
to address and uphold the school's progress according to the School
Improvement Plan (SIP). The SIP outlines the goals of our school and is
updated and or reviewed at the beginning of each year. The SAC chair works
closely with the administrators and addresses the school board when needed. Traditionally, the SAC Chair is a two-year commitment.
The SAC also administers funds
for offsite training for the Perkins teaching staff.
May 13 Meeting Canceled
From Carolyn Willett
As we wrap up the last weeks of the school year,
we are finding that we do not have a pressing agenda for a May SAC
meeting. We are canceling next Tuesday, May 13's SAC meeting.
We do have some issues that are still being
addressed:
-
With all the recent changes in budgets, Dr.
Wilcox resigning, changes in the school system, etc. we are waiting for
a final response in Magnet Coordinator Pat Archibald's position. Thanks
to all who wrote such great letters. We will hope for the best!
-
Interest in changing the Rolling Reader
program for next year to a Rolling Scientist program has been positive.
We will start a committee to pursue this idea and meet over the summer
to organize it. If you are interested in being on the committee or know
anyone who is, PLEASE let me know!
Thank you for your involvement in the SAC this
school year! If you have any ideas for next year, please feel free to let
me know! Have a great end of school and enjoy your summer!
Pat Archibald
Special message from Carolyn Willett, SAC Chair,
3/11/08
Click here
Pot Luck Dinner
2/12/08
Perkins SAC held a Pot Luck Dinner to
socialize with PME, PTA, and SAC members. By kind invitation this
was
at Judy Anderson's beautiful house on Snell Island.
Thanks so much to Judy for
opening her house to us. Everyone attending had a good time and enjoyed the
evening.
New School Assignment Plan
By Carolyn Willett, 12/19/07
Hello Parents,
After 2
years, the School Board has made a decision on the New School Assignment
Plan. Last night, at 6:15 pm, School Board members voted 5-2 to pass the
new plan. (Janet Clark and Mary Brown opposed the plan for different
reasons).
Hooray! We have a decision!
What does
this mean to Perkins: Perkins will remain as it is this year. We will see
NO changes to our 100% magnet application. There is no proximity preference
to neighborhood children. (This was decided and accepted as a result of
current statistics that showed that if a proximity preference was added, it
would actually lower the number of neighborhood children who are getting
into the magnet and fundamental schools). Sibling priority and
transportation will continue as is.
What does
this mean to magnet and fundamental schools: ALL magnet and fundamental
schools county wide will be 100% magnet application. No program will have a
proximity preference. They will all maintain sibling priority.
Transportation at magnets will continue.
TO EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT THE
NEW CHANGES (other than Magnets):
All
children who are not currently in public school, or do not have a sibling in
a magnet or fundamental schools, will be assigned a "close to home" school.
The family may choose to apply to any or all magnet and fundamental programs
as well. If they do not get into a magnet or fundamental school, they would
then attend their "close to home" assigned school.
If an
older sibling currently attends a neighborhood school and they have a
younger sibling entering the school system, the younger sibling may choose
to attend the older siblings school as long as the family provides their own
transportation. OR they may both transfer to their assigned "close to home"
school and receive transportation.
OCT. 9 MEETING AND OCT. 23
SPECIAL MEETING
New School
Assignment Plan for 2008-2009
It is
the position of staff and families associated with Perkins Elementary School for
the Arts and International Studies that under any reorganization of school
assignment, Perkins maintains its countywide magnet status, drawing students
from the entirety of Pinellas County; and to maintain a prioritized sibling
enrollment in an effort to keep families together. Perkins families also support
the maintenance of predictable feeder patterns from the arts and international
studies magnet to middle school and high school arts and international studies
magnets.
From Carolyn Willett
I have sent the
2008 Legislative Program packet in with our support and with our concerns about
the funding sources and solutions. I will try to contact Steve Swartzel to
follow up.
The latest on the School Assignment PlanAfter our
last SAC meeting [Oct.9], the paper printed the latest update from the
School Board's meeting that week. The decision was to make Jamerson and
Sanderlin the neighborhood schools and to have the current magnet
programs all be county-wide magnets. Perkins would continue to have the
same application process that we had this year – all county-wide
magnet. Given this information, it was decided that it was in our school's
best interest to not bring further attention to our school by writing to the
Times. It appears that we are staying where we are with the application
process and magnet status.
If the timeline continues as announced, we should know
next week (Tuesday or Wednesday), of the drafted plan. They will not
vote to finalize the plan until December. If there is an issue that we
choose to address, we will have a month to make ourselves heard!
If you have any questions or thoughts, please feel free
to let me know. Thank you for all of the great ideas and comments! We will
not have a meeting next Tuesday, November 13th and will hope to end the year
with a social with the PTA in December.
