School Board President's Message

January 2008

On behalf of the Avon Grove School Board of School Directors, I wish you glad tidings for 2008.

As I reflect on 2007 and the school year thus far, I am reminded of the many accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff, and administrators, as well as the many ways the Board has served our school community.

Our major accomplishments so far this school year include:

Successfully completing the purchase of two properties to house future school facilities;
Initiating the PlanCon process on a future secondary school facility;
Approving a five-year contract with the district’s professional staff;
Renewal of the superintendent’s contract through October 31, 2013;
Approving changes and enhancements to the mathematics curriculum, graduation requirements, and high school promotion requirements; and
Hiring a new lead principal for Avon Grove Intermediate School.

Also, this past fall we received word that each of Avon Grove’s four schools and the district met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals for the 2006-2007 school year under the state’s measurement criteria for the federal No Child Left Behind Act. (See Avon Grove School District's "Report Card" for more information.)

Avon Grove is one of only four Chester County school districts — out of 12 overall — that met AYP for each school within the district and the district itself for 2006-2007.

Each of the district’s four schools also received a Keystone Achievement Award from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for meeting AYP for two consecutive years in 2005-2006 and 2006-2007. Schools that earn a Keystone Achievement Award receive a large, keystone-shaped placard that can be displayed at the school.

Superintendent Dr. Augustus J. Massaro presented the placards to district and school administrators from each building, teacher representatives, association representatives, and Board members at the January 10, 2008, Board of School Directors’ meeting.

We are proud of the efforts of our students, families, faculty, staff, administrators, and school volunteers, and we applaud their hard work and dedication.

As we enter the second half of the school year, we will continue to support the district’s efforts to provide a challenging and engaging educational experience for the children and families we serve, and we will address the issues — large and small — which impact our school community.

The Board will begin 2008 with continued discussion on Future Growth. In early January, we reviewed the updated census report from the Pennsylvania Economy League. The Board remains committed to evaluating all available data to guide us in making fiscally sound decisions regarding school improvements and new construction. We encourage all members of the community to take an active role in this discussion.

This year, we will also be updating the district’s Strategic Plan. This plan will shape our goals for the next five years. Please look for updates on our Website.

In addition, in the spring, the Board will review and approve the 2008-2009 budget.

As our decisions on these and other matters affect everyone in the school community, we value your input. We invite you to attend our bimonthly board meetings, or to contact us by e-mail or telephone if you have a question, concern, suggestion, or interest in school district business.

As your elected representatives, we look forward to serving you in 2008!

Sincerely,
Lynn Klingensmith,
President
Avon Grove School District Board of School Directors