MPS families,
I hope that you all enjoyed a much deserved Spring Break. This week’s update includes a variety of opportunities for families to support our students and to participate in the district’s operational planning. Please also be sure to review the many accomplishments and educational initiatives described in the March Education Update.
Thank you for taking the time to consider these important items:
Please join us in recognizing April as World Autism Month. As a school district we are committed to providing high quality education and workforce readiness for all students, including those who are differently-abled. Please join us this month by taking time to better understand the nature of Autism so that we can best support our Autistic students as a community. Our Special Services Department recommends the Autism Speaks organization as a resource for important facts and statistics, as well as opportunities to support Autistic children, family members, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.
Community members are invited to participate in a Referendum Planning Virtual Discussion. At the Superintendent Coffee on Monday, March 14, the MPS leadership team presented an update and led a discussion regarding our facilities referendum planning efforts. We are writing now to request your participation in our recently launched Referendum Planning Thoughtexchange. Your contributions via the Thoughtexchange platform will help us to decide which school facilities improvement projects will be included in an anticipated proposal and how they should be prioritized. Ultimately, the outcomes of this effort will take the form of a ballot question on which community members will vote. The full details of our facilities research and planning efforts can be accessed on our Referendum Planning page. You can participate in the Thoughtexchange until April 22 and the outcomes will be reported at the Superintendent Coffee on Monday, April 25. Be sure to check back often to see and rate new thoughts.
The 2022-23 Final Budget Hearing will take place on April 26. On March 28, the MPS Administration presented the tentative budget to the Board of Education. The budget presentation provided context for a 1% increase in the tax levy for the purpose of supporting and expanding our existing programs. The final budget hearing will take place on Tuesday, April 26, at 7pm.
Finally, I would like to encourage everyone to join us at the Madison Education Foundation 5K Run/Walk on May 1, 2022. The Madison Education Foundation plays an important role in supporting educator innovation by awarding grants to faculty members who propose creative and inspirational ways to help students. Grant-funded programs that are found to be most impactful for students are then recommended for district funding within the annual budget process. By walking or running with us on May 1, you will be directly helping us support teacher creativity and student engagement. One mile races and kids fun races are also available. We hope to see you there!
Upcoming Events:
Apr 9 - MEF Pickleball Tournament
Apr 15 - Schools Closed - Good Friday
Apr 25 - Superintendent Coffee - Referendum Planning Thoughtexchange Report
Apr 26 - BOE Meeting/Final Budget Adoption
May 1 - MEF 5k
May 10 - Special BOE Meeting for Personnel
May 23 - Superintendent Coffee
May 24 - BOE Meeting
May 30 - Schools Closed - Memorial Day
May 31 - Schools Closed - Staff Professional Development
June 14 - Last day of school
June 20 - Superintendent Coffee
June 21 - BOE Meeting
July 18 - Superintendent Coffee
July 19 - BOE Meeting
Aug 22 - Superintendent Coffee
Aug 23 - BOE meeting
Aug 29 - First day of school
Sept 5 - Schools Closed - Labor Day
Sept 19 - Superintendent Coffee
Sept 20 - BOE Meeting
Sept 26 - Schools Closed - Rosh Hashanah
Oct 5 - Schools Closed - Yom Kippur
Oct 17 - Schools Closed - Staff Professional Development
Oct 17 - Superintendent Coffee
Oct 18 - BOE Meeting
Nov 10-11 - Schools Closed - NJEA Convention
Nov 14 - Superintendent Coffee
Nov 15 - BOE Meeting
Nov 24-25 - Schools Closed - Thanksgiving
Dec 12 - Superintendent Coffee
Dec 13 - BOE Meeting
Dec 26-Dec 30 - Schools Closed - Winter Break
Jan 3 - Board Reorganization Meeting