FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PPBOCES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
Information Update for the week of June 22, 2010
- At one of the recent BOCES Board meetings, the Board entered into a discussion about BOCES-owned computers, cell phones and cars. If these items are used for personal benefit by employees, the value of that use has to be declared as income. Pikes Peak BOCES computers and cell phones are for BOCES business only. If an employee uses them for personal business, the BOCES bills them for the use. BOCES vehicles that are driven from home to work are considered part of the employee's income. The value of that income is added to their gross income on their paychecks. The employee pays taxes and benefits on the added income. The conversation at the Board meeting was informative and I thought this summary would be beneficia
- Currently there are no written commitments to send expelled or at-risk students to the New Directions program next year. There are 10 school districts that are part of the final year of the expelled student grant. The consortium districts are Big Sandy, Calhan, Cheyenne Mountain, The Charter Institute, Elbert, Ellicott, Falcon, Hanover, Manitou Springs, and Widefield. They can send students to New Directions at no cost. Any other districts that wish to send students can do so for a fee of $4,000.00 per year which can be prorated. Reductions in the New Directions budget have already been made, but additional adjustments may be made based upon enrollment. The New Directions program will continue, but not in its current mode of operation. Staff adjustments, number of on-line slots, facilities, and curriculum offerings may be changed next fall depending on the number of students enrolled.
- Attached is a revised Pikes Peak BOCES Organizational Chart (Policy CCA). The revised organizational chart will be a topic for discussion at the September SAC meeting before it is presented to the Board.
- Some final revisions have been made to the proposed PPBOCES School of Excellence BEST grant. The building size has been reduced slightly and the dollar amount reduced because of lower construction costs. The current grant proposal is for $20,910,221 which is $1,559,833 less than the original grant. Approved grants should be announced in the next two weeks.
- The Regional Service Area (RSA) #7 has been very active this year. During the last school year RSA provided funding for 12 projects totaling 25 staff development activities. Participation in the various activities ranged from 12 to 180 educators for a total of approximately 900 participants. The RSA Council spent the $100,492.36 plus in coordinating and providing staff development activities for the Pikes Peak Area. Zero funding for RSA activities next year will be a big loss for regional staff development. Hopefully funding will return in the near future to support RSA programs.
- This is my final information update as the Executive Director of Pikes Peak BOCES. I have enjoyed the past four years, except that it went by too fast. I have especially enjoyed working with Pikes Peak Area administrators and the BOCES staff. When I first came to Pikes Peak BOCES as superintendent at Calhan in 1998, it was a great organization with an excellent reputation. Pikes Peak BOCES had some difficult times in the early 2000s. It has been a pleasure to see PPBOCES return to the viable educational support agency that it should be. These are the things I will miss. I won't miss the long list of emails, complaints and night meetings. Archie Neil is ready to provide leadership for PPBOCES. Contact him if you have issues or concerns. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the BOCES and the area school districts - Bob Selle.