NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008
November 18th, 2008 Posted in Letters from the Executive DirectorIt is amazing to me how quickly 2008 is coming to a close. Many great events happened this year with individual families, as well as within Acorn as a whole. Some highlights for me have been: The completion of the next 5-year Strategic Plan for Acorn, the best financial year to date in Acorn history; low student turn-over; consistently higher enrollment in all classrooms; increased scholarships; good grant returns; and corporate and individual giving is at an all time high. Awards this year that Acorn has received include: another year of NAEYC accreditation, 3-star Qualistar rating, Best of Boulder Child Care Center 2008, and Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) certified.
The budget process is in full swing for The Acorn School administrative staff and the Board of Directors. Each year about this time, we put together a budget draft for the upcoming year. The Board then spends 2-3 meetings going through the projected income and expenses and discussing strategies for a positive plan for the upcoming year.
There is not a lot of wiggle room in the Acorn budget: we have tuition, and we have payroll. Those are the two biggest line items that impact the bottom line. We have spent a significant amount of time on grant writing this past year in an attempt to impact the income side of things, and they have had great success in bringing in over $70,000 in grants. While it is not prudent to rely on grant money from year to year, it is a revenue stream that allows us to provide above-industry average compensation packages and continuing education courses to our teachers, renovated playgrounds, and hopefully continue to build on the high quality programs we all enjoy.
I want to personally wish each Acorn family the warmest holiday wishes this season. May each of you feel blessed by the relationships that have flourished this year. I have seen each of your children learn and thrive, and am very proud to see our children, staff, and families working, growing, and playing together. As always, we welcome your suggestions, feedback, and comments about all that is happening in your child’s life.
Sincerely,
Matt Eldred
Executive Director
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