This is a copy of the proposed school calendar for next year. Board members brought up several issues for future calendars, but it sounds like things won’t change much for this one. One board member wondered if it is a hardship to have two weeks off for Christmas, because many parents still have to work during that time. Another board member said she wanted to see students in school on Good Friday and perhaps look at another possible holiday to use the day off. What do you think about this calendar? Many of the dates are set in stone due to state regulations, but if you could tweak it, what would you change?
The Lakota Local School Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. tonight.
Here is the agenda. The highlights include the approval of administrative raises, the approval of Atrium Medical Center athletic training services and also benefits packages. It doesn’t look like there is anything too exciting planned, but I will keep you posted.
Did anyone find a great bargain? Since school is out, I thought we could take a break from school news and talk about what all the teachers and students were up to over the Thanksgiving holiday.
I braved the crowds to interview people, but I wasn’t able to shop. It seems like there were some hard-core bargain hunters out there. My aunt is one of them. I have no idea why she wanted to get to the stores by 5 a.m. on a day she could normally sleep in! Is it worth it? How much did you save?
According to a recent press release, Ohio is ranked pretty well in this report, but throughout the United States, 8.6 million children are uninsured. I thought this topic would be interesting, because the economic downturn is expected to increase this number.
Here is the release:
New Families USA Report with State Specific Information Highlights that
More Than One Child in Nine is Uninsured
Vast Majority of Uninsured Children Come from Working Families
Washington, D.C. - There are 8.6 million uninsured children in the U.S., according to a new report released today by Families USA, the national organization for health care consumers.
The report, based on new Census Bureau data, reflects the three-year period 2005-2007 and therefore does not reflect the worsening economic situation in 2008.
The Families USA report, titled “Left Behind: America’s Uninsured Children,” spotlights the following facts about the 8.6 million uninsured children in the U.S.
One in nine children in America is uninsured
Uninsured children come from working families. The vast majority of uninsured children come from families where at least one parent works, and more than two-thirds of uninsured children or, 68.5 percent, live in households where at least one family member works full-time, year-round.
60.4 percent of the nation’s uninsured children come from low-income families (families with incomes below twice the poverty level, or $35,200 for a family of three in 2008) who are likely eligible for Medicaid or CHIP.
The five states with the largest number of uninsured children are Texas, California, Florida, New York, and Georgia. Together, the uninsured children in these five states account for nearly half of all uninsured children in the country (48.3 percent).
The five states with the highest rates of uninsured children are Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada. More than 15 percent of children in each of these states are uninsured, compared to a national median of 9.2 percent.
Last year, the Congress voted to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which would have expanded health coverage throughout the nation to approximately 4 million uninsured children. Although Congress passed the legislation with broad bipartisan support, the legislation failed when President Bush vetoed it.
“The children’s health legislation vetoed by the President would have provided much-needed relief to uninsured children across the nation, said Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA. The CHIP program is now scheduled to expire on March 31, 2009. As a result, the reauthorization of CHIP will be one of the earliest policy issues facing the next Congress and President.
“For the numerous children who count on CHIP as their health lifeline, and for the 8.6 million children who are uninsured, support for continuing and expanding CHIP is critically important,” said Pollack. “It will determine whether children get the preventive care they need so that they can remain healthy, learn in school, and become productive citizens.”
Due to the current economic downturn, Congress is also likely to consider providing higher federal matching funds to the states for the Medicaid program - the other key health safety net program for children from low-income families. Such a measure may be part of the next economic stimulus package debated in Congress, thereby enabling states to retain and expand health coverage as more families become uninsured.
“As State budgets are becoming increasingly precarious due to the looming recession, this is exactly the time that States need an increase in funding,” said Pollack. “This measure would help not only those already uninsured but those who are likely to join the ranks of the uninsured due to the state of the economy.”
The Families USA report with state-specific information is available here.
This guest blog is from Lakota East band member and “Spark” editor Aimee Peng.
From 11/24/08 Hawaii time.
Aloha from Aimee!
I am pleased to report that as of 7 p.m. Hawaii time (midnight back in West Chester), about half of our flight groups have landed safely on the island of Oahu. The remaining flight groups are flying over the Pacific at more than 30,000 feet above the ground as I write, but by the end of the night, each band member, chaperone, director, and piece of equipment will have joined us here in paradise.
After time zone changes and a few flight delays, most of us can hardly believe that we left East only 24 hours ago! We all started out from the Indianapolis International Airport, but after that, Thunderhawks could be found all over the country, including in Minneapolis, Dallas, Detroit, Chicago, and Seattle.
When my flight group arrived at the beautiful Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel, we were greeted in traditional Hawaiian custom with gorgeous purple orchid leis. After a quick briefing concerning tomorrow’s plans (Pearl Harbor!) and safety, we were let loose to explore our new surroundings, to find something to eat, and to get some well-needed rest in a REAL bed (finally!).
Tomorrow, we’re off to Pearl Harbor to honor our veterans and Pearl Harbor survivor Joe Whitt, who will be traveling with us for the rest of the week.
Lakota East Band parents were sweating it a little this morning, when the buses to take students to the airport failed to arrive. The company had accidently scheduled them for noon instead of midnight. Somehow, all the buses arrived in time to get the students to the airport 45 minutes early. It turns out, they would have had to sit on the buses for a few hours had the delay not happened.
So, parents were finally able to sleep as their students texted them about the safe arrival in Indianapolis. Everything went off without a hitch at the airport, according to band parent Cheree Gallant, who updates the East Band Web site.
Ever wonder about how schools invest money? Treasurer Craig Jones said schools can’t gamble money on the stock market, but they can earn interest and work with bonds. Here is the latest investment update.
Lindsey reports about schools in Southwest Ohio's Lakota district and students, teachers and parents just like you for The Pulse-Journal newspaper. She wants your suggestions and questions for more news stories. Leave a comment here or e-mail Lindsey.
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