Year: 2010

Barb Ruiter, Special Education Secretary serving the Forest City office was recently notified that an article she had written about her love of paperdolls would be published in the March issue of Paperdoll Review Magazine, a quarterly publication. “I’m excited to be published again,” said Ruiter, a former writer with the Mason City Globe Gazette. She is also the author of several stories including Pink is Perfect for Pigs, a children’s book published several years ago. She currently shares her love of writing and paperdolls through guest speaking in area schools. Congratulations, Barb!

AEA 267 staff members representing the Special Education records department in Cedar Falls donated personal care products (cologne, Chapstick, deodorant, shampoo, nail polish, lotions), winter wear (socks, gloves, hats, scarves), food, and more to students at AEA 267 Devonshire school. The donation provided a needed boost to the school store and students were able to use their behavior points to stock up on items before the winter break.

Another recent donation came from Hartman Reserve Nature Center. Staff there requested help from naturalists and park rangers across the state for new and gently used books for the AEA 267 Devonshire library. The response was tremendous and the school received over 900 books. Also donated were five bookcases and a check to buy additional books. Students helped move the boxes of books into the school and were requesting check out before they were even inventoried.

“The generosity of folks across our state blows me away,” said Paula Goetz, AEA 267 Devonshire principal.

With the 10% across-the-board cut plus declining enrollment, I’ve shared some perspectives about our future in past editions of Intersections.  A couple people replied wondering if an early retirement incentive might be the magic bullet or at least a piece of the solution.  One person pointed out that early retirement incentives are used by some LEAs.

AEAs are funded quite differently than LEAs.  An LEA covers the cost of the early retirement incentives with a special property tax levy called the Management Levy.  There is no control or ceiling on this levy.  AEAs do not have that option.  An early retirement incentive comes right out of the General Fund.  AEAs need to be very careful that an incentive program doesn’t actually cost the Agency more money.

The AEA 267 Board believes there is little financial advantage to our Agency if we implemented an early retirement incentive.  We believe we can manage the current economic crisis with a thoughtful and gradual reduction in our workforce, accomplished primarily with retirements and other attrition, over the next two to four years.  This belief does not guarantee there will not be some lay-offs, but for the most part, lay-offs can be avoided and certainly will not occur in large number.

–Dr. Dean Meier, AEA 267 Chief Administrator