I have sat back over the last two years or so and watched and listened to public education take a beating from folks around our great state and I can’t take it anymore. I’ve seen and heard organizations like the Platte Institute, Farm Bureau, and even the State Chamber of Commerce take some cheap shots at us for spending and “under-delivering.” Heck, even some of our elected officials in the Capitol view public education as a burden.
As a career educator that didn’t grow up in Nebraska but has been here since 2000, I have come to love and appreciate what our great public school system offers.
Did you know that over 86% of Nebraska Public High School students took the ACT in 2014? Their average composite score of 21.7 is the HIGHEST IN THE NATION for states that had 80% or more of their students taking the ACT!
Did you know that Nebraska has one of the best high school graduation rates in the nation, with nearly 90% of our seniors graduating?
Now, we hear about how our spending is “out of control” and we’re the culprit for obscenely high property taxes. Well, we have spending lids and tax levy lids that we are mandated to adhere by. Many of our districts absolutely do have an overreliance on local property taxes and you would have to think that one of the main reasons is that Nebraska ranks #49 in the nation for the percentage of its state budget that goes towards K-12 public education.
In 1998-99, right at 32% of the state’s general fund was spent on K-12 educational aid. During this 2015-16 fiscal year, that percentage has plummeted to 27.6%. It is projected to be even lower in 2016-17. If K-12 aid made up the same percentage of the budget today as it did in 1999, the state’s general fund support would be over $187 million more than it is.
Most states provide significantly more state aid to K-12 schools. In fact, Nebraska would have to increase state aid to K-12 education by more than $700 million just to reach the national average.
Here in York, we’ve seen our state aid go from $3.7 million a few years ago to $1.56 million this year. We are projected to lose another million for 2016-17 and receive just $560,000 in state aid. All the while, our total revenue, which includes state aid, federal monies, special education reimbursement, etc. has only increased by an annual average of just over 2%. We HAVE to increase local property taxes just to make up for the huge losses in state aid.
Local school districts are very wary of their spending. They have public board meetings every month where their bills are discussed and approved. Here in York, our spending is so “out of control” that it has grown by an average of 1.8% over the last six years. What other organizations, businesses, and institutes can say the same? Right at 33% of our spending increase has been for grant funded programming that we’ve added over the past six years for pre-school, children living in poverty, and before/after school programming. If we didn’t have these student needs, we wouldn’t have increased our spending!
We have lots of room for improvement in every public school district in this state. We will always be a “work in progress.” It just sickens me that people that have never walked a step in the shoes of our dedicated teachers, support staff, and administrators get to continually put us down.
Come visit a high needs special education room and help care for severely disabled students that can’t go to the bathroom on their own. Come visit a pre-school or kindergarten room and help provide meaningful instruction for youngsters that haven’t eaten anything since they left your classroom at 3:15 yesterday. Come deal with the mental health issues we have in our middle and high schools. Come deal with more and more unfunded mandates and school accountability. Come spend a day with your local school administrator and deal with the chaos that often begins before 7:00 AM and ends around 10:00 PM. We do it every day and love it and can’t wait to do it again tomorrow!
What services do they want us to cut? What are we providing for our students that is so out of line?
We’ll hear an awful lot this legislative session about how under-performing our state’s public schools are. Folks will be pushing charter schools and vouchers, spending lids, and all kinds of measures that paint public education as the enemy. We’re not. Come visit us and see for yourselves!
Mike Lucas
York, Nebraska
Monday, January 11, 2016
Monday, January 4, 2016
It's Time
We're back! Second Semester is underway and 2016 is off and running. I always feel like January and February pose the biggest challenges to any school year...it is sometimes known as "Angry Adult Season." For whatever reason, the first two months of the new year can often bring out the worst in people....maybe it's because we spent too much money on Christmas....maybe it's because we spent too much time with our family....who knows?
We're going to do everything in our power to make THIS January and February the best it can be. We're going to attack the winter doldrums with enthusiasm and excitement. I hope you join us and do the same!
Don't dread January and February - make them awesome.
GO DUKES!
We're going to do everything in our power to make THIS January and February the best it can be. We're going to attack the winter doldrums with enthusiasm and excitement. I hope you join us and do the same!
Don't dread January and February - make them awesome.
GO DUKES!
Friday, December 18, 2015
A 2016 Poem
Another year will be here soon;
Another 12 months of the sun and moon.
Another opportunity for wishes and dreams to come true;
Especially for those York Dukes in vegas gold and navy blue!
Over the next 12 months, we will learn a lot;
There will be many T's to cross and I's to dot.
I'm very proud of the important work at YPS we've done;
Even though it's often difficult and not always fun.
There's so much more to do - the mission will never end;
Our students need us more than ever before into the "real world" we do send.
