|
SJI School Board cuts $400k from budget;
keeps teaching staff
Sports reduced by $100K, classified staff by $170K
posted 05/13/2008
San Juan Island School Board needed to cut $400,000 out of its budget last night. It took board member Todd Roberts more than two hours to convince them cutting a high school science teaching position didn't make sense.
In the end, the board sliced $100,000 out of the the athletic program by reducing offerings to one sport each for boys and girls per season and slashed $170,000 out of the custodial, secretarial and paraprofessional staff budgets. Of that amount $75,000 is the top priority to be funded through the "Save our Schools" fundraising drive underway.
Food service is eliminated except for sack lunches for students eligible for free and reduced lunches. The Primary Intervention Program is cut. Administration sees a reduction in summer hours, travel, professional development, technology support and supplies.
Special Education is reduced by a .5 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) teacher and a .5 FTE school psychologist intern. The intern does special education assessments.
The majority of the meeting time was spent discussing whether to place a high school science teacher "on the ferry or leave him on overload." The teaching position including benefits amounts to $75,000. The high school curriculum was not driving the decision. The teacher in that position is under a one-year contract and the board therefore does not need to go through the Reduction in Force procedure.
If they chose to cut any other teacher, such as one teaching an elective class for example, the board would have had to give him/her formal notice by May 15 that he/she was losing his/her job.
Superintendent Michael Soltman was confident if the position was put at the top of the list, the funding would come through.
Board member David McCauley said, "If we make the community aware we have a very real person at the top of the list, it should be able to happen in a week. We can all try to help him."
Roberts said, "I think it is not the best idea to hold teachers hostage to fundraisers."
Sally Bryan concurred.
Roberts was asked by other board members where the $75,000 would come from.
Other cuts mentioned at previous meetings included not providing bus transportation to school which theoretically would save $100,000. That had been dismissed earlier as unworkable. Cutting the library teacher to half-time was not acceptable to the board because of the importance of the library to the students.
An audience member asked about eliminating a principal's position. People who were at the school district when it operated with two instead of three principals related how it hadn't worked well under that scenario and the option was dropped.
The elementary art and music program were kept off the chopping block by the proposal presented at the beginning of the meeting by Soltman and not brought up again except by an audience member who wondered if volunteers could do the work. The need to have certificated teachers in the classroom while the work is being done negated the idea.
The $40,000 in savings available by reducing the English as a Second Language staff in the elementary school was not brought up by the board but by an audience member. A suggestion was made the reduction could be offset by volunteers helping after school thus eliminating the certificated problem. The reduction would take the staffing from .8 FTE for the 30 non-English speaking students to a .3 FTE. The board kept the program as is.
The board prioritized the list into three levels. The levels are the order in which they will be pulled "onto the ferry" once funding is raised. The items within each level are not in any particular order.
The "Save Our Schools" has raised nearly $200,000 of the original $600,000 needed for the 2008/2009 budget deficit. The funds were raised through the "Challenge Gift." Another $400,000 is still possible to fill in the gap. If community members donate $200,000 the Challenge Gift matches the sum for a total of $400,000 and all of the cuts will be restored.
The cuts as finalized on May 13, 2008 are:
LEVEL ONE:
- $75,000 in custodial/secretarial
- $17,500 ½-time school psychologist intern (Special Ed Assessment)
- $23,578 Primary Intervention Program
- $50,000 Athletic Program (½ the cuts)
LEVEL II
- $95,000 Custodial/Secretarial, Paraprofessionals (Title I, Special Ed, Reg. Ed)
LEVEL II
- $50,000 Athletics (other half of $100,000 cut)
- $20,000 in Food Services
- $38,000 ½-time Special Education teacher
- $32,000 Administration Services
"Save Our Schools" campaign raises $75K
Planning Underway for Long Term School Funding Solutions
posted 05/12/2008
A sixth local donor has added a pledge of $25,000 to increase the "Challenge Gift" to $300,000, or half of the dollars needed to mitigate anticipated program reductions due to a $600,000 operating fund shortfall projected for 2008-09. Charles Anderson, chair of the San Juan Island Community Foundation Board, (San Juan Island’s publicly supported philanthropic organization) expressed his appreciation to Roger Salquist. Anderson is optimistic other donors will continue to step forward to take advantage of this matching program which remains open through the September start of the school year.
Paul LeBaron, president of the Schools Foundation announced Sunday that the "Save Our Schools" campaign had raised $75,000 so far and that additional donations are expected that could raise the total to $100,000 over the next week. He urges community members wishing to make a contribution to the challenge gift to call the Schools Foundation "SOS Hotline" at 370-7925, or to use the donate now secure link on the Foundation Web site.
