Enrollment - 2008/9

I've had some questions about enrollment for the coming school year, something I have been wondering about myself as it is directly related to revenue. Even modest increases in enrollment will significantly improve the budget picture.

The official enrollment numbers are generated by a count done on the 3rd Friday in September, we will have the actual numbers to report at that time. Anecdotally I have heard that enrollment was higher than anticipated, even on top of the expected increase in open enrollment students- but I don't know by how much.

Connie Haessly reports 193 4K students with a few more to be placed. There are 4 sections of 4K at TP, 3 sections at Maywood, 3 at Kids Safari and one each at IHM and Learning Ladder. I believe that a section was added at Maywood because of demand. The original 4K study from 2007 only estimated 145 students - this program appears substantially more popular than anticipated.

PEG isn't moving quite so far.

Andy Hagen sends word that Charter has relented a bit on the PEG channels (Channel 12 in Monona and Cottage Grove). The channels will be moved to a digital channel between 979 and 998, but will also be broadcast on an analog channel between 95 and 99, at least for the time being. That means that analog subscribers (like myself) will be able to tune in the PEG channel with existing TV sets and equipment.

The change is set to go in to effect on September 30th.

From Charter:

To address the needs of some of our non-digital customers who desire to view the public access channels in an analog format, (not requiring digital equipment), we have listened to their concerns and have engineered a way to launch our new HD channels and the Public Affairs Neighborhood, while maintaining the public access channels on analog. Effective September 30th, analog customers will be able to view the public access channels in each of their local markets on analog channels 95-99, while digital customers will find those PEG channels, as well as the PEG channels from neighboring communities in the Public Affairs Neighborhood on channels 979-999. In this manner, both analog and digital customers are accommodated!

Starry night

We're just back from our summer vacation, spent on Rainy Lake in the Boundary Waters with friends. I think the best part of experience was taking Katherine and Will out to see the stars in the dark nights. They were awestruck by a view of the sky that they had little idea existed.

The wonder of the night sky has been a constant for 100,000 years of human history, what are the consequences of extirpating it from our awareness?

Just a reminder...

Glacial Drumlin dedication tomorrow at 1:00 pm!

August 13 board meeting

This week's meeting agenda can be found here.

Discussions of note include the Monona Grade Configuration Study Committee and a report from the Ad Hoc Athletic Field Use Committee.

The Field Use Committee has been investigating the installation of artificial turf for the High school stadium, including the possibility of asking the voters to fund this investment. There clearly is a problem with the condition of the football field due to the high number of events that take place on the grass and artificial turf is seen as one solution to this problem.

two little changes...

1) Next week's board meeting (August 13th) will be held at the district office board room at Nichols. We were scheduled to hold it in the library at Glacial Drumlin School, but the facility is not ready.

2) The PEG channel move has been delayed at least a month by Charter, so you will still be able to tune in on channel 12 at least for the next meeting.


P.S. Have you signed up to bake a pie yet?