District News

CCPS PROVIDES HAITI EARTHQUAKE RELIEF

During a recent Support Staff Advisory Committee meeting one participant suggested that Charlotte County Public Schools should respond to the crisis in Haiti by having a bottled water drive.  With the idea firmly in place, Mrs. Hackney sent out a division-wide e-mail requesting support for earthquake relief effort.  Within five days, employees and students rallied behind the idea and donated approximately 300 cases of water.  The maintenance department coordinated picking up the water and delivering it to God’s Pit Crew in Danville, Virginia.  We were extremely proud of the compassionate response by our school division family, and are keeping this country in our thoughts as they begin to rebuild. 

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CCPS BUDGET DEVELOPMENT UNDERWAY

Given the state’s worsening economic situation, CCPS leaders prepared themselves for the December 2009 release of Governor Kaine’s proposed budget to address over a 4 billion dollar shortfall in state revenue.  Should the former Governor’s proposal be an accurate indication of the impact on Charlotte County schools, the division could be facing approximately 1.4 million dollars in cuts. 

School system leaders representing every school and department have worked diligently over the past month to attempt to identify areas where cuts can be made, while remaining dedicated to protecting the programs and services vital to the success of educating our children.  Unfortunately, this will be a painful process that will not be possible without a reduction in force and the loss of several critical positions to our success as a school division.  

Division leaders have promised to be very transparent and open during the entire process and are open to input from all school system stakeholders.  Input from the community has been solicited for a public hearing prior to the February school board meeting.  A budget work session is being scheduled for mid-February and joint finance committee meetings between the school board and the board of supervisors are currently being scheduled as well.  The school superintendent will be visiting every school and department to invite recommendations from CCPS staff.   Employees whose positions are likely to be impacted will be informed as soon as school board approval of the proposed cuts is achieved. 

Neither our employees nor our children are responsible for the economic circumstances in which we find ourselves.  All citizens of Charlotte County, internal or external to CCPS are urged to contact their state legislators and encourage them to protect public education for our greatest resources, our children!


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SUPERINTENDENT TRAVELS TO INDIA!

Mrs. Hackney took her much anticipated trip to India in early November of 2009.  Originally scheduled for late November of 2008, the trip was abruptly cancelled two days before the scheduled departure as a result of the terrorist attacks on Mumbai.  After almost another year of planning and evaluating the security risks of rescheduling, the trip was on! 

Traveling with a large group of Virginia superintendents and donors, Mrs. Hackney was able to experience first-hand this very interesting and intriguing country.  The group visited schools, businesses, universities and many diverse communities throughout the country.  Mrs. Hackney reported her two greatest lessons learned:  how blessed we are to live in America, a country that proudly provides every child a public education; and how important it is for our students to stay globally competitive with students from other countries.  

Mrs. Hackney, with the support of the CCPS Instructional Technology staff, has a prepared presentation highlighting this once-in-a-lifetime experience that she currently shares with student and community groups upon request. 

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CHARLOTTE COUNTY SCHOOLS APPROVED TO OPEN PERMANENTLY BEFORE LABOR DAY

Charlotte County Public Schools submitted a request for Approval of an Innovative Program Opening Prior to Labor Day to the State Board of Education.  On January 14, 2009, the State Board approved this request based upon the CA$HE (Connecting All Students to Higher Education) Program.  Due to Charlotte County’s commitment to providing an early introduction to post-secondary academic and career opportunities, the CA$HE Program was developed and implemented in the 2008-09 school year.  The desired outcome is to provide informational and motivational programs and activities at all grade levels (Pre-K through 12) that will result in 100% of Randolph-Henry High School graduates entering post-secondary education.  


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CHARLOTTE COUNTY SCHOOLS RECEIVE GOVERNOR’S EXCELLENCE AWARDS

J. Murray Jeffress Elementary School was awarded the Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence.

The Charlotte County School Division, as well as Bacon District Elementary School and Eureka Elementary School, were awarded the Board of Education’s Competence to Excellence Award.