Superintendent Lambert's Welcome Letter
for the 2007 - 2008 School Year

August 10, 2007

Dear Staff:

Welcome back! It's great to be celebrating a new school year. We have many new teachers and service personnel joining our Pendleton County School System family, and we especially want to welcome them.

I hope that you are eager to return to your classrooms and schools, refreshed and energized to work with our most precious resource: the children of Pendleton County.

You know — and the community and state know — that our school system is second to none. In today's climate, a school district with a good reputation is hard to find, yet we enjoy the reputation of providing our children success. For this, thanks to all! It is the quality of work you provide each day with our students, their parents, and our community members that has created this well deserved accolade.

The challenges we face have much more to do with state funding than with student achievement. Please know that we are working very hard to resolve our financial issues. It is frustrating for you and difficult for me to talk to you about the quality you bring to our system on the one hand while, on the other, knowing the financial challenges we face.

The solutions have not been easy and they become more perplexing each year. I will stress to you that we are working very hard and creatively to find a long term solution. We will continue to investigate every possibility — and I mean every one — that could lead to more funding for our system.

I know that we are not a perfect school system. Still, I continue to be impressed with the attitude and professionalism you show as we move toward educating our children for the 21st century. As a district, we push our children academically, and we expect them to behave properly. We all feel the importance of education in the lives of our children, and what a difference an educated workforce means.

In closing, we invite you to our opening school breakfast on the 22nd at 7:30 am. Our complete list of activities is enclosed.

Looking forward to seeing you!!

Sincerely,

Douglas S. Lambert, Superintendent
Pendleton County Schools