JUNE 2005

Summer Schedules
      The District Office will be open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., July 5-22. Offices will be closed July 4 for Independence Day and July 25 for Pioneer Day. The District Office will return to regular hours beginning July 26.
      The next issue of Current will be e-mailed to employees and available online Aug. 2 at www.jordandistrict.org. Print editions of Current Monthly Summary will resume in September.

Budget Set for 2005-06
      The Board of Education approved the District’s 2005-06 budget during its June 14 meeting. Highlights of the budget, as presented by Superintendent Barry L. Newbold at the meeting, are as follows:
      • Revenue for the coming school year is estimated at $575.8 million and expenditures at $589.3 million.
      • The state Legislature increased the Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU) value from $2,182 to $2,280, a 4.5 percent increase.
      • Enrollment is expected to increase two percent to 77,140 students.
      • The District's assessed valuation is expected to reach $19 billion in 2005.
      • The budget includes a three percent cost-of-living increase for employees and funding for lane and step changes.
      • The District will spend $5,006 per pupil.
      • The staffing ratio for first-grade classes will decrease by 0.5 students. Other class sizes will not change.
      • There is no net tax increase anticipated for the upcoming school year, pending final certified tax rates from the Salt Lake County Auditor’s Office.

Lunch Prices to Increase
      As part of the District’s 2005-06 budget, the Board of Education voted to increase lunch prices by 15 cents per lunch. The new prices are $1.50 for elementary, $1.75 for secondary and $2.50 for adult. Reduced-price lunches and breakfast prices will not change. The increase was necessary to keep up with rising food and salary costs. District lunch prices were last increased in 2000-01.

Wells Fargo Area President Randy M. Butler presents a $13,950 check to Superintendent Barry L. Newbold representing contributions from the company’s Team Up for Our Schools program.

Team Up for Our Schools
      Wells Fargo contributed nearly $14,000 to the District as part of its Team Up for Our Schools program. The financial services company contributed up to $40 to the District for each new checking account opened during the summer months last year. Randy M. Butler, area president for Wells Fargo, presented the $13,950 check to Superintendent Barry L. Newbold, representing donations generated by the company stores in the area. Wells Fargo requested that the funds be used specifically for direct classroom expenses such as teaching materials, school supplies and teacher compensation.

Classified Employee Awards
      The Jordan Education Foundation presented Classified Employee Awards to the following individuals:
      • Connie Meadows, head secretary at Alta View Elementary
      • Debbie Stauffer, lunch manager at Bluffdale Elementary
      • James Sheely, head custodian at Midvalley Elementary
      • Wally Francom, head custodian at Ridgecrest Elementary
      • Kathy Hilton, head secretary at Union Middle School
      • Launa Jones, childcare lab manager at Riverton High School
      Honorees are nominated for the award by their supervisors. Each winner received a recognition plaque and $1,000.

Top Teachers Honored
      Wal-Mart recently honored Patricia Drake, kindergarten teacher at Hayden Peak Elementary, Ryan Hansen, fourth-grade teacher at Columbia Elementary, and Sheri Sample, language and arts teacher at Albion Middle, with Top Teacher awards. Each winning teacher received a $1,000 grant to benefit their school, a $50 shopping card to buy classroom supplies and an honorary greeter’s vest.

Custodian of the Month
      John Sheriff, assistant custodian at Elk Ridge Middle, was named Custodial Services Employee of the Month for June. He has been with the District since 1994.

Jump-A-Thon Raises Heart Funds
      Students at Elk Meadows Elementary raised more than $9,000 for the Save-A-Heart Program. Third-grade teacher Whitt Lovell and the PTA spearheaded a successful “Jump-A-Thon” event, with sponsorship from the American and Utah Heart Associations. The school placed second statewide in the total raised.

Students Write, Perform Opera
      Third-grade students at Welby Elementary wrote, produced and starred in an opera. Students in MaryAnn Larsen’s class performed “The Emperor’s New Rain Forest” on June 22. Several opera dignitaries were in attendance during rehearsals to observe the process.

Reading Barbecue
      The kindergarten students and teachers at Monte Vista Elementary held a literacy event for dads on the day after Father’s Day. The event included a Reading Barbecue where students and their dads ate hot dogs on the school lawn then read a favorite book with them. Kindergarten teachers Terrie Simmons, Diane Edwards, Jennifer Maffei and Marinda Wessman coordinated the event.