I love our students, our staff, this school district, and this town;
2016 will be another time frame we won't ever let down!
GO DUKES!
Another 12 months of the sun and moon.
Another opportunity for wishes and dreams to come true;
Especially for those York Dukes in vegas gold and navy blue!
Over the next 12 months, we will learn a lot;
There will be many T's to cross and I's to dot.
I'm very proud of the important work at YPS we've done;
Even though it's often difficult and not always fun.
There's so much more to do - the mission will never end;
Our students need us more than ever before into the "real world" we do send.
I love our students, our staff, this school district, and this town;
2016 will be another time frame we won't ever let down!
GO DUKES!
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Christmas Joy
Even though the weather is beautiful and might reach 60 degrees today, you can tell Christmas is closing in on us. The excitement is building. Family plans are being finalized. Joy is in the air.
I love Christmas as much as anyone. I love the music. I love the decorative lights. I love the family gatherings.
One thing I've learned over the years, however, is that Christmas isn't fantastic for everyone like I wish it was. Too many children don't get to play games with grandparents on Christmas Eve or wake up to an abundance of gifts under the tree. Too many children dread Christmas because it's another reminder of the hardships they and their families are dealing with.
My heart goes out to these children every year. Each December, some friends and I do our best to make Christmas a little better for 10-15 kids and that to me is the best part of Christmas. It's not what you get....it's what you give.
As you finalize Christmas plans, please be extremely thankful for all you have because there are many, many people that would change places with you in a heartbeat.
Enjoy the Christmas Season!
Go Dukes!
I love Christmas as much as anyone. I love the music. I love the decorative lights. I love the family gatherings.
One thing I've learned over the years, however, is that Christmas isn't fantastic for everyone like I wish it was. Too many children don't get to play games with grandparents on Christmas Eve or wake up to an abundance of gifts under the tree. Too many children dread Christmas because it's another reminder of the hardships they and their families are dealing with.
My heart goes out to these children every year. Each December, some friends and I do our best to make Christmas a little better for 10-15 kids and that to me is the best part of Christmas. It's not what you get....it's what you give.
As you finalize Christmas plans, please be extremely thankful for all you have because there are many, many people that would change places with you in a heartbeat.
Enjoy the Christmas Season!
Go Dukes!
Friday, December 4, 2015
Lots to be Proud of Regarding Nebraska's Public Schools
I love Nebraska and I am so proud of the great work being done around this awesome state in our tremendous public schools!
• Did you know that over 86% of Nebraska Public High School students took the ACT in 2014? Their average composite score of 21.7 is the HIGHEST IN THE NATION for states that had 80% or more of their students taking the ACT! (http://blog.prepscholar.com/act-scores-by-state-averages-highs-and-lows)
• During 2014-15, Nebraska Public School students achieved some impressive results on the NeSA (state assessments). (http://reportcard.education.ne.gov/Default_State.aspx)
o 80% were at/above proficiency on NeSA-Reading (An 8% increase since 2010-11)
o 72% were at/above proficiency on NeSA-Math (A 9% increase since 2010-11)
o 72% were at/above proficiency on NeSA-Science (A 5% increase since 2011-12)
o 72% were at/above proficiency on NeSA-Writing (A 4% increase since 2012-13)
• Did you know the percentage of Nebraska Public School students that qualify for free or reduced meals has grown from 30% in 2000-01 to over 44% now? (http://reportcard.education.ne.gov/Default_State.aspx)
o Nebraska Public Schools are doing more than ever in our communities to offer robust programming to meet the needs of our ever-changing diverse learners and we are PROUD TO DO SO!
• Did you know that 52.16% of Nebraska’s Public School teachers have a Masters’ Degree or higher? This is an increase of almost 7% since 2010-11. (http://reportcard.education.ne.gov/Default_State.aspx)
• The 2014-15 school year marked the 5th year in a row that the average daily attendance of Nebraska Public School students was over 95%! (http://reportcard.education.ne.gov/Default_State.aspx)
• The total number of Nebraska Public School students has increased from 284,912 in 2000-01 to over 312,000 today. (http://reportcard.education.ne.gov/Default_State.aspx)
• Nebraska has one of the best high school graduation rates in the nation, with nearly 90% of our seniors graduating. (http://reportcard.education.ne.gov/Default_State.aspx)
• Did you know that over 86% of Nebraska Public High School students took the ACT in 2014? Their average composite score of 21.7 is the HIGHEST IN THE NATION for states that had 80% or more of their students taking the ACT! (http://blog.prepscholar.com/act-scores-by-state-averages-highs-and-lows)
• During 2014-15, Nebraska Public School students achieved some impressive results on the NeSA (state assessments). (http://reportcard.education.ne.gov/Default_State.aspx)
o 80% were at/above proficiency on NeSA-Reading (An 8% increase since 2010-11)
o 72% were at/above proficiency on NeSA-Math (A 9% increase since 2010-11)
o 72% were at/above proficiency on NeSA-Science (A 5% increase since 2011-12)
o 72% were at/above proficiency on NeSA-Writing (A 4% increase since 2012-13)
• Did you know the percentage of Nebraska Public School students that qualify for free or reduced meals has grown from 30% in 2000-01 to over 44% now? (http://reportcard.education.ne.gov/Default_State.aspx)
o Nebraska Public Schools are doing more than ever in our communities to offer robust programming to meet the needs of our ever-changing diverse learners and we are PROUD TO DO SO!
