We have had a great first month of school here in Salado thanks to the efforts of our employees, school board

members, parents, and community members. We have 1,400 students enrolled in the district, which is an increase from the 1,334 students that we had at the end of the 2010-2011 school year. We recently received our Financial Allocation Study of Texas (FAST) ratings from the Texas Comptrollers office. Our students in Salado earned 92nd percentile for achievement in math and reading. This means that our students are making more progress than 92% of the districts in the State of Texas. Those results, combined with our financial data, earned us 4.5 out of a possible 5 stars on the FAST rating. Our 92nd percentile on student progress and our 4.5 star rating were both the highest of all twelve school districts in Bell County. The average ACT scores for Salado students are significantly higher than the average scores for students in Texas and the entire nation: English: Salado 24.4, Texas 19.6, United States 20.6 Mathematics: Salado 26.4, Texas 21.5, United States 21.1 Reading: Salado 25.6, Texas 20.7, United States 21.3 Science: Salado 25.5, Texas 20.8, United States 20.9 Composite: Salado 25.6, Texas 20.8, United States 21.1 Three of our campuses and our school district earned Recognized ratings from the Texas Education Agency. Our school district and all of our campuses also met Adequate Yearly Progress requirements as set by the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. 100% of our teachers are considered Highly Qualified by the NCLB standards. Due to a reduction in state education funding, our 2011-2012 budget is less than the previous year (2010-2011). However, we were still able to provide an increase in our health insurance contribution and a salary step increase to all employees. We also lowered our property tax rate from $1.318 to $1.30 per $100 of taxable value. This summer we refinished the intermediate school gym floor and replaced the elementary gym floor thanks to the financial contributions made by Horizon Bank, Salado PTO, Salado Youth Basketball, and Salado Booster Club. Our varsity football team has a winning record (3-2) and our junior varsity football team is undefeated (4-0) so far this season. Our next varsity game will be here in Salado against Liberty Hill on Friday, October 7, at 7:30 p.m. Our varsity volleyball team also has a winning record (20-7) so far this season. We are undefeated (1-0) in district play after defeating Taylor in our first district game on September 23. Our next game will be Friday, September 30, here in Salado. The 9th grade and junior varsity teams will play at 5:00 p.m. and our varsity team will play at 6:00 p.m.

Our boys varsity cross country team has earned 1st place in three of the five meets we have competed in so far this season. We took 2nd place at the Salado meet on September 24. Our girls varsity cross country team has also done very well and we took 3rd place at the Salado meet. Our next meet will be on Saturday, October 1, in Round Rock. Our employees certainly deserve a lot of credit for all of these accomplishments, but we also couldnt achieve them without the support from parents and community members. If you would like to volunteer, there are several ways you can do so. The Salado Education Foundation is looking for new volunteers and board members. They will be hosting the annual Cattlemans Ball fundraiser on Saturday, October 22, and tickets are on sale now for $75 each. You can volunteer to serve as a mentor. The time commitment is only two hours per month but it can make a big difference in the life of a student. We have a Watch DOGS (Dads of Great Students) program in which fathers volunteer one day per school year at the elementary school and/or the intermediate school. Our PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) and Athletic Booster Club are also looking for new members and volunteers. Finally, if you would just like to stay informed and updated with the Salado ISD information and events, you are welcome to subscribe to our e-mail list. Parents, community members, and business representatives can participate on our site-based and district-based decision making committees and our School Health Advisory Committee. If you would like information about any of these opportunities, please e-mail me at: michael.novotny@saladoisd.org Thank you for your support of our students and school district. Michael Novotny Salado ISD Superintendent