The school district is collaborating with members of the Public Schools Foundation and the Community Foundation to develop a task force to begin to identify a long term school funding solution. A three-pronged approach is being considered. Efforts will include a lobbying effort to insist that the state legislature meets its constitutional obligation to fully fund basic education.
Long range fiscal planning will be conducted by the district to determine funding needs over the next four to five years. Local funding solutions to sustain essential instructional and co-curricular programs will be identified and implemented to address current and future funding needs.
School District Superintendent Michael Soltman and School Board Chair Boyd Pratt, expressed the district’s gratitude for the amazing community response to this funding challenge. Soltman said, "We can all be proud that we live in a community that cares so much about its schools. Districts across the state are faced with making debilitating cuts to school programs, an option our community has refused to accept." Pratt said, "The "challenge" and matching donations provide some immediate relief as we discuss how to prioritize cuts at tonight’s school board meeting. We now know we have about $100,000 matched, or about $200,000 committed to solving next year’s budget challenge."
$275K "Challenge
Gift" made to SJI school district
posted 05/07/2008
PRESS RELEASE: Local donors have coordinated together to make a $275,000 "Challenge
Gift" to the San Juan Island School District to mitigate anticipated program
reductions due to a $600,000 operating fund shortfall projected for
2008-09. Under the leadership of the San Juan Island Community
Foundation (San Juan Island's publicly supported philanthropic
organization), five local donors are working together to provide a
community incentive to raise the additional funds necessary to address
the budget shortfall.
Charles Anderson, chair of the San Juan Island
Community Foundation Board, said, "These donors are committed to
ensuring that our schools will continue to provide an outstanding
education on San Juan Island." He is optimistic that other donors will
also step forward to preserve our school programs and recognize the
importance of education to a healthy community.
Donations include an anonymous gift through the "Fairway Fund", as
well as donations from David McCauley, Cloud Oakes, Scott Boden, and
Charles Anderson & Pamela Gross.
This collective "challenge gift"
anticipates other successful fundraising efforts planned by the
community including the "Save Our Schools" phone appeal through the
San Juan Public Schools Foundation scheduled for this Thursday evening (May 8),
4 to 8 p.m. Paul LeBaron, President of the Schools Foundation,
urged community members wishing to make a contribution that is
responsive to the challenge gift to call the Schools Foundation “SOS
Hotline” at 370-7925, or to use the "donate now" secure link on
the Foundation website, www.sjpsf.org.
Michael Soltman, School Superintendent, expressed gratitude for the
generous gift of $10,500 from Carolyn Haugen to preserve the UW Marine
Laboratory K-12 Outreach Program.
Haugen helped launch this program
while principal at the elementary school. She stated, "I just wanted
to do my part to preserve what I believe to be an essential part of our
science program. I urge others to step forward as they are able to
ensure the continued excellence of all of our school programs."
Soltman and Boyd Pratt, school board chair, expressed thanks to
the well coordinated efforts of the San Juan Island Community
Foundation, San Juan Public Schools Foundation, and other school support
organizations to raise funds to address the shortfall.
Pratt said, "We
are so encouraged by the response of our community to sustain the
quality of our schools. This "Challenge Gift" provides a real
opportunity to preserve our academic and co-curricular programs for the
next year, however the challenge is huge and requires the full
commitment of our community to raise the matching funds to meet it."
Public School Foundation plans fundraisers
San Juan Public School Foundations Announcements:
Duck Soup Inn will donate 10 percent of the proceeds from Friday night May 9. Call 378-4878 for reservations.
Change for Your Schools:
By now you have heard the rumors…. the staggering numbers… the cuts and it’s time to take action before we lose what makes up our schools. After the public meeting on Thursday it was clear that we as a community have to take action if we are going to preserve our teachers our programs and our future. By May 15 the School has to present a balanced budget and if you are not aware we are approximately $600,000 short. These shortages are going to continue if the economy continues to falter, and we can not depend on it to change over night at the state level. We have to act at the community level today.
There was a gentleman that spoke at lasts nights meeting and he made a great suggestion that if every family invested $100 towards our children and the school that our shortfall would diminish greatly. We encourage those of you that can contribute that or even more to please do so. We also realize there are a lot of families that are not in the position to contribute at that level and we are proposing this:
CHANGE FOR CHANGE
Everyone on this island has some amount of change floating in their cars, in their pocket or underneath the couch cushions. We are asking for you to find that miscellaneous change and donate to make a difference. We challenge families to start paying with cash and take whatever coin is left and deposit into the marked bins, this change can make a change. You will find the bins at Islanders Bank, Friday Harbor Drug Store, Rocky Bay Café and The Market Chef.
