Mission
Board of Directors
Getting to Know the Staff
A Letter from the Registrar
Membership Application -.doc
Allergy Alert Form - .pdf
Medication Form - .pdf
Meeting Minutes
Announcements
Operating Policies 2005 - .doc
Bylaws - .doc
Phone Listing
Tuition and Fees
Tuition Calendar - .xlsx
Budget Letter - .doc
Budget Definitions - .docx
Tentative Yearly Calendar - .doc
Useful Links for Parents
Links to Schools
Comments or Questions

NEWS
11/06/2009

MCDC Parents:

The year 2009 has been another great year for MCDC.  On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff, I would like to thank all the parents for your support and commitment to making MCDC an excellent learning environment.   

As part of our preparation for the coming year, it is time to approve the 2010 budget and tuition rates. We will present the proposed 2010 budget in an Open Forum scheduled for November 18th at 11:30 am in building 4203, room 5002, immediately followed by a vote.  We hope that you are able to join us for this important discussion.

Some background: NASA/MSFC provides the facility, utilities and cleaning services, along with a copy machine and a limited number of computers. They also provide comprehensive security, emergency medical services and facility maintenance.  However, MSFC does not provide any subsidy for staff payroll or other day-to-day operating expenses.  As you can see from the table below, 87.5% of our expenses go to the teachers' salaries and their benefits, a testament to the importance we place on our teachers.  

The Board understands the necessity of offering competitive salaries and benefits to attract the area’s best teachers.  Additionally, the Board aims to make MCDC a desirable workplace to retain our current teachers and minimize turnover.  Having content, well-qualified teachers results in classroom stability, as well as a safe and happy learning environment for our children – everyone’s top priority.  As a result of our continuous commitment to this end, MCDC’s teachers have an impressive average tenure of nearly 7.4 years.  

For 2010, the Board has proposed a ~2.9% cost of living increase for the staff, which equates to a $0.30 cents an hour raise or an additional $12 a week before taxes for each staff member.  This pay increase is another small step towards bringing MCDC staff wages ($11.08 per hour mean) in line with the mean wage reported by the State of Alabama for Pre-School Teachers ($12.13) in the Huntsville/Madison area. If we are to attract and keep our best teachers, it is important that the wages we offer remain competitive.  Additionally, we have recently seen increases in other areas, such as medical (10%) and other insurance rates.  These factors account for the $6 weekly tuition increase in the proposed 2010 budget.

The Board believes that a $6 weekly tuition increase is necessary to maintain the high level of care that you have come to expect at MCDC.  A summary of the proposed 2010 budget is located here. Definitions of the line item terms can be found here. The Board invites you to the Open Forum/Budget Vote on November 18th with any questions or issues you might have regarding either the budget or anything else at MCDC.  Please feel free to contact myself, or Board President Pam Bourque, or any other board member with any questions you might have regarding the budget.  It would help us to know specific questions in advance so that we are able to answer all your questions at the Open Forum.  

Please note that there is only one vote per family, but all are invited and encouraged to participate in the Open Forum.  If you are unsure who the voting member is for your family, please contact our Registrar, Colleen Wilson-Hodge at 961-7624 (colleen.wilson@nasa.gov). We look forward to seeing you on November 18th.

Jack Chapman
Treasurer, MCDC Board of Directors
jack.m.chapman@nasa.gov