Further state cuts alter school district budget forecast
John Heim, superintendent of schools
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
In the current economy, significant changes happen quickly. It has appeared that budget cuts would be unlikely in Emporia schools because of financial measures taken in the district a year ago. Unfortunately, the state’s economic condition has worsened and dramatic cuts are looming at the state level to balance next year’s budget.
The district’s business office has been crunching the numbers in an effort to estimate the impact of budget plans being considered by the Senate and House. Two plans have been proposed and regardless of the outcome, the reductions in funding will be painful for communities across the state. The cuts being made at the state level are translating into significant job losses and reductions in services to students.
Kansas state law requires that school districts notify teachers by May 1 if they will not have a job the following year. The May 1 deadline passed last week and approximately 1,300 teachers, administrators and school support staff have been notified they will be unemployed when school resumes in the fall, according to a survey conducted by United School Administrators of Kansas.
In Emporia, based on what is known today, we are forecasting from $1.4 million to more than $2 million less than we expected under the cuts being considered in the school finance formula. That’s a sweeping change from the $2 million in reserves we were expecting to live on just a few months ago. It now looks like the funding decreases could exceed the reserves we planned to depend on for next year.
The change in our position is heightened by an expected decline in enrollment in the fall. This makes any decrease in base state aid per student even more painful. We have been tracking enrollment changes all year and the decline throughout the year has been ahead of normal years. We are predicting a loss of at least 100 students when classes resume in August.
Now the question is, what changes are in store for our district to prepare for this budget decrease?
For the past 11 years, we have asked for staff and community input into budget priorities through the Performance-Based Budgeting process. We continued that practice again this year, and the group has provided us with recommendations. About 60 people studied the budget and considered ways to save money in the areas of instruction, student and instructional support services, and operations.
This month, the Board of Education will consider recommendations from the PBB Committee that includes reductions totaling $1.11 million. Cuts that may be recommended in the first two Tiers range from supplies, maintenance, a district administrative position, QUEST, after-school bus service. We believe we can protect jobs from the list of cuts for next year because of the 11 teaching positions we did not fill this year.
One piece of good news is we have been notified we will receive an increase in federal Title I funds totaling nearly $900,000 over the next two years. These funds must be used to support reading and math achievement for at-risk students. The PBB committee has recommended enhancing the number of instructional coaches with a portion of these funds.
In the meantime, we await final decisions at the statehouse where the Legislature is debating a range of cuts and revenue enhancements. We are hopeful a decision will be made soon so that decisions can be made at the local level. In our district, we are fortunate that good planning during the good years by our Board of Education makes the choices a little less painful during hard times such as these.
Blue_Dog (anonymous) says...
"Instructional Coaches" does that mean more teacher - helpers in the classroom to help those students who are behind or just need 1 on 1 help or is it more "experts" to tell the already overloaded teachers how to teach.
May 6, 2009 at 3:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
"The change in our position is heightened by an expected decline in enrollment in the fall. This makes any decrease in base state aid per student even more painful. We have been tracking enrollment changes all year and the decline throughout the year has been ahead of normal years. We are predicting a loss of at least 100 students when classes resume in August."
And yet a new addition is being built at Village and cosmetic remodeling at other school properties. Dr. Heim, the taxpayers have to live on their paychecks, some week to week. It's time you start doing it also. How about a modest pay cut of 10% on your part until times are better.
Maybe a few less administrators would save some money.
Perhaps we could go back to the Good ole days where the only students who took the bus to school were the "farm Kids". That in itself would help with a lot of childhood obeisity problems, what a novel idea. Kids walking and riding bikes to school.
May 6, 2009 at 4 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nutsaboutools (anonymous) says...
The problem is, rbow, unlike the times when we rode our bikes to school, mommy or daddy takes them to school now. Have you ever been by the elementary or middle school in the morning or afternoon, during drop-off or pick-up? I also noticed that during registration, the long lines at the "financial aide" or "free-lunch" desk (that those of us who pay taxes and fees are supporting).
May 6, 2009 at 4:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
GoHornets (anonymous) says...
BlueDog: An instructional coach is a position that helps teachers improve. Not every teacher is performing at 100%. Investing in an instructional coach has been statistically proven to be the single most beneficial thing a school can do to improve the quality of education.
Rbow: The federal government requires certain bussing requirements. The "good ole" days that you refer to are long gone. Give Dr. Heim the respect he deserves in running a world-class school system and recognize the way things were done in the "good ole" days dont work anymore.
I love the Gazette Forums, but the sad thing about the First Amendment is that even the idiot gets his say.
May 6, 2009 at 8:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
GoHornets; The first amendment and idiots having their say works both ways. If the feds or the state does not pay for it , screw it. Have you ever heard of local control? Sometimes "world class" only means like your neighbors @ss. It is time we learned to live within our means and if Heim can't or won't do it maybe we could get an ESU graduate to do it for half the salary. And only in government can a Government employee not performing at 100% would be paid a full salary while also giving them an "instuctional coach" to improve their skills. Most other private businesses would fire the under-performing slacker.
May 6, 2009 at 9:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
GoHornets:
Are you saying that ESU doesn't teach their students well enough to do their job,(Teach), without the help of an Instructional Coach?
May 6, 2009 at 9:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Emporia, home of the Teachers Hall of Fame.
Now Harry Hart was a teacher! Bless you Mr. Hart and all you have done for Emporia's youth. Rest in peace.
May 6, 2009 at 9:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
Pork Pork Pork Pork
May 6, 2009 at 10:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nks (anonymous) says...
I am familiar with the PBB meetings that occured over the past few months.
I respect teachers and realize that they raise our children and are to be looked up to and admired. I have also witnessed some of the red tape BS and the disrespect that they have to endure from a growing number of little sh&ts that go to school now.
But, I also learned that the AVERAGE teacher in the district makes $50,000 and the AVERAGE administrator makes $83,000. They make good money, and they get a large number of inservice or work days per year and they now get extra time on Wednesdays by the early out program. I am sure many have to take things home to finish, but havent teachers had to do this for the past 50 years? Back then, they didnt have aides, para's and computers to help them out either.
I would hate to see any teacher's contract not be renewed or to freeze pay raises or even take a small pay cut becuase of budget cuts, but if it needs done, it needs done. It is happening all over the country and in Emporia to ALL types and levels ofemployers/employees. Personally I have lost onmy end, a portion of my benefits, bonus's, 401K match, and took a pay cut.
Are some of the things in the budget that they are not willing to give up things they HAVE to have or things they WANT to have?
I see one major expense that could be cut. If they only printed papers/announcements in English, the toner bill would be cut in half.
May 7, 2009 at 5:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )