Superintendent D. Joseph Corr 91 Fiddlers Lane, Latham, NY 12110 785-8591

October 26, 2010 - I would like to thank all those parents, teachers, administrators and community members who attended our community budget forum on Monday, October 18.

This was the first step in our budget process for 2010-11 and it was important for us to hear your ideas, questions and concerns as we enter this very difficult time of year.

What I enjoyed the most about the evening as I walked around to the different rooms was your passion for North Colonie Schools. We are not always going to agree on everything. We need to get a better idea as a district of what is important to you. What do you value most? The answers to these questions can help us, as our administrative team develops the 2011-12 annual budget.

We will be reporting back on our website the findings and comments that came from the small group discussions. These can be found by clicking here. Please read through them and see what your neighbors in the community are thinking. We have also been compiling answers to the questions we asked you to write down on your index cards. Those answers can be found here.

As I mentioned at the forum on Monday night, this is not going to be an easy process. We will be facing a significant gap next year between projected revenues and anticipated expenses. Our task - just like any other year, is to close this gap and operate under a balanced budget that produces a quality, comprehensive education for all our students. Many difficult decisions will have to be made, but first and foremost, we need to maintain our twin commitment to preparing our students for the 21st century, while simultaneously caring for the community’s justifiable concern about affordability.

We have heard your call for more public forums and plan on setting up more in the future. As we progress in this process we will notify you.

Thank you for your dedication to North Colonie. I look forward to seeing you around the district.

Sincerely,
D. Joseph Corr
Superintendent of Schools