Dear North Hills Preparatory Families,

In spite of what the thermometer may say outside, summer for NHP students and staff is quickly winding down with school starting in less than a month.  On campus we have been busy getting the school grounds prepared for the new year, assessing where we need to improve, and finding creative ways to deal with state budget cuts.  I am confident the work we have done this summer will help us continue to build upon the strong foundation the students, families, and staff have established at North Hills. 

The 2010 – 2011 school year was once again a year of remarkable achievement and success for NHP students and staff.   Our students’ commitment to their learning and success, the staff’s dedication, and the support we receive from our families enabled... 

·        95% of our IB Diploma Students received the IB Diploma with one student receiving the highest overall score in the history of NHP

·       NHP Primary, Middle and High School received exemplary rating from the Texas Education Agency

·        Mean national percentile scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) was 80%

·        Average SAT score was 1815

·        Three of our staff members were invited to be IB assessors

·        The school was ranked as the 10th best school in the country by both Newsweek and The Washington Post

As I mentioned above, this impressive record of academic success is due in large part to the dedication of all NHP stakeholders along with intelligent funding choices.  With the massive budget cuts the state enacted during the most recent legislative session, it is becoming increasingly more challenging to find the funds needed to sustain our success.  We anticipate that our total funding, including Panther Parent Fund, for the upcoming year will be less than $7,000 per student.  This amount is almost $3,000 lower than the average per pupil funding amount for Texas and certainly is one of the lowest in the entire state. Simply put we really need every parent that can, to commit the full $500 per child to Panther Parent Fund.  Last year, just over $200,000 was given to the fund, which was $150,000 less than was budgeted and $450,000 less than was possible if every parent gave the necessary amount per student.  As a fellow parent I am asking you to consider the $500 per child Panther Parent Fund donation request the bare minimum that you will give so that we can sustain what we have going at NHP.

While funding is always a challenge at NHP, we have learned to be disciplined in our spending and creative in our use of funds.  Last year we were particularly creative with our funding, and as a result I am happy to report that we made significant strides in both the areas of technology infrastructure and technology equipment.  In the area of infrastructure we modernized our switches, replaced the server, provided more and stronger wireless access points, replaced our fiber optic cable, and increased the bandwidth of the entire system.  In the area of equipment, we replaced our two oldest computer labs with brand new desktops, have added or will add 20 SMART Boards, added 12 IMac computers for our art program, and two more wireless labs, bringing our total number of wireless labs to four.  With these changes we now have both equipment and infrastructure that puts us on par with any public school in the state.  Additionally, our new upper school building will be ready for the start of the school and it looks fabulous.  We will now have art and science classrooms that rival those of any high school in the state.

The incredible academic success of our students, along with much needed additions of both technology resources and building space, will allow us to start the school year off with a bang.  While it is my belief that North Hills Preparatory is truly a top public school, there is still much work to be done to make it one of the best if not the best public school in the country.  Our goal continues to be that within the next four years, North Hills will be considered the top school in the country by any measure. 

So as we start the 2011 – 2012 academic year I invite you to join the faculty, staff, and of course the students of North Hills Preparatory, as we continue towards our goal of being the best public school in the country.  I look forward to connecting with all of you throughout the year.  I am committed to being as open and available to parents as possible.  Please do not hesitate to contact me through email – sstover@uplifteducation.org, by calling the school, or by calling my cell phone (704) 491-4990 begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting.  As always, I remain…

Most Warmly Yours,