Following are a few updates as we enter the month of March. It is amazing how fast the school year is moving – before we know it, summer will be upon us. Actually, I am just looking forward to some nice spring weather! We hope that March does not come in like a lion, but we sure do want it to go out like a lamb.

Thanks: I wanted to say thanks to all who sent cards, letters and e-mails regarding the Final Four for the National Superintendent of the Year award. It sure was a great feeling representing our school district and Kentucky. It also made me appreciate more than ever the wonderful team I get to work with every day. Thank you all very much for your continued support and hard work on behalf of our kids.

Make-Up Days: Just as a reminder, here is a listing of our remaining make-up days after inclement weather. You may have heard that there are bills in the Legislature right now addressing these missed days, but from all indications they will not have any impact on us. If that changes, we will let you know. Make-up days include March 6 (for Jan. 16), May 19 (for Jan. 26), May 29 (for Jan. 27), June 1 (for Jan. 28), June 2 (for Jan. 29), June 3 (for Jan. 30) and June 4 (for Feb. 4).

Graduation Dates: According to state law, we are not permitted to hold graduation ceremonies until the last instructional day of the school year. Knowing that with inclement weather these dates are moving targets and could change, we do not set the official graduation dates until April. Last year, at our request, one of our local legislators tried to help us with this issue, but the bill to give us the flexibility needed never made it to the floor of the committee for discussion.

Budget: As previously shared with you, we are going to be OK with our budget. With the new sources for state revenue that passed in the Legislature, it looks like we will experience a 2 percent reduction rather than one that could have been significantly higher. The state has informed us that to absorb the reduction, the purchase of the new math textbooks that was scheduled for next year will be delayed. We also expect to receive additional funding in Title I, special education and possibly in other areas from the federal stimulus package, but as of this writing, we do not have the details. Overall, we feel very fortunate to be where we are today, considering the state of the economy in our country. Our focus will continue to be on our classrooms.

Web Stories and Press Releases: Did you know that there is a new feature story or press release posted about the great things happening in Fayette County almost every day? We will be starting something new next week. On the weeks that you are not receiving Stu’s News, we will send you a listing of some Web stories and press releases about FCPS. Our hope is that this will be one more way to keep you updated about the positive progress in our schools.