Dear Colleague:
During the past school year, we have weathered unprecedented challenges, the likes of which we have never seen before.
As a community, we experienced the devastation to our homes and our schools caused by Superstorm Sandy and the storms that followed. While many of our staff were dealing with their own losses, their priority was to ensure that our schools were reopened and our students were safe. While the restoration was underway, our students were welcomed in their temporary schools and their daily routines went smoothly. As a community we worked together for the good of our children.
During the past school year, we implemented several mandated State Education Department initiatives including the introduction of the more rigorous Common Core Learning Standards in English Language Arts and math, the Dignity for All Act, the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) for staff evaluations and a significant amount of curriculum writing and professional development. All of this was done with your support. Once again as a community we worked together for the good of our children.
Our biggest challenge was to develop a 2013-2014 school budget, in an extremely challenging economic environment that complied with the New York State mandated tax levy cap. We are grateful that our Freeport community supported our budget which was approved by the voters by an impressive majority.
We have come quite far and we are proud of all our students have accomplished. Our students have demonstrated their determination to succeed and have received national, regional and state recognition for their many successes. We can all take pride in the progress that has been made and in knowing we worked together to make it happen. We have come too far to turn back now.
Moving forward, the challenges will become even harder to overcome. We will be forced to make extremely difficult decisions as we develop our school budget for the 2014-2015 school year. What we know for certain is that all of us will need to join together, staff and community, to ensure that our schools continue to provide a high quality education for all of our children.
On behalf of the Board of Education, we wish everyone sunny and relaxing summer days with time to recharge the batteries, read a book, take a swim, ride a bike, walk the boardwalk, take a trip, or do whatever it is that you may find refreshing and rejuvenating so that you regain your strength and enthusiasm to begin another school year together in September.
Regards,
Kishore Kuncham, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools