For many of us, Nov. 8, 2016, will stand as an end and a beginning. By granting our request to create an ongoing mill levy, the voters of District 49 funded a series of projects that will benefit every district student.Providing resources for regular upkeep means our community ended a cycle of reactive repairs and deferred maintenance. Although most major construction will take the next 12 to 18 months, this election begins the end of a season of over-enrollment and student overflows in our most crowded elementary schools.With plans already under way for new elementary schools near east Dublin Boulevard and near north Meridian Road, more district students will have a neighborhood school within safe walking distance.At our high schools, this election is the beginning of a cycle that will equalize and expand opportunities ó especially for programs that prepare students to succeed in the work and further learning they select. With growing demand for concurrent enrollment, along with technical education for career pathways; student expectations are more diverse than ever before.The election resources dedicated to expansions at our three largest high schools will begin to meet the growing demand for relevant and personalized learning. With programs to prepare pilots and engineers, builders and ranchers; District 49 is preparing a generation of practical leaders our communities need. In 2016, the voters of D 49 affirmed our commitment to launch every student to success in the endeavors that matter to them.The elementary schools and high school expansions are exciting. They bring new opportunities and promise better options for our littlest learners. But buildings and programs only succeed when excellent teachers bring them to life. Thatís why our funding plan includes a recurring pool of money for teachers to increase salaries for our veterans and provide more competitive compensation to attract new colleagues. Just as we did with a previous compensation pool, we will seek and follow teacher input on how to make the most of this opportunity to reward our most dedicated educators.Our 2016 election efforts were a success because we learned from the feedback of our community. We worked to structure a plan that matched community expectations. We led a sustained effort to provide detailed plans for investment and accountability.Because our voters represent every neighborhood in the district, we proposed a plan that included meaningful improvement for every school. Our business office and community partners did not create a monolithic plan with a single purpose. Instead, they responded to community priorities with a package that takes care of the facilities we already have and adds capacity where we need it most. The plan sets aside maintenance budgets on a 10-year cycle and dedicates new funds for teacher compensation every year. By bundling these four priorities into a comprehensive plan, the work of our financial planners gave us the best solution we have presented in the history of District 49.It is tempting to think that winning this election is the end of the campaign, but we know the support of our community is just a beginning. We are committed to faithfully execute the plan with full transparency. We promised our community that we would be accountable, so every investment of resources from this election requires explicit approval from a citizensí oversight committee. You can track the progress of that work at D49.org/MLO-Oversight, including results from 2014 3A work.With every decision, every project and every promise kept, we say a sincere ìThank You!î to the families, voters and community of District 49. Thank you for trusting us to serve as your school district.
