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Board highlights DLT progress on attendance and voices concern over House Bill 96 and school funding
Summary
At its March 24 meeting the board heard District Leadership Team (DLT) updates on chronic absenteeism, momentum awards and the bus app; members expressed concern about state-level proposals in House Bill 96 and possible funding shifts that could affect districts long-term.
Board members at the March 24 Middletown School Board meeting reported on the district’s third-quarter District Leadership Team (DLT) meeting and discussed state-level legislation affecting public education.
DLT report and attendance: Board members said DLT highlighted three schools that earned Momentum Awards and discussed chronic absenteeism tied to seasonal illness. Staff described multiple building-level strategies to improve attendance — including school-specific incentives — and said the district’s new parent app provides real-time bus information to reduce parent uncertainty about pick-up and arrival: “Our parents have first hand information on where their students are on the bus,” a staff member said. Board members praised DLT work as “intentional” and credited teachers and principals for progress on reading and math goals.
State legislation and funding concerns: Members spent substantial time on state policy and budget proposals — notably House Bill 96, which board members said includes items beyond the biennial budget, such as changes to cell-phone policies in schools and provisions affecting hiring and seniority. The board discussed the governor’s budget outline and the likelihood of many changes as the bill moves through the House and Senate. The business manager said an early analysis suggests Middletown would be among the roughly 45% of districts that may receive additional revenue under the current proposal, but board members warned the final outcome could change during legislative negotiations.
Board members also raised concern that changes proposed in the state process — including limits on continuing levy options and growth in charter and voucher funding — may have long-term fiscal effects. “If they would fairly fund the current school model ... we would forego $5,000,000 of those increases,” a district official said; board members urged continuing outreach to the community and to legislators to explain local impacts.
