We have yet another nice weekend in the forecast!  Do you believe it… it’s Friday the 13th, and it’s going to be a beautiful day!  It’s amazing how different October and November have been.  October was cold and wet, and November (so far) has been warm and dry!

OCTOBER:  Temps were -2.6° below normal… Precip was +2.08″ above normal.

NOVEMBER:  Temps are +2.0° above normal… Precip is -1.30″ below normal.

We will remain dry and warmer than normal right through the weekend, but a chance of rain and cooler temperatures will move in for next week.  Right now, the rain chances aren’t extremely high… but at least they are showing up.  And temperatures aren’t necessarily going to drop below normal, but they will be cooler than they have been!

Now on to my KLA experiences.  I am currently in the Kettering Leadership Academy’s 2009-2010 class.  We have been learning about all aspects of our community, and yesterday’s session covered the schools.  I grew up in the Kettering school district, and I have always known what a great program it is.  BUT there is so much I was never aware of that the schools do!  Not to mention, there is SO much more they have added since I graduated! 

First, a little background.  Kettering City Schools service about 8,000 kids.  It is made up of…

9 Elementary Schools
2 Middle Schools
1 High School

With three additional buildings… DL Barnes, a maintenance facility and the transportation garage.  Also included, Roush Stadium and all other sports fields.  There is more than 1.1 million square feet of buildings and 250 acres of property. 

The schools run on a budget of about $80 million each year.  Eighty percent of that budget comes from the Kettering community, with 20% coming from State and Federal funds.  Just think of all the things they need to budget for:

Facilities/Utilities
Teachers
Councilors
Principals
Curriculum-books
Supplies
Computers-other technology
Special Education Programs
Food
     *400 Breakfasts/day
     *3,500 Lunches/day
     *52 Cafeteria employees
     *2 Clerical Employees
Transportation/Fuel
     *60 Buses
     *266 Routes
     *Travel 570,000 miles/year
     *55 regular drivers
     *3 Mechanics
     *2 Clerical
Legal
Extra Curricular
Administration
Maintenance
     *55 Custodial
     *5 Groundskeepers
     *3 Maintenance
     *2 Plumbers
     *3 Electricians
     *2 Clerical
Communications/PR
Human Resources
Growth/Expansion

I am probably leaving something out, but you get the idea:  it’s expensive to run a school district!  And the school district is probably one of the most important parts of a community.  It lays the foundation, as good schools will attract good people.  Thankfully, Kettering has a great school system, and people come here specifically for certain programs it offers.

The special education department is amazing.  There are so many different levels of teaching, and children move seamlessly through their day from that one-on-one help they need to a regular classroom, perhaps with an aid’s continued assistance.  The high school offers about 20 sports to students, and more than 30 clubs/activities.  If a student can find 10 other students interested in a certain topic (and find a teacher to be an advisor), they can start their own official club!  Pretty cool.  We were amazed to see there is actually a Star Wars Club at Fairmont!

Students have the option of choosing from two advanced studies programs at Fairmont.  They have Advanced Placement (AP) classes and are one of the only schools around that offer International Baccalaureate (IB) classes!  These types of classes really challenge students with college-level content, and prepare them for college classes.  People come to Kettering specifically for the unique types of classes offered, and the IB program. 

The music program is one of the largest in the area.  They often win competitions and have many awards.  The group, 11thHour has performed with LeeAnn Rimes, the Beach Boys, Kenny Loggins.  They also have a new CD out… you can find out about ordering one here:  11th HOUR CDs

Fairmont has a career tech building to help not only prepare students for college, but to give them hands-on experience in a given field.  We visited the TV/Radio program, which has come a LONG way from when I was a student!  They told us most of the day, the room is booked and they’re either producing shows for air, or doing a live show.  I was impressed at the equipment they had… non-linear editing on Avid… wow, those kids will have a huge advantage!  We also visited a room where all the students were wearing scrubs and had stethoscopes around their necks!  They were in training for careers in the medical field.  They learn how to care for patients, with help from local hospitals.  The construction/trades program is also awesome, as students just built an entire house!  It’s currently up for sale… you can find more about it here:  DELTA HOUSE

Finally, we stopped in on the auto-mechanics program, also very competitive!  They use donated cars to learn all about the field, and also do work on citizen’s cars… if the repair fits what they’re learning about in the curriculum.  They even do computer diagnostic testing, cool!

What a fun day we had!  I do have to say, my favorite part was having lunch with the 3rd graders of John F. Kennedy Elementary School.  That is where I went to school as a kid!  It was so neat to be in the cafeteria again, drinking a small carton of chocolate milk. 

I left most of my notes at home, so a lot of this is just what I am remembering off the top of my head.  If there is anything you would like to add, please leave a comment below!   In January, we are learning about Community Organizations/History… so I’ll have another KLA update then!

Jamie