February 2, 1999

To the residents of the Oyster River Cooperative School District:

The past year has been most challenging. For the first time our teachers began a school year without a collective bargaining agreement in place. The largest high school population in the district's history was greeted by six additional modular classrooms, increasing the total number to ten. A revised plan to meet the high school's space needs had to be developed. All of this occurring at the same time the legislature was attempting to resolve the funding issues resulting from the Claremont II Supreme Court Decision.

I believe we have done a good job of meeting these challenges. The Board has negotiated a collective bargaining agreement with the Teachers' Guild that runs through June 2003. It is a fair agreement that I believe deserves your support. The official ballot also contains an article for a bond which, if approved, will lead to a solution to the space and renovations problems at Oyster River High School. If both of these articles are approved we will be able to refocus our energies on meeting the challenges of preparing our student for the 21st century.

The strength of this district has always been its teachers and administrators who, despite all of the distractions, provide our children with the quality education they deserve. As you can see from the principals' letters, there are many positive initiatives underway at each of our schools. We all are working to maintain the standard of excellence that has been the hallmark of this district.

In closing, I want to thank our outstanding central office staff for all of the work throughout the past year. We have become a large organization with over 350 employees and nearly 2,500 students. Yet we are functioning with the same size staff as ten years ago. In particular, I want to thank Assistant Superintendent Al Elwell, Special Education Director Carmen Young and Business Administration Mike Everngam for all of their support during the past year.

Sincerely,
Thomas J. Carroll, Ph.D.
Superintendent