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About the district

Dr. Annette Griffin

Superintendent of Schools

The Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District has had a great beginning of the 2004-05 school year. This school year is brimming with many, many opportunities and challenges, but I know that the community and the staff will work together so that our public school system will remain strong and a great place for students to learn and grow.

School Finance

School finance still is a major issue facing our district and the state, but we did receive some good news when the District Court in Austin ruled in September that the Texas public school system is under funded. C-FB ISD was among the districts that took the state to court over the lack of state funding. Currently, the state provides about 38% of the money for public education while the local school districts fund the remaining 62% through property taxes.

The next step in the school finance lawsuit is an appeal to Texas Supreme Court by the state. I encourage you to monitor the news so that you will be knowledgeable about the total school finance system in Texas and how that system affects C-FB ISD financial picture.

This district remains fiscally responsible and continues to identify ways to operate more efficiently. C-FB ISD has made and will continue to make some tough financial decisions until a better total school finance system is in place. While C-FB ISD is making these difficult choices, we must continue to pressure the state to make changes in the school finance system. Those of us who believe in public education must rally together and demand that our state adequately fund public education.

Financial Accountability

The financial management and reporting of Texas school districts and charter schools have been evaluated by Schools FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas) for the last two years. C-FB ISD has received a perfect score both years by meeting all 21 indicators. I salute the district’s Finance and Business Department staff members for their work.

2005-06 Calendar Proposal

The district is in the process of gathering input from the community and staff regarding the 2005-06 school calendar. We are recommending that C-FB ISD students return to school the same time in August as they have done for the last three years; however, a state law says that school may not start prior to the week of August 21 unless the district follows a waiver provision.

The recommended first day of school is Monday, August 16th, which is the third Monday in August. The proposal also includes the same holidays that C-FB ISD has traditionally set. By starting on August 16th, the first semester can end before winter break, which allows middle and high school students to take their first semester exams prior to the traditional break. The school year would end prior to Memorial Day, which is Monday, May 29, 2006.

We want parents, staff and the community-at-large to understand why the district is going through the waiver process, and we encourage you to be involved. Campus principals are sharing information at upcoming PTA meetings. And, at those meetings, parents have the opportunity to complete a “calendar input form.”

More information, including the calendar proposal, can be found on the district’s website, www.cfbisd.edu. Parents who miss their school’s PTA meetings may give their input via an online survey. In addition, a public hearing on the calendar proposal will be held Thursday, November 11 during the School Board meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Board Room of the Administration Building, 1445 North Perry Road, Carrollton.

District website

C-FB ISD’s website, www.cfbisd.edu, is an excellent information source. I encourage you to sign up for the C-FB ISD e-newsletter which is distributed weekly. This newsletter will keep you informed about district events and projects as well as school finance news. The website now features a video archive section, where campus and district projects and achievements are highlighted. Shows and projects created by students in the Academy of Media Arts and Technology (AMAT) at R. L. Turner High School can also be seen on the website.

I am so proud of what our students, staff and schools accomplish each and every day. But, these achievements would not be possible without the continued support of parents, families, and the community as whole. So on behalf of the district’s educational team and students, I thank you -- C-FB ISD community -- for believing in public education.

April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003