Please give what you can. We are at a crossroads here and our children and their education are at stake. We believe the key is to pull together as a community which we have done some many times to make this a reality. You can mail any donations to: The Public Schools Foundation, PO Box 1452
Friday Harbor, WA 98250.
School budget crisis caused by state and local decisions
posted 05/06/2008
The $600,000 shortfall in the San Juan Island School District 2008-2009 budget is attributable to decisions by the state legislature and the local school board.
The state legislature in response to an initiative passed by voters increased teachers salaries. The state pays the salaries for teachers but the catch is only for those covered under the definition of basic public education (as defined in 1978). Local districts make up the difference by hiring more teachers and paying them with funding from local levies. The districts then match the salary increases. Technically the pay raises aren't an unfunded mandate as Rep. Jeff Morris (D. Anacortes) pointed out, since the districts could choose not to match the salaries.
In the case of the San Juan Island School District, the raises for the staff - both certified (teachers) and classified (non-teaching) - not covered by the state formula was $257,011 for the 2008/2009 school year. So what caused the rest of the shortfall?
Last year, the school district dipped into reserves (spent more than they had) to beef up programs that had been had cut into in previous years and they hired an assistant principal for the high school. The total was $285,000.
The unforeseen problem was the loss of 28 students. Usually the district's estimate of enrollment is accurate. Last year's estimate was conservative but not quite as conservative as usual and combined with a higher decline than usual meant revenue was lower than anticipated.
Increasing special education costs are another factor. The district has 109 students who qualify for some type of special education help. The majority of them are communication type disorders. The school district receives additional funding for special educational students. There is also safety net funding from the state to help with extraordinary special education costs. Superintendent Michael Soltman said the federal government which mandates the program only covers 22 percent of the cost.
School funding is a complicated issue and is not a simple case of taking the number of students and multiplying times $5200 per student. The state formual funds per teacher and administrator not per student.
Rep Morris: School districts should sue the state
posted 04/29/2008
The core of the problem regarding school financing is the definition of basic education, state Representatives Jeff Morris and Dave Quall told a citizens gathered in the Friday Harbor Middle School Monday afternoon. "Should you sue us?" Morris said, "I have to say yes. You should sue us....Legislatures are great at reacting to emergencies."
In 1978, Seattle School District successfully sued the state to adequately fund basic education. The definition hasn't changed since then. The state pays for staff based on that definition. "We are great at funding based on that definition," said Morris.
The state legislature passed legislation including raises for teachers and classified staff in the 2008 budget. The state pays the salaries for the staff included under basic education. School districts hire more staff and pay them with local levies. The districts are then faced with finding the funds to pay for the unexpected mandated raises out of their own budgets for the staff which is not covered in the state's formula.
Community meeting at FHMS tonight about school budget cuts
posted 05/01/2008
A community meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Friday Harbor Middle
School Commons Thursday, May 1 where the options about school district budget cuts will be discussed. At the April 30, 2008 school board meeting, many options were presented including saving $200,000 by cutting all sports, $100,000 by dropping transportation, $30,000 by eliminating food service.
The school board will hold a special board meeting on May 12 when they will make final decisions on budget cuts. Staff have to be notified by May 15 if their positions are going to be cut.
| Potential Instructional Program and Service Reductions for 2008-09 |
| Discussion Document – Goal $600,000 Reduction |
|
Instructional Program Services |
(note – all salary amounts include state/federal employment taxes, and employee benefits costs) |
Considerations
|
| Special Education Assessment (school psychologist intern - .5 FTE) |
$35,000 |
Pays for additional psychologist time for special education assessments to determine eligibility for program. Special education funding based upon # of eligible students served. Reduced assessments means delays in establishing eligibility, providing student programs, and obtaining sped. funding
|
| Elementary Art Program
(.6 FTE) |
$40,000 |
Pays for elementary school art/music program (and provides planning time for regular education teachers). Reduction requires some additional paraprofessional coverage for extended recesses to provide required planning time.
|
|
-Or-
Elementary Music Program
(.6 FTE) |
| Primary Intervention Program
(Elementary school counseling services for "at risk" students) |
$23,578 | Program actual cost is $35,578, however, the program raises $10,000 - $14,000 annually in grant support.
|
| Title I Program
(Remedial reading program)
This is a federally funded program that we subsidize with additional local levy support – Reduction is the locally funded portion |
$21,000 | Reduces the program by 5 hours per day of classified paraprofessional support.
|
| K-4 Teacher
(1.0 FTE) |
$75,000 | Reduces number of elementary classroom teachers by 1 FTE and requires a "multi-grade" classroom for ’08-09.