• Did you know that 52.16% of Nebraska’s Public School teachers have a Masters’ Degree or higher? This is an increase of almost 7% since 2010-11. (http://reportcard.education.ne.gov/Default_State.aspx)
• The 2014-15 school year marked the 5th year in a row that the average daily attendance of Nebraska Public School students was over 95%! (http://reportcard.education.ne.gov/Default_State.aspx)
• The total number of Nebraska Public School students has increased from 284,912 in 2000-01 to over 312,000 today. (http://reportcard.education.ne.gov/Default_State.aspx)
• Nebraska has one of the best high school graduation rates in the nation, with nearly 90% of our seniors graduating. (http://reportcard.education.ne.gov/Default_State.aspx)
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Snow Days, Cold Days, and Late Starts
Making decisions about full days, late starts, and/or snow days are never fun or easy. All you have to do is check social media and see all of the names we get called on questionable days and you will be able to quickly ascertain this isn’t for the faint of heart! We do the best we can with the information and resources we have at the time. Please remember you can keep your child(ren) home on days that we have school and you think we shouldn’t.
WHY YPS HAS SCHOOL ON “COLD DAYS” WHEN SOME DISTRICTS DO NOT
We are fortunate to be one of the few school districts in Nebraska that has an insulated bus barn that keeps all of our buses from freezing during those cold winter nights and early mornings. That, along with the fact we offer over 90 bus stops within town, and basically door-to-door service on most country routes, ensures that we can have school on “cold days” (with or without snow) where other districts shut down. Most districts that shut down on “cold days” do so because their buses are left outside and they’re unable to guarantee they will run the next day. We take extra precautions on extremely cold days and we are glad to be open as we offer heated buildings, warm meals, and a structured environment that many of our kids rely on. Again, if you think we shouldn’t have school on a “cold day” where other districts have shut down, please feel free to keep your child(ren) at home.
THE IMPACT OF SNOW DAYS ON OUR SCHOOL CALENDAR
If we have any school cancellations this year, the first two won’t be made up as they are allowed for in our existing calendar. For example, if we have two cancellations, school will still end on May 18th as already published on our school calendar. If we would have four cancellations, for example, we would make up two days and school would end on May 20th. So, we build in two free snow days each year. We have no limit on late starts.
WEDNESDAYS – WEDNESDAYS – WEDNESDAYS
Wednesdays are our early dismissal days. If we ever have a 2-hour late start on a Wednesday, that turns into a full day of school and will NOT be an early dismissal. We feel it would be silly to have a late start on a day you get out of school early on. So, Wednesdays are unique in that they COULD turn into a full day of school if we determine a late start is necessary.
LATE STARTS
Late starts are often used to buy a little time. We feel better about our buses and young drivers navigating the roads during the daylight of a late start than early morning in many instances. It is sometimes common to see a late start follow a snow day as country roads still have drifts, etc. We cancel morning pre-school on late start days but do have afternoon pre-school classes.
COMMUNICATION
Troy Rowe and I are normally in contact with weather professionals, road workers, and area schools to see what the conditions are like. We often drive throughout our district between 4:00-5:00 AM to determine what we feel is needed. Our decisions are never made lightly.
In the event of a school closing, York Public Schools will communicate in numerous ways. Information can be found:
• On our website at www.yorkpublic.org
• Listening to KAWL/KTMX Radio
• Watching NTV or KOLN/KGIN TV
• On the York Public Schools Facebook Page
• On Twitter at the hashtag of #yorkdukes
• Through our “NOTIFY ME” instant notification system you can sign up for at www.yorkpublic.org (search for the NOTIFY ME tab on the left side of the homepage)
o This will send you text messages and/or emails when decisions are made
We take the safety of our students and staff very seriously. We make what we feel is the best decision for the school district as a whole during these difficult scenarios.
Please remember you can keep your child(ren) home on days that we have school and you think we shouldn’t.
