Mat-Su schools in position to succeed

It is with optimism and excitement that I write this year’s back-to-school letter to all those who play such an important role in the educational process of our district’s nearly 17,500 students. I just can’t wait for school to start.

Each school year brings a new spark of hope and promise. As we begin this school year, I want to personally wish the greatest success to all of our principals, teachers, paraprofessionals and others who work hard every day to educate our students. As the superintendent, you have charged me with making sure students who are educated in the Mat-Su Borough School District provide a great return on the investment of your tax dollars.

As a way to ensure we get the best return on our investment, I have worked closely with our assembly and school board to design a more fiscally responsible approach to school funding. Last week, the Mat-Su Borough Assembly approved a change in our funding formula that would allow us to maintain carryover funds that were originally dedicated to the school district. This change will discourage last-minute spending and will make us more thoughtful and responsive to the actual needs of our community. We could not have accomplished this important change without the cooperative partnership of our school board and the Mat-Su Borough Assembly.

With about 2,200 employees, the MSBSD is the primary investor of human capital in the Mat-Su Borough. We are:

• An economic development engine — producing career, college and military ready graduates.

• An economic development driver — generating $1 billion in operating and capital funds over the next five years.

• An economic development partner — creating an environment of cooperation. Voters approved a $214 million five-year bond package to build six new schools and maximize renovations at all existing schools.

As a result of your support and thoughtful consideration of the needs of our students, we have positioned ourselves as a school district that can compete in the 21st century with any school district in the United States. Whether it is neighborhood schools, charter schools, correspondence schools or special mission schools, we are poised for greatness! We have accomplished this task by funding all schools equitably according to state statute, by providing quality professional development for our teachers and principals, and by holding our standards high, challenging all students to fulfill and go beyond their potential.

It is my personal promise to the community that we are, and will remain, a district of customer service, choice and innovation. Investing in children is the right thing to do. On behalf of the school board, I would like to thank all of our parents and guardians for entrusting us with the care of your children. It is our highest honor to serve the community of the Mat Su Borough School District. I would also like to thank the Mat-Su Borough School Board and Mat-Su Borough Assembly for their wisdom and their spirit of cooperation.

This is going to be a great year for the students and families of the Mat-Su Borough School District!

Deena Paramo is superintendent of the Mat-Su Borough School District.