PRESENT: Subcommittee members Ed Zuchowski, Stephanie Pick, Howard Moore. Other school committee members: Mike Flynn, Downey Meyer. Interim Superintendent William Erickson, Business Manager Susan Wright, Curriculum Director Mark Prince, Special Ed Director Nathan Ziegler, Secretary Jennifer Towler. Public: Teachers' union rep. and JFK PE teacher Sharon Carlson, Gazette Education Reporter Barbara Solow, Leeds School Council Member Julie Asbornsen, Ryan Road School Principal Margie Riddle.
SUMMARY:SW updated the subcommittee on the FY12 proposed budget. Since her last report on March 2, the school budget deficit has been reduced from $1.4 million to $333,000. This is due to two changes since March: 1) the City has appropriated an additional $748,868 (3.3% increase from FY11) to the school budget, and 2) school administrators have made program changes for a net reduction of $331,940 in expenses. Approximately 6 or 7 teaching positions would have to be cut in order to close the now $333,000 budget gap. However, NPS will not be certain until May or June of its share of circuit breaker (state reimbursement for out-of-district special ed. tuition) and school choice revenue. The amount of state aid could also change; the Mayor bases her budget on the Governor's budget for those figures. Also still being negotiated with the union are the cost of health insurance and STEP increases. This budget assumes no cost of living (COLA) increase for teachers. The budget also assumes a $90,000 reserve for FY12 (out of a $28.5 million budget). The full board will discuss the reserve amount at its next meeting this Thursday, April 14, 7:15 pm at JFK.
SW presented a summary of changes since the level service budget she had presented on March 2. The changes in expenses that led to a net expense reduction of $331,940 are as follows:
- Salary adjustments
- Added student enrolled in virtual school
- Added .20 full-time equiv. Adjustment Counselor at NHS
- Adjust FY12 payroll to full accrual (one day added for full-time staff)
- Add one full-time teacher for new Autism program at JFK
- Add two full-time aides for new Autism program at JFK
- Reduce special ed out-of-district payments (due to new autism program)
- Reduce 1 teacher at Ryan Road school due to enrollment shift
- Reduce 9 kindergarten aides (ESPs)
- Reduce PE at JFK to FY11 levels (cut .50 PE teacher)
- Reduce English at NHS (cut .33 fte teacher)
- Reduce utilities
- Savings factored in from one additional retirement
- Reduce copier budget
- Reduce school choice coordinator from 1.00 fte to .75 fte
Explanation of above changes:
The new autism program at JFK is designed to help reduce out-of-district placements, so for now the savings versus expense of new hires is roughly a wash. There will now be one kindergarten aide, or ESP, per classroom as it was before. Last year the exceptionally high kindergarten enrollment warranted adding a second aide to each class. SW found out about another retirement at Bridge St. school. The School Choice coordinator resigned, so that position was reduced.
WE explained how the administrators met to come up with these changes and how they were "responsible" and "the right thing to do." The approach was to reorganize services without compromising integrity of programs. There is still a gap, however, and contract negotiations will be the next step.
SP asked about reserves amount, and SW explained that there is currently $390,000 in reserves. This FY12 uses $300,000 of those reserves, leaving a $90,000 reserve for FY12. The other reserve account, called circuit breaker, is only for special ed. There is $150,000 in that account now, and SW said it's the lowest it has been since the circuit breaker program was established in 2004. She recommended against pulling from there, as special ed. costs tend to be unpredictable.
SW said the remaining deficit of $333,000 "absolutely will have to come from staff cuts" as the operations and management side of the budget has been "completely wrung out." PTOs, SOS and NEF have all helped out in raising funds to pay for supplies cut from the budget in recent years.
SP said she couldn't vote on a budget with as few reserves as $90,000. She is concerned about having to make mid-year cuts as a result: "You make bad cuts that way."
DM asked if there was a risk of the reserves going to zero. SW: "I think we'll have some more reserves to carry forward from FY11 - maybe $100,000 (for a total reserve of $190,000 in FY12).
WE: "Still, a $190,000 reserve in a $28 million budget is very small."
SP asked Nathan Ziegler about the possible use of the Florence Community Center again for special ed or other NPS services. He responded that they are not looking to use it for FY12 but hesitant to surplus it to city yet. Perhaps it can be used later for transitional services for 18-22 year-olds who go through 12th grade but do not receive their diplomas.
HM asked about the possibility of the new autism program accepting students from other districts as a revenue source. NZ explained that once the program is up and running, there is the possibility of opening it up to other students. He is not opposed to "tuitioning-in" these students, but NPS has not had that practice in the past.
EZ said he prefers to take discussion about how much to keep in reserves to the full board rather than have this subcommittee make a recommendation. HM asked SP how much in reserves would she feel comfortable with, and she said $300,000. HM said if it means cutting 6 teaching positions in order to build the reserves, he would prefer to keep the teachers and risk losing them mid-year. EZ gave example of Jobs Ed funds that the committee decided to spend last year to try to get long-term benefits now for a student rather than hold those funds as a reserve. SP: "We were divided about that. I'm not a betting person. I think it's a full board discussion."
Sharon Carlson asked about the Mayor's budget being built on the assumption of no increases for all unions and how the sacrifice was being shared cityside vs. schools. SW said the City's share of the STEPS raises is smaller than the schools' share. SW said if the schools didn't give teachers the STEP increase, then the schools budget would essentially be balanced for FY12. EZ said the City has taken on the burden of the schools' loss of federal stimulus funds.