Rule Impacts Accounting for Retiree Benefits
      New accounting rules from the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) will change the way the District accounts for retiree health care and other benefits. These changes will impact District budgets and future retiree benefits. The following Q&A is provided to help employees better understand the issue and where the District is in the process of addressing the situation.
      • What is GASB? GASB is a national organization that establishes accounting standards for governments and public organizations such as school districts. Federal and state laws require governments to follow GASB standards.
      • What is GASB 45? In August 2004, GASB issued Statement No. 45, Accounting and Financial Reporting by Employers for Post-Employment Benefits Other Than Pensions. Under the GASB 45 standard, retiree health care and other non-pension benefits for retirees must be paid for as the benefit is earned (similar to pension benefits) rather than on a “pay-as-you-go” basis, as is currently the case. GASB 45 requires the District to actuarially estimate the future cost of non-pension benefits for retirees and then calculate an actuarially derived yearly expense to be shown on the budget. Jordan School District must implement these rules by July 1, 2007.
      • What benefits does GASB 45 affect? The GASB 45 standard applies to non-pension retiree benefits. Jordan School District’s non-pension benefits include items such as health insurance, life insurance and early retirement incentives. The rule does not deal directly with current benefits for active employees.
      • How will GASB 45 impact the District? Because the District will be required to simultaneously fund future benefit payments and current benefit payments for retirees, the cost to provide these benefits will increase substantially. Some organizations are estimating the expense is likely three- to four-times the current pay-as-you-go cost. In addition, health care costs are increasing about 10 percent annually, creating a difficult funding situation.
      • How is Jordan School District addressing the issue? Nothing has currently been decided about retiree benefits except GASB 45 represents a big enough issue that it must be addressed now. Because of the concern about the District’s ability to pay for current as well as future retiree costs, the District is organizing a GASB Advisory Task Force consisting of District employees. The Task Force will be asked to identify strategies for addressing the issues surrounding the GASB 45 standard. It is anticipated the Task Force will make recommendations to the Board of Education around January 2006. More information will be forthcoming as the Task Force is selected and the work begins.

Summer Schedules
      There will be no Current employee newsletter posted June 14 or 21. The next issue of Current will be e-mailed to employees and available online June 28 at www.jordandistrict.org. Print editions of Current Monthly Summary will resume in September.
      Remember, you can check your District e-mail from anywhere you have Internet access (see “Employee Web Mail” below). You can also receive Current at a home e-mail address by going to www.jordandistrict.org and clicking “Subscribe to Our Newsletter” on the right-hand side of the page.
      The District Office will be open regular hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., through June. Summer hours will be 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., July 5-22. Offices will be closed July 4 for Independence Day and July 25 for Pioneer Day. The District Office will return to regular hours beginning July 26.

Employee Web Mail
      Employees can access their District e-mail accounts from anywhere they have an Internet connection. From the District homepage at www.jordandistrict.org, click “employees” at the top of the screen then select “Employee Web Mail.” The link will take you to a sign-in screen where you enter your user I.D. (your assigned e-mail name, e.g.: john.smith) and password. If you don’t know your password, contact your building technical support representative or call Information Systems user support, (801) 567-8737. For security reasons, you should change your password after the initial logon. Once logged on, you can access a variety of e-mail options including add a vacation message, forward e-mail, and access any e-mail messages received since you last downloaded e-mail to your District computer.

Applications for ESL Endorsement
      In Fall 2005, Jordan District will offer ESL Endorsement programs through both Brigham Young University and Southern Utah University. You may obtain information and applications from your principal or online at http://web.jordan.k12.ut.us:16080/als/endorsement0506.html . For more information, contact the ALS Department at (801) 567-8116. Applications are due July 1.

Teachers in Who’s Who
      The following teachers have been nominated for inclusion in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers:
     • Jeanie Anderson, special education, Riverton High
     • DeAnn Baxter, third grade, Welby Elementary
     • Kari Crane, special education, Riverton High
     • Joyce Gardner, resource, West Jordan Elementary
     • Mary Ellen Smith, BYU Partnership facilitator

Seeking Books
      As a new school opening next school year, Daybreak Elementary is seeking any surplus Houghton-Mifflin or Harcourt reading books. The school is also in need of an opaque projector. Please contact Principal Doree Strauss, (801) 567-8618.

Students Earn Luau for Reading
      Students at Copperview Elementary celebrated the completion of the school’s Read Across America goals with a Hawaiian luau, sponsored by the PTA. Each class read "mileage" minutes to reach a state in the United States from Utah.

Health Insurance for Children
      Utah’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will open for enrollment on July 1 with no specified end date, thanks to the increased money appropriated in the last legislative session. Families can apply for CHIP whenever a need arises—CHIP will stay open until the number of children served reaches the 40,000 capacity set by the state (there are currently 31,000 children receiving CHIP benefits). Even parents who are not U.S. citizens themselves can apply for benefits for their children who do have citizenship. For more information, visit the District Health Services Web site at http://web.jordan.k12.ut.us/healthservices/index.htm, or call Kami Ridd, Health Services Outreach, (801) 412-2522. Learn more about CHIP by calling 1-877-KIDS-NOW or by going on-line www.health.utah.gov/chip.

District Calendar
      View the District Calendar at www.jordandistrict.org/calendar

Employment Opportunities
      See current job openings posted by the Human Resources Department at www.jordandistrict.org/hr

ARCHIVED NEWS

To submit an item for Current, send an e-mail to Michael Kelley at michael.kelley@jordan.k12.ut.us or contact him at (801) 567-8337.