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Webberville Community Schools has been able to add programs and opportunities for our students during the last couple of years even though our funding continues to decline while costs continue to increase. However, we cannot continue to maintain our current level of services if there is not financial relief from the state soon. How has the district managed to improve programs and opportunities for students given the worst financial times for schools since the Great Depression? We have reorganized our operations, streamlined services, reduced staff, limited pay raises, and privatized some operations. Recently, the administrators switched from MESSA healthcare insurance to SET-SEG healthcare insurance. The initial savings in healthcare costs to the district will be over $5,000 the first year and in subsequent years the annual savings will increase. Another way we have helped the district financially is by being more client focused. We are striving to improve our services to the students and community we serve. As a result, we have stopped the eleven consecutive years of declining enrollment. In the past two years our enrollment has increased from 607 students to 650 students as of January 2006. We have gone from losing approximately 20-plus students per year through schools of choice to one student per year the last two years. Our enrollment has increased from the Fourth Friday count day back in September of 2005 by 11 students. Increasing our enrollment brings in more revenue for our school district. We will continue to market our current assets and vision to attract more families to our community. As part of this process, I have started a Superintendent's Advisory Council. Everyone is welcome to attend. My first council meeting was held in January. This month the meeting will be held Monday, February 6, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school media center. I will give an update on what is happening in the district and then open it up to questions, concerns, advice, and recommendations, from the people who are in attendance. Please plan on attending these monthly meetings whenever you can. It gives you an opportunity to be heard and helps me to know how the community is feeling about different issues related to the school district. We are here to serve our students and community members and be responsive to their needs and concerns. The State Board of Education for the state of Michigan has just announced a new proposed required curriculum for high school students designed to increase the rigor for all students. Here is a comparison of the State Board's new requirements versus our current requirements at Webberville Community High School.