Dear parents,

The last couple of weeks have been tough. Ms. Alvarez and I have reworked the budget in order to absorb the $100K+ cut our school received. On Tuesday the local school council (LSC) voted to approve the revised Waters budget. As I alluded to last week, all miscellaneous, supplies, and materials budget line items were cleared in order to balance the budget.

I have asked the LSC teacher reps to assess what additional supplies are required to get us through this school year. Copy paper and toner for the worksheets our students use on a daily basis is the most immediate need that comes to mind. We are also looking into our consumable textbooks and technology supplies needs for the start of the next school year. Those purchases typically occur at the end of the current school year or in the summer months.

As we finalize our assessments, we may need to ask our families for financial assistance in the form of a midyear supply and material fee. I will know more in the coming days and weeks as we continue to assess the impact. In the meantime, the WatersToday board approved a $10K spend from its emergency fund to meet our minimum baseline needs for materials and supplies for the next few months. WatersToday raise funds all year long to support our wonderful enrichment programs, including Music, Ecology and Sports.

I will keep you posted on any new developments. We have such an amazing community. On behalf of the Waters administration, teachers and staff, I thank you for your encouragement and support.  
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-- Mrs. Crespo.

Dear Waters Community,

Waters received a $108,102 cut to our overall school budget yesterday that will take effect within the next few weeks. All schools in the district have been impacted.

At last night’s local school council (LSC) meeting a motion was passed – with support from all community members in attendance – to ensure that these cuts to our budget do not affect our current staffing, classroom assignments, or programs.

Students are the priority and we do not want to disrupt their learning mid-year. Instead, funds that were earmarked for materials, supplies and additional storage options within the school will now be diverted to cover the $108,102 shortfall.

This loss of materials and supplies will critically impact Waters. We plan to work closely with the LSC, WatersToday and the entire Waters Community in the coming weeks to do our best to manage the loss and mitigate its effect on the students.

I urge all of you to find ways to encourage a proactive dialogue that addresses the state of public education funding within CPS.

We are amongst a caring and concerned community. Thank you for your support. 

--Mrs. Crespo

Dear Waters Parents:
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Today I write to you with a heavy heart. In the 20+ years that I have worked in CPS, I never have seen such difficult financial times. Last week, CPS officials held a conference call with all school principals. They told us to expect mid-year staffing cuts. We are supposed to receive specifics this week. As soon as I have more information I will share it with our local school council and the Waters community. Although the cuts are unlikely to take effect immediately, we've been advised we have a week to make program/staffing adjustments.  

As the district continues to pull back resources to address the budget shortfall, I want you to know that as of today, I have no information on how much Waters will lose in resources. While this has been an extremely trying time, I will consider all options prior to making any final decision.  
  
Please know that the staff at Waters continues to deliver outstanding instruction to the children. As Ms. Alvarez and I visit classrooms, we are reassured that your children are taught by some of the best teachers in CPS. They are dedicated to the work they do and it shows. 

​Sincerely,
Titia M.Crespo