SP asked about how much has been spent on legal expenses so far in FY11. SW said we're $15 to 20,000 over budget at this time. Legal costs driven up in part by having one-year contracts. "We're always at the (negotiating) table." NPS has had one-year contracts for 2 or 3 years now.
SUMMARY:SW updated the subcommittee on the FY12 proposed budget. Since her last report on March 2, the school budget deficit has been reduced from $1.4 million to $333,000. This is due to two changes since March: 1) the City has appropriated an additional $748,868 (3.3% increase from FY11) to the school budget, and 2) school administrators have made program changes for a net reduction of $331,940 in expenses. Approximately 6 or 7 teaching positions would have to be cut in order to close the now $333,000 budget gap. However, NPS will not be certain until May or June of its share of circuit breaker (state reimbursement for out-of-district special ed. tuition) and school choice revenue. The amount of state aid could also change; the Mayor bases her budget on the Governor's budget for those figures. Also still being negotiated with the union are the cost of health insurance and STEP increases. This budget assumes no cost of living (COLA) increase for teachers. The budget also assumes a $90,000 reserve for FY12 (out of a $28.5 million budget). The full board will discuss the reserve amount at its next meeting this Thursday, April 14, 7:15 pm at JFK.
SW presented a summary of changes since the level service budget she had presented on March 2. The changes in expenses that led to a net expense reduction of $331,940 are as follows:
- Salary adjustments
- Added student enrolled in virtual school
- Added .20 full-time equiv. Adjustment Counselor at NHS
- Adjust FY12 payroll to full accrual (one day added for full-time staff)
- Add one full-time teacher for new Autism program at JFK
- Add two full-time aides for new Autism program at JFK
- Reduce special ed out-of-district payments (due to new autism program)
- Reduce 1 teacher at Ryan Road school due to enrollment shift
- Reduce 9 kindergarten aides (ESPs)
- Reduce PE at JFK to FY11 levels (cut .50 PE teacher)
- Reduce English at NHS (cut .33 fte teacher)
- Reduce utilities
- Savings factored in from one additional retirement
- Reduce copier budget
- Reduce school choice coordinator from 1.00 fte to .75 fte
Explanation of above changes:
The new autism program at JFK is designed to help reduce out-of-district placements, so for now the savings versus expense of new hires is roughly a wash. There will now be one kindergarten aide, or ESP, per classroom as it was before. Last year the exceptionally high kindergarten enrollment warranted adding a second aide to each class. SW found out about another retirement at Bridge St. school. The School Choice coordinator resigned, so that position was reduced.
WE explained how the administrators met to come up with these changes and how they were "responsible" and "the right thing to do." The approach was to reorganize services without compromising integrity of programs. There is still a gap, however, and contract negotiations will be the next step.
SP asked about reserves amount, and SW explained that there is currently $390,000 in reserves. This FY12 uses $300,000 of those reserves, leaving a $90,000 reserve for FY12. The other reserve account, called circuit breaker, is only for special ed. There is $150,000 in that account now, and SW said it's the lowest it has been since the circuit breaker program was established in 2004. She recommended against pulling from there, as special ed. costs tend to be unpredictable.
SW said the remaining deficit of $333,000 "absolutely will have to come from staff cuts" as the operations and management side of the budget has been "completely wrung out." PTOs, SOS and NEF have all helped out in raising funds to pay for supplies cut from the budget in recent years.
SP said she couldn't vote on a budget with as few reserves as $90,000. She is concerned about having to make mid-year cuts as a result: "You make bad cuts that way."
DM asked if there was a risk of the reserves going to zero. SW: "I think we'll have some more reserves to carry forward from FY11 - maybe $100,000 (for a total reserve of $190,000 in FY12).
WE: "Still, a $190,000 reserve in a $28 million budget is very small."
SP asked Nathan Ziegler about the possible use of the Florence Community Center again for special ed or other NPS services. He responded that they are not looking to use it for FY12 but hesitant to surplus it to city yet. Perhaps it can be used later for transitional services for 18-22 year-olds who go through 12th grade but do not receive their diplomas.
HM asked about the possibility of the new autism program accepting students from other districts as a revenue source. NZ explained that once the program is up and running, there is the possibility of opening it up to other students. He is not opposed to "tuitioning-in" these students, but NPS has not had that practice in the past.
EZ said he prefers to take discussion about how much to keep in reserves to the full board rather than have this subcommittee make a recommendation. HM asked SP how much in reserves would she feel comfortable with, and she said $300,000. HM said if it means cutting 6 teaching positions in order to build the reserves, he would prefer to keep the teachers and risk losing them mid-year. EZ gave example of Jobs Ed funds that the committee decided to spend last year to try to get long-term benefits now for a student rather than hold those funds as a reserve. SP: "We were divided about that. I'm not a betting person. I think it's a full board discussion."
Sharon Carlson asked about the Mayor's budget being built on the assumption of no increases for all unions and how the sacrifice was being shared cityside vs. schools. SW said the City's share of the STEPS raises is smaller than the schools' share. SW said if the schools didn't give teachers the STEP increase, then the schools budget would essentially be balanced for FY12. EZ said the City has taken on the burden of the schools' loss of federal stimulus funds.
SP asked about how much has been spent on legal expenses so far in FY11. SW said we're $15 to 20,000 over budget at this time. Legal costs driven up in part by having one-year contracts. "We're always at the (negotiating) table." NPS has had one-year contracts for 2 or 3 years now.
Barbara Considine
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SchoolsWatch
Why are we hiring 7 new police officers (according to the Gazette) and laying off teachers?
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