WHY YPS HAS SCHOOL ON “COLD DAYS” WHEN SOME DISTRICTS DO NOT
We are fortunate to be one of the few school districts in Nebraska that has an insulated bus barn that keeps all of our buses from freezing during those cold winter nights and early mornings. That, along with the fact we offer over 90 bus stops within town, and basically door-to-door service on most country routes, ensures that we can have school on “cold days” (with or without snow) where other districts shut down. Most districts that shut down on “cold days” do so because their buses are left outside and they’re unable to guarantee they will run the next day. We take extra precautions on extremely cold days and we are glad to be open as we offer heated buildings, warm meals, and a structured environment that many of our kids rely on. Again, if you think we shouldn’t have school on a “cold day” where other districts have shut down, please feel free to keep your child(ren) at home.
THE IMPACT OF SNOW DAYS ON OUR SCHOOL CALENDAR
If we have any school cancellations this year, the first two won’t be made up as they are allowed for in our existing calendar. For example, if we have two cancellations, school will still end on May 18th as already published on our school calendar. If we would have four cancellations, for example, we would make up two days and school would end on May 20th. So, we build in two free snow days each year. We have no limit on late starts.
WEDNESDAYS – WEDNESDAYS – WEDNESDAYS
Wednesdays are our early dismissal days. If we ever have a 2-hour late start on a Wednesday, that turns into a full day of school and will NOT be an early dismissal. We feel it would be silly to have a late start on a day you get out of school early on. So, Wednesdays are unique in that they COULD turn into a full day of school if we determine a late start is necessary.
LATE STARTS
Late starts are often used to buy a little time. We feel better about our buses and young drivers navigating the roads during the daylight of a late start than early morning in many instances. It is sometimes common to see a late start follow a snow day as country roads still have drifts, etc. We cancel morning pre-school on late start days but do have afternoon pre-school classes.
COMMUNICATION
Troy Rowe and I are normally in contact with weather professionals, road workers, and area schools to see what the conditions are like. We often drive throughout our district between 4:00-5:00 AM to determine what we feel is needed. Our decisions are never made lightly.
In the event of a school closing, York Public Schools will communicate in numerous ways. Information can be found:
• On our website at www.yorkpublic.org
• Listening to KAWL/KTMX Radio
• Watching NTV or KOLN/KGIN TV
• On the York Public Schools Facebook Page
• On Twitter at the hashtag of #yorkdukes
• Through our “NOTIFY ME” instant notification system you can sign up for at www.yorkpublic.org (search for the NOTIFY ME tab on the left side of the homepage)
o This will send you text messages and/or emails when decisions are made
We take the safety of our students and staff very seriously. We make what we feel is the best decision for the school district as a whole during these difficult scenarios.
Please remember you can keep your child(ren) home on days that we have school and you think we shouldn’t.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful Thanksgiving this week. I am looking to some time away from the office. I'm excited to turn my phone off and to enjoy my family. Below are some random things I am thankful for this year.
* The fantastic students we have here in York...they work hard to represent themselves, their families, our school system, and community in a positive fashion.
* The dedicated staff we have at YPS. Our teachers and non-teachers work hard and take a lot of pride in what they do. We have some phenomenal people on the York Duke Team.
* The tremendous parental and community support we enjoy in York. Our parents and patrons truly care about our kids and all of their endeavors.
* Our supportive board of education is another important part of the YPS team. They are student-centered and work tirelessly to ensure our district is heading in the right way.
* My four children that are my best friends. I'm hard on them from time to time but always proud of them. There is never a day that goes by that they don't provide me with strength and purpose.
* My wife is a very important part of my life. Her support and friendship is something I can count on when the rest of my world is turned upside down. I'm lucky to have her as my co-pilot in this crazy thing we call "life."
* My parents and family who I love so much and wish I got to spend more time with. It is still hard not to be with them during the holidays but I know we're always just a phone call away.
* The opportunities we enjoy in the greatest country in the world.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
* The fantastic students we have here in York...they work hard to represent themselves, their families, our school system, and community in a positive fashion.
* The dedicated staff we have at YPS. Our teachers and non-teachers work hard and take a lot of pride in what they do. We have some phenomenal people on the York Duke Team.
* The tremendous parental and community support we enjoy in York. Our parents and patrons truly care about our kids and all of their endeavors.
* Our supportive board of education is another important part of the YPS team. They are student-centered and work tirelessly to ensure our district is heading in the right way.
* My four children that are my best friends. I'm hard on them from time to time but always proud of them. There is never a day that goes by that they don't provide me with strength and purpose.
* My wife is a very important part of my life. Her support and friendship is something I can count on when the rest of my world is turned upside down. I'm lucky to have her as my co-pilot in this crazy thing we call "life."
* My parents and family who I love so much and wish I got to spend more time with. It is still hard not to be with them during the holidays but I know we're always just a phone call away.
* The opportunities we enjoy in the greatest country in the world.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
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