As we have embarked on another promising school year, I am pleased to share with you the strides we have made toward some of the key priorities that were set when I was appointed superintendent: strengthening health and safety efforts; accelerating the learning potential and realities for all children; expanding early learning programs; ensuring state-of-the-art academic, athletic, and performing arts facilities; and strengthening fiscal and operational health. You will read in this newspaper some of the marked progress we have made in each of these areas.
Among these priorities, I would like to highlight the expansion of early learning programs — thanks to the generosity of our community.
Through public support of the MCCSC 2023 Referendum, we have expanded our 4-Year-Old Pre-K program and our 3-Year-Old Preschool program. Now, more than 500 students are enrolled in these programs through MCCSC schools or our partner providers—more than doubling enrollment.The best part is that the majority of our students attend at no cost, thanks to our community.
This school year, our top two priorities are sustaining academic excellence and achieving financial balance.
In February, we announced our 2-year Strategy to Achieve Financial Balance and you can read about our progress on page 7. Through this strategy, we are committed to achieving financial balance to sustain excellence in our schools.
We are committed to excellence in our:
• Core academic areas
• Arts and music education
• Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) programs
• Project-based learning
• Extracurricular activities
• Outdoor education
• Numerous career and college pathways
• Strong student support services
As I shared when I was appointed superintendent, I envision our school corporation becoming the number one learning destination in southern Indiana — a school system of choice that focuses on the unique needs of every learner and creates innovative learning experiences for everybody’s children.
We will continue to make strides toward this vision as we navigate the local and statewide fiscal landscape.
