Creating A School Budget Consistent With Strategic Plan
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(Monday) January 25, 2010
ACPS School Board Chair, Yvonne Folkerts. (Photo: Regan Kireilis)
Yvonne Folkerts
School Board Chair
Superintendent Morton Sherman presented his recommended operating budget for fiscal year 2011 to the School Board last week. But I confess: I was distracted from time to time during his presentation by a particular group of people in the crowd.
Sitting directly in front of my colleagues and I were a group of TC Williams High School students. To his credit, the superintendent invited these students to come to our meeting to listen and learn about the school division’s budget process.
I suspect these TC Williams students had no idea how powerful their presence was to me personally. Watching them was a tangible reminder of the work ahead of us: sorting through the superintendent’s recommendations and voting on a budget for the next school year that champions student achievement for each one of those TC Williams students as well as for all the students enrolled in Alexandria City Public Schools.
As we begin our intensive budget season, the School Board will be looking to see that Board and Division goals are reflected within the superintendent’s budget recommendation. Not only do we insist that all directives be visionary and forward-thinking, but we also intend to create an ACPS code of conduct consistent with our Strategic Plan, emphasizing the highest levels of professionalism and ethics, and build and implement a plan to strengthen and broaden a community-wide support system for our students.
Additionally, we have directed the Division to continue implementing our Strategic Plan. Specifically, we have requested Dr. Sherman pay particular attention to our middle schools, to improve instructional services for our students with disabilities and for our students who are learning English; and to deliver a system of on-time assessments for our students.
Already, we know the basic facts about the recommended operating budget: it totals $201.80 million, an increase of $4.25 million, or 2.2 percent, over FY2010; enrollment is projected to be 12,002, an increase of 379 students or 3.2 percent; and state revenue will decline 3.5 percent to $26.07 million.
Further, we know that the superintendent is recommending a .6 percent decline in staffing, is realigning 7 percent of the budget to put more dollars into the classroom, and is seeking increased costs to employees for medical, dental and retirement benefits.
The budget also calls for a full step for employees paid half-way through the year, just as we approved for this year.
This budget puts the Board at a good starting point. Unlike neighboring school districts, ACPS is not looking at major cuts in employees or programs. And yet, we’re dealing with substantial enrollment increases that put a strain on services and classrooms.
Over a two-year period, enrollment has increased by nearly 800 students. Logic would suggest that more students increase our costs. Yet the proposed budget in front of me shows the cost per student will decline by 2 percent: from $18,003 to $17,652.
It’s now the job of the School Board to work through the budget recommendations, and determine that resources are allocated to meet the Board and division goals. In doing so, we will ensure that ACPS continues to champion student achievement and that as leaders, we will work toward setting the international standard for educational excellence where all students achieve their potential.
It’s time to get to work. A hefty three-ring binder, containing the recommended operating budget, sits open on my desk. In no time, it will have dog-eared pages, underlined copy, and questions in the margins. The Board has a series of work sessions and public hearings scheduled to work through the details, ask questions, and ensure dollars are there for each and every one of our students to succeed in FY2011.
I doubt those TC Williams students who came out last week will be in the crowd for our work sessions and public hearings. That’s OK. I already have their faces in my memory, and will think of them and of all our students, to make sure we’re doing the best we can. They deserve nothing less.