|
| Special Education Teacher
(.5 FTE) |
$38,000 | Reduces special education teaching position a FHMS by .5 FTE. May be difficult to find qualified teacher willing to work a half contract.
|
| Principal
(1.0 FTE) |
$112,000 | Reduces number of principals from 3 to 2 – assignments to be determined.
|
| K-12 UW Marine Program | $12,500 | Eliminates district contribution to K-12 marine sciences program. Continuation of program would be subject to obtaining private funding.
|
| Grades 9-12 Teacher(s)
(Reduce 1-3 FTE) |
$75,000 - $225,000 | Reduces number of high school classroom teachers by 1 – 3 positions. Reduces the number of sections and increases class size in many sections.
|
| HS/MS Library Teacher
(.5 FTE) |
$38,000 | Reduces the library teacher to half time at the HS/MS library. |
|
Non Instructional Services | (note – all salary amounts include state/federal employment taxes, and employee benefits costs) | Considerations |
|
Transportation Services
Eliminate transportation services except for required special education services |
$100,000 | Requires families to establish carpool system for transportation. Field trip and athletic programs would need to secure private funding to support transportation costs.
|
| Food Services
Eliminate food services except for sack lunch program for students eligible for free and reduced lunches |
$20,000 - $30,000 | Requires families to pack a sack lunch for school
|
| Athletic Program
Eliminate all, or part, of the athletic program |
Up to $200,000 | Athletic programs would continue only with private funding.
|
Custodial/Secretarial/Program
Coordinators/ Paraprofessional/ and Business Office Operations...
Reduce the number of hours per day of classified operational support.
Average annual hourly rate including benefits = $5,000 per annual hour |
Up to $250,000 |
Assumes reduction of up to 50 hours per day of operational support
|
Outline of Funding Minimums and Other Considerations in this process
- Total Reduction from list below must equal approximately $600,000
- K-4 Ratio for BEA Certificated FTE must not be less than 14.47
- K-12 Ratio for BEA Certificated FTE must not be less than 38.16
(reduction cannot exceed 4.59 BEA CIS over K-12 grade span)
- Vocational Certificated FTE recommended to be approximately 1.40
| Program Reductions to Date: Below are reductions which combined with $44,405 in new revenue has reduced the deficit from the original $820,000 to approximately $600,000. |
|
FHHS Assistant Principal
(.5 FTE) |
$38,000 | Reassigned .5 Athletic Director duties to Maint./Operat. Supervisor
|
| Griffin Bay Teacher
(.2 FTE) |
$15,000 |
|
Supplies/Materials/Contingency Reductions
- Curriculum ($50,000)
- Legal/Audit/Elections ($30,000)
- Travel ($17,500)
- Technology ($15,000)
- School Budgets ($25,000)
- CPF Transfer ($20,000)
- Field Trip Transportation ($20,910)
|
$178,410 |
District level reductions in supplies/materials and contingency accounts. |
Community meetings scheduled
2008-09 Operating Budget - A Challenge Ahead
The San Juan Island School District is facing a very challenging budget development process for the 2008-09 school year. Estimates by the Washington Association of School Administrators are that school districts in the State of Washington face a $100 million shortfall this year due to underfunded salary increases by the legislature and other program reductions passed during the 2008 session. Dr. Jerry Jenkins, our ESD 189 Superintendent estimates that the NWESD regions's thirty-five school districts face more than a $28 million dollar shortfall related to underfunded raises.
Dr. Bill Keim, ESD 113 Superintendent in Olympia, states in a recent article that, "Based on data available through the National Center for Education Statistics, in 1993 Washington ranked 11th in its adjusted per student expenditure. In 2005, according to data presented in the 2008 Quality Counts report, Washington State had slid to a ranking of 44th with a total per student expenditure of $7,432. Moving Washington back into the 11th ranked position would require an additional $2,553 per student or a total of $2.46 billion dollars."
Clearly, the entire state is facing a funding crisis in education that can only be addressed by leadership in our state legislature.
Current estimates are that we will need to reduce our program budget by $820,000 in order to produce a balanced budget for next year. The San Juan School District funding shortfall is compounded by the State’s failure to fully fund raises and basic education programs, declining enrollment, special education costs, and staffing added this year to meet program and operational needs.
It is important that we all have accurate information to inform discussions about how to make these reductions. We invite your participation through attending a series of public meetings commencing Wednesday, April 23 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the middle school commons.
The purpose of the meeting is to review education funding issues in our state, and to understand the impact on our school district for the 2008-09 school year. A second meeting is scheduled, Thursday, May 1st, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. to consider specific program reductions. Please plan to attend the community meetings.
Thank you for your commitment to our schools,
Michael Soltman,
Superintendent of Schools
San Juan Island School District
|
