The Pella School Board is continuing to accept input from members of the school community on establishing criteria to apply to potential budget adjustments. A list of several criteria was assembled, and with input from the district, the Pella School Board will select a set of criteria that they will then apply to any potential item that could potentially be addressed during budget adjustments. Pella Schools Superintendent Mark Wittmer says the School Board is close to getting an understanding on what criteria are important to members of the district.

“Hopefully by the end of the month we’ll have a pretty good handle as to the input on the criteria from the different groups, and then we’ll take that criteria as an administrative group and compile all of that to share with the board, along with a recommendation as to what we think the final criteria should be,” said Wittmer.

Surveys have already been submitted by faculty, board advisors, and the Student Councils at the Middle and High Schools, with community input still being accepted via an online survey. Wittmer adds that even with outside input, the decisions to be made by the board will not come easily.

“This is not a pure science in any way, shape, or form. It still comes down to what somebody thinks versus what somebody else thinks,” says Wittmer. “That’s one of the reasons that the job that the board has to do over the course of the next couple of months is a very difficult one. I hope people appreciate it. Making these decisions as they impact the lives of children, as well as the lives of adults – both in the organization, as well as parents, taxpayers, et cetera – man, it’s a tough task.”

To fill out or learn more about the budget adjustment survey, visit the Pella Schools website: www.pella.k12.ia.us.