Budget Planning for Next School Year Has Begun!

We need your help to make sure our plans for the upcoming school year 2015-2016 will continue our progress as a district. For the upcoming year, our work will be focused on four priorities:

• Equity In Academic Rigor
• Empowering Young Males of Color
• Improving our High Schools

We’re asking YOU for your thoughts: How can we reach our goals? What would you like to see at the district level, at your school, or is there anything your school does well that we should apply to other schools?

We want to share information about the budget process and hear from as many of you as possible, so we’ve created four ways for you to learn more and give your input:

1. Get the facts at the new Interactive Data Center
   Visit this website to better understand your local school’s budget – how schools were funded in fiscal year 2015, how local school budgets compare to one another, and how enrollment and funding levels have changed over time. You can explore school enrollment and funding data through customized searches.
2. Join the Engage DCPS Online Forum
   Engage DCPS is an online forum built exclusively for your input! Submit your ideas on the budget process and see what other members have to say. DCPS will use this feedback to inform the Chancellor Henderson’s decisions about the DCPS budget.
3. Share Feedback with Your Local School Advisory Team (LSAT)
   LSATs are a group of school staff, parents, and community members who work alongside school leaders throughout the year to support high expectations and achievement for all students. This month, LSAT representatives from every school will be invited to participate in one of three meetings with the Chancellor. Attendees will have a chance to speak directly with the Chancellor. While these meetings are only for LSAT representatives, other community members should engage with their LSATs prior to and after these events to learn more about the budget process. These meetings will take place on January 20, 22, and 27, 2015.
4. Host a small group meeting
   Every resident in every neighborhood has a stake in the success of our public education system, whether they have children in school or not. To provide all DC residents an opportunity to share their thoughts, we’re creating the Everyone, Everywhere toolkit for you to host a small-group discussion with your community members on school system priorities. It can take place during a PTA meeting, a brown bag lunch at a local business, or in the home of a neighbor or family member. The toolkit is now available.

To share these engagement opportunities with your school community, download the printable flyer.

Questions? Contact us at [email protected] or 202-719-6613