FY2014 Budget Discussion Wednesday 12/12

The following announcement was received from the ORCSD SAU yesterday:

Superintendent Dr. James Morse would like to remind you that he will hold an informational discussion pertaining to the Fiscal Year 2014 district budget. This will take place on Wednesday, December 12th, 2012 at the Oyster River High School in the Auditorium at 6:00 PM. We hope to see you there.

New Edition of "ORCSD By The Numbers" Now Available

Old friend Mike McClurken has recently been in touch; he has revised and (greatly) expanded his earlier report on the ORCSD and it is now available from his website: www.orcsdnumbers.org. Mike tells me also he's planning to post there once or twice a month on topics of interest.

As for the new report when he said "greatly expanded" he wasn't kidding...the first edition was 87 pages and the new one is 42 pages longer! Mike describes it as "a data-driven examination of spending and outcomes in the Oyster River Cooperative School District" and it certainly is. I would further describe it as incredibly comprehensive; the amount of research and analysis that went into the report is mind-boggling.

Despite the fact that some of the math is beyond me (I was an English major) I found it quite reader-friendly. I strongly recommend that anyone interested in our schools take the time to look at it; even if you don't read every word there is plenty here to inform and enlighten.

Final 2013 Tax Rate Information for Durham

Fosters today reports that the NH Department of Revenue Administration has determined Durham's 2013 tax rate will rise 1.95%, or $0.55, as follows:  

• The school portion of the tax rate will rise $0.40 to $18.42 (an increase of 2.2%).
• The municipal portion of the tax rate will rise $0.04 to $7.61.
• The county portion of the tax rate will rise $0.11 to $2.72.

According to Town Administrator Todd Selig, the municipal portion of the rate comprises 26.47% of the overall tax bill received by property owners, the school portion comprises 64.07%, and the county portion comprises 9.46%.

All ORCSD Schools EXCEPT Mast Way To Reopen Tomorrow, 10/31

All schools will be open tomorrow, 10/31/12, except Mast Way Elementary School, which has not yet had power restored.

ORCSD Cancels Classes for Tuesday, October 30

All Oyster River schools will again be closed on Tuesday, October 30, due to Hurricane Sandy.

ORCSD Cancels Classes on Monday

Due to the coming storm, ORCSD has decided to close schools tomorrow (Monday).

Guest Commentary: "No parent should be made to feel unwelcome in their children's school because of politics"

Former School Board member Jocelyn O'Quinn has asked us to post the following:

Hello,

 

As some of you may know, last Wednesday ORCSD held a community forum at Moharimet with the new superintendent, Dr. James Morse, and assistant superintendent, Ms. Carolyn Eastman.

Unfortunately, our administration allowed FORE, a special interest group founded by David Taylor, John Collins, JoAnn Portalupi and others, to "co-sponsor" the event along with the PTO (much to the surprise of the PTO, which had received assurances that it alone was sponsoring the forum.)

Frankly, I am outraged that any special interest group would be allowed to sponsor a community event--and distribute literature to recruit new members--where parents were gathering to discuss our schools. But this is not just any special interest group: FORE is well-known for its tactics, which have included campaign activities on behalf of School Board candidates, and a series of false accusations directed against their political opponents, among others.

On a personal level, as a former School Board member I cannot help but feel dismayed that some of the people who worked hard to smear my reputation were allowed to sponsor the event and position themselves as a credible organization, all with the express endorsement of our District leadership. I walked through the doors that night to advocate for my two kids and found myself feeling bullied (again) by a group of people who for the most part do not have any children of their own in the school system, but with political axe to grind. How are we as parents, at an event supposedly set up to discuss issues facing our children, supposed to react when confronted with an organized, partisan group pushing its own agenda?

One thing ought to be clear: no parent should be made to feel unwelcome in their children's school because of politics. Whether you like FORE or not, please join me in letting our Superintendent and principals know that special interest groups should not be allowed to solicit during school events.  After all, these are everyone's schools, and partisanship should have no place in them. 

Dr. Morse can be reached via his assistant, at: wdifruscio@orcsd.org. 

Sincerely, 

Jocelyn O'Quinn

Mother of two Moharimet Students

School District Community Forum at Middle School

An additional Forum has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 16th, 7:30 – 8:30 pm in the Middle School Library.
A third is planned for Mast Way, but no date has been set.

School District Community Forum

The first of 3 Community Forum opportunities will be held at Moharimet this Wednesday, October 10, 7-8 PM.

Dr. Jim Morse, Superintendent and Carolyn Eastman, Assistant Superintendent will be holding 3 fall community forums in the school district to allow for community dialogue about overarching district goals and curriculum.

They look forward to feedback and ideas from the community. There will be other opportunities throughout the year to continue the dialogue that begins this fall. Babysitting will be provided in the art room, if needed. Please RSVP to Rebecca Kell, rebecca_kell@hotmail.com.

CATS Program Offers ORHS Students Courses at UNH

The CATS Program is open to motivated and academically strong local high school seniors and juniors who want to enrich their academic experience with an introductory college level course (400-500 level). It is designed to supplement the high school curriculum; NOT replace courses offered at the high school. High school students must submit a completed application (https://admissions.unh.edu/sites/admissions.unh.edu/files/media/pdf/CATS%20application%202012.pdf), an official high school transcript, and SAT Critical Reading and Math scores (if available) to the Office of Admissions. The CATS Coordinator will then review it for approval. Spaces fill on a first-come, first-served basis, so early registration is recommended.

Criteria for CATS approval:

· Enrollment in a strong and balanced selection of college preparatory coursework, including mathematics, laboratory sciences, and foreign language.
· An overall “B” average and rank in approximately the top 25% or higher of your class.
· Typically, a combined SAT Critical Reading and Math portion score of 1120 or higher.
· Ultimately, the student must be on track to be admissible to a 4-year college.
· Exceptions are made for home-schooled students who may have less than junior or senior standing and elect to take laboratory sciences or world languages that are not as easily accessible to a home-schooler.
When approved, students should bring a completed registration form, along with their CATS approval, to Registration in Stoke Hall, 11 Garrison Avenue or mail it in with a copy of your CATS approval. Spaces fill on a first-come, first-served basis, so early registration is recommended.

Cost:

CATS students pay the continuing education per-credit cost for courses. In addition to the cost of the course, students are required to pay a registration fee of $20 and a technology fee of $14.50 (1-4 credits) as well as lab fees and the cost of required text(s).

Oyster River High School students, or students who are home-schooled from Durham, Madbury, and Lee, qualify for a one course per semester tuition waiver.