On January 7, Superintendent Jack Dale presented to the School Board a $2.3 billion FY 2011 proposed budget that includes

• $104.8 million in program cuts and cost avoidances,
• nearly 600 position cuts, and
• $3.4 million in increased and new fees.

The proposed budget includes a class size increase of one student, and the elimination of the Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools (FLES) program, general education summer school, all high school freshman sports, and 594 positions, including 81 in central office support for schools.  The proposed budget also includes no salary increases for employees for a second consecutive year.

Dr. Dale has asked the county Board of Supervisors to increase the amount they gave the school system last year by an additional $57.8 million.  By doing so, he states they will prevent even more damaging cuts that would include elimination of Full-Day Kindergarten (in all but Title 1 elementary schools); elimination of the elementary band and strings program; the loss of special funding for Foreign Language Immersion programs, additional increases to class size, and the loss of more counselors, social workers and guidance counselors.

For more information, see:

FCPS Superintendent Proposes FY 2011 Budget, Cuts Include FLES, Freshman Sports, 594 Positions
FCPS FY2011 Budget

Are you the parent of a student on an IEP or who receives Section 504 plan accommodations? The Frost-Woodson special education community might be of interest to you. Click here to download a flyer about special services at Frost and PTA activities. Check out our Yahoo! group listserv at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WoodsonSpecEd/.

If you'd like to join the listserv, follow the link below:

Click to join WoodsonSpecEd

The Frost MS PTA - Here to Support the Students, Parents, and Staff at Frost Middle School!

As always, this school year is full of activities that are either sponsored by or run with the cooperation of the Frost Middle School PTA -- your PTA! From Spirit Wear Sales to Frost Family Bingo to Reflections, to name just a few. We are especially proud of our robust Grants Program which has funded classroom needs such as books, field trips and guest speakers.

You can help! For starters, please join the PTA. Although PTA activities are open to all, and all are welcome, your membership provides critical funds that are needed to support Frost. The membership costs only $11.00 per person.

Many PTA activities need adults to assist. Please consider volunteering your time. It's easy to let us know with which activities you'd like to help. The PTA will have a table at Back-to-School nights where you will have a chance to sign up. Please stop by -- we are looking forward to hearing from you!

Your PTA is here to help make your child's / children's time at Frost as meaningful as possible.

Please help us to help them!

The Frost PTA has a single form you can use to join the PTA, order the Frost directory and to indicate which volunteer opportunities you are interested in.

Download the form here, fill it out and drop it off at the school's front office (your kids can do this for you!). Please remember to add payment and to mark the envelope with "FROST PTA.".

Thank you for joining the PTA!