Oct. 23 Minutes (PDF)
St Petersburg Times
A New Plan for Pinellas Schools
Pinellas school board's doubts don't mean retreat 10/3/07
Keep heat on School Board 10/18/07
Reworked, school plan awaits votes 10/25/07
School plan doesn't need more busing 11/6/07
SEPT. 11 MEETING
Introduction by Judy
Anderson and Principal Lister, what SAC is. Go over purpose, funds available.
Also approve A-plus funds and how they are spent.
Audrey Reali – budget. She
doesn’t touch money. Can carry-over from previous years, last year used
approximately $8,000 of 12,000 budget. Now have about $9,000? available for
teacher training. Take teacher requests depending on need.
IAC – review of procedures
and that any student not adhering to policies can and will be asked to leave.
Discussed that most reports come from 2nd and 3rd grade.
Student Assignment. Bob
Lister – looking at it from Perkins’ interest. His understanding is that it will
have little effect on us. We will continue to be county-wide magnet. We, like
all schools, will have a circle around it. Calling it “close to school”
families. In some cases assignments won’t be to closest school. We will continue
to have magnet application process. If not enough to fill grade level, and off
our waiting list, then we go to “close to school” group to fill seats. The
circles have not been created. No longer racial quotas.
Siblings – he doesn’t know
where we are with the policy. Trying to find out about it.
Introduced list of
meetings and stated there is a sign-up for county meetings.
Two talking points for
meetings – remain county-wide magnet and maintain sibling priority list.
Pat – sibling policy has
gotten squishy. Has become that anyone at same address is sibling. We need to
say that families need the right to attend the same school as their siblings.
Bob – priorities listed by
county includes close to home, etc., …. access to diversity and options. Reduced
transportation issues for families, and cost for the district. Uniform rules.
Also look into priority
into John Hopkins from Perkins under proposed plan.
Plan is to have Judy and
Carolyn work on official statement, highlighting our two major points – all
magnet and siblings. Complete for approval by Bob on Friday, and email to
Perkins families before the first input meeting, Tuesday, September 11, 2007.
Copy Chris the SAC emails
from tonight so statement will be available.
Updated about Emergency
fund
Bob’s update
Class sizes listed. Total
553 with pre-k and eh included.
Came in well, third is
highest but moved from 5 sections to 4.
Next year try to be 18 to
1, and k -3, 21,22 for 4 & 5.
Bob also alerts us that
its time to nominate outstanding educators. Has applications available. There
are 5 categories that teachers can be nominated in.
Bob goes over annual
Perkins budget – per pupil allocation. This year is about $16,000 and covers
supplies, etc. Everything but salaries and utilities. Another fund is for
textbooks. Pat has a magnet budget. Pat – we have $ to help with instruments,
art, dance, drama and also for adjunct teachers. We are lucky to have all the
things we have for the children.
Bob- Plant operations, tp,
light bulbs, cleaners, that’s $2,500 a year. If we run out we barter with other
schools.
If there is construction
at your school, or new building or renovate, then a percentage goes back to
school for furnishings. This school was $11 million, we got 8 percent back to
school. Used for all furniture, etc.
Our PTA does tremendous
job here. There budget runs $30,000 to $40,000 a year.
PME – conceived by
parents, akin to a booster club that keeps money in pot for arts programs. Arts
magnet is most expensive to run.
Grants are also available.
Teachers are aggressive about seeking those.
Pinellas has done a good
job funding extra teachers needed for the magnet.
Pat position – She says
she is applying for one more year. I will ask for one more year, put me out June
2009.
Chris Evans adds that
Lister and Perkins awarded a “Top Apple” from the city of st. Petersburg. Bob
says it has to do with FCAT.
Updated and final copy of the Perkins position statement from SAC
in regards to
the New School Assignment Plan for 2008-2009
It is
the position of staff and families associated with Perkins Elementary School for
the Arts and International Studies that under any reorganization of school
assignment, Perkins maintains its countywide magnet status, drawing students
from the entirety of Pinellas County; and to maintain a prioritized sibling
enrollment in an effort to keep families together. Perkins families also support
the maintenance of predictable feeder patterns from the arts and international
studies magnet to middle school and high school arts and international studies
magnets.
By
granting these two already in-place measures, Pinellas will ensure that:
-
Students and families will have access to education with peers from diverse
backgrounds and multiple cultures.
-
By
keeping families together, it reduces the transportation issues and costs for
both families and the county.
-
By
prioritizing sibling enrollment, families will be more likely to support and
commit to the cost of transporting children to a school that may not be near
their home.
The following document includes dates of key
meetings on this subject:
Download New Student
Assignment Plan 2008-09
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