The Mission of the Dade County School System is to ensure that students have the opportunity to become independent, hardworking, lifelong learners capable of succeeding in a changing society through:
D
edicated Teachers and Staff
C
ommunity and Parent Commitment
S
afe and Orderly Environments
S
trong Leadership Committed to Excellence
Our Strategic Plan guides us as we seek continual improvement in all areas of our school system.
The Five Year Strategic Plan was developed through a collaborative effort of Dade County School System Stakeholders.
There are five goals within the Strategic Plan: Fiscal Accountability, College and Career Readiness, Highly Qualified Staff, Engaging Stakeholders, and Creating Nurturing, Safe Climates that Promote Learning.
Goal Five is related to
Fiscal Accountability
. It states:
Ensure fiscal accountability through efficient and productive use of resources and by being trustworthy stewards of taxpayers’ money.
We are good stewards of the funds entrusted to our care for the benefit of our deserving students. Our team seeks ways to reduce costs and enhance productivity. During the last two years, as employees resigned or retired, 11 positions were eliminated. LED lights and HVAC units working at optimal levels reduce power costs by several thousand dollars each month.
We have a balanced budget, and continue to have a
perfect audit.
We are proud to maintain a
healthy reserve fund recommended by the Georgia Department of Education.
The
Board of Education rolled back the millage rate
this fall from 15.509 to 15.323, saving taxpayers dollars. We utilize federal dollars to provide resources for our students and staff.
We actively seek grants in order to increase resources for our students. Congratulations to those who received grants totaling more than $450,000 since 2018 such as: Major Tommy Bradford/Sheriff Ray Cross and Josh Ingle: COPS Grant ($249,000), Josh Ingle: McRELSafety Grant ($150,000), Dr. James Cantrell: Solar Panels ($50,000), Patti Johnson: Tag, You’re It! Grant ($2250), Shenea Hill: STEM grant ($5000), and Beverly Adkins: Robotics Grant ($3000).
Currently, we are pursuing grants for afterschool care and technology/CTAE. Our Director of Finance provides a monthly update at each board meeting. Additionally, Budget Hearings will be held in the upcoming months as we prepare for the 2019-2020 school year. The public is always invited to attend. Thank you for your support of Dade County Schools.