ERIC EJ919353: Trimming the Budget: How to Make the Cuts

2009·0.11 MB·English

by  ERIC

finance and accounting
Trimming the Budget:
How to Make the Cuts
By Christy Cortner-Castro, Ph.D.
T
he fiscal problems of salary and benefits, leaving the portation more efficiently among
today’s school districts are remainder to be budgeted for pur- schools within the district. And they
a reflection of the national chased services, supplies, capital out- can coordinate professional develop-
economy. Taxpayers are lay, insurance, and contingency funds. ment across the district so that all
struggling to make mortgage pay- It’s not that districts can’t save personnel can benefit and all schools
ments and are reluctant—or money; they can use personnel and can share the cost.
unwilling—to pass bonds and levies other resources more efficiently. For After implementing such strategies,
that will raise property taxes. Local, example, they can buy building sup- districts may still need to reduce their
state, and federal grants have dwin- plies in bulk or cooperate with budgets significantly. In that case,
dled, and the effect of the education neighboring districts to purchase working with all stakeholders within
stimulus dollars is uncertain. paper, ink cartridges, and other the district and the community is
Promises of any additional assis- items used across the district. They essential to success. Stakeholders
tance will do little to help the current can share personnel resources within must feel a sense of ownership in
fiscal situation. Approximately 80% the district and outside the district. ensuring fiscal responsibility. Their
of most district expenditures are for They can organize student trans- suggestions, recommendations, and
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concerns can help district personnel should be considered, but a process other certified teachers with para-
make responsible decisions that the of consensus must be established by professionals who can assist with
community will support. the committee chair, who should be individual needs and small group
appointed by the superintendent. In instruction.
Keeping It Collaborative
addition, the superint endent must • Evaluate whether positions can be
The difficult and time-consuming emphasize which decisions are shared cut and their duties given to other
task of budget reduction is reflected and which will be made by the super- personnel. Consider offering a
in the following process. intendent and school board. stipend to compensate for the addi-
tional duties. Determine whether
Stakeholders must feel a sense cutting the hours of some classified
staff to part-time is possible in order
of ownership in ensuring fiscal
to reduce expenditures of benefits.
responsibility. • Consider reducing elementary
school ancillary teaching positions
and reassigning those duties to the
The superintendent or school During their meetings, the mem- elementary general classroom
board appoints a team at each school bers of the district budget committee teacher. Consider reducing or cut-
to form school budget committees. will tackle the following tasks: ting extra stipends for personnel,
The school budget committees • Review and analyze the current building supply budgets, or travel
should include representatives of all student enrollment numbers and for staff and students.
stakeholders in the school, including expenditures for the district, • Review, research, compare, and
the principal, a teacher representative schools, and individual programs evaluate school models that may
from each grade level, a classified within the district and the schools. reflect cost management. A four-
staff member, and a parent. The They should compare data from day school week and flex sched-
teams should be charged with identi- the previous years with projections ules are models that some districts
fying programs that have the most for the upcoming school years. have adopted to assist with cost
effect on student learning and those • Identify programs and personnel management. It is important to
that have the least effect on student positions that cannot be cut research the immediate and long-
achievement. They should also iden- because they are required and term effects of such school models
tify general areas where they believe funded federally and by the state. on the budget, student learning,
personnel and resources can be cut, They should also identify supple- and the community. Obtain input
decreased, or shared with minimal mental programs and personnel regarding those models from
effect on student learning. positions that are in place for stakeholders whose school districts
The recommendations that stem enrichment and are not required by have applied them. Evaluate
from the school budget committees the state and federal governments. whether those models would work
are forwarded to the district budget • Identify programs and instructional in your school district and for
committee for consideration. personnel positions that have the your community, keeping in my
The district budget committee greatest effect on student learning mind the unique needs of your dis-
should include representatives from and transitioning into adult living. trict and community.
each sector of the district’s stakehold- • Identify areas of low student popu- The district budget committee
ers, including the superintendent; the lation, yet high expenditures. should compare its recommendations
business manager; the directors for Consider combining those areas to with the recommendations from all
facility and maintenance, special increase the efficiency of services the school budget committees to
services, curriculum, and food serv- and free up resources and staff to identify commonalities and differ-
ice; a building administrator at each serve in other areas of need. ences. Priorities should be noted for
level; a teacher representative; and at • Identify the administrative person- each school and compared with the
least one parent. nel and positions that are neces- priorities of other schools and those
Although the process is a team sary and have the greatest effect of the district committee. Where
effort, the individual team members on students and student learning. appropriate, the school recommenda-
will have their biases and pet proj- Determine whether administrative tions should be incorporated into the
ects. It is important to clarify the positions can be cut with minimal district recommendations and pre-
committee’s goal: to provide a public effect on student learning. sented to the school board.
education for all students and to keep • Evaluate whether classes can be Ultimately, the school board is
the students’ best interests in mind combined so one certified teacher responsible for the final decisions
throughout the process. All ideas oversees the program, replacing about budget cuts.
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During this time of financial crisis,
the budget committee should be
ongoing and should meet monthly to
continue discussions and make rec-
ommendations. In some situations,
the committee may need to develop
an emergency plan for the current
and following school year and a
long-term plan for the next three to
five years.
Community Input
It’s important to involve community The perspective of the commu- tendent should be ready to provide
members in the process of trimming nity’s citizens should be valued. It is supporting documentation for those
the district budget and to keep them they who vote for levies and bonds. decisions.
informed about which cuts are being It is they who elect the school board
The Final Cut
considered and why. One way to do members who hire and fire the super-
this is to hold several public forums intendent. And most importantly, it The time has come for many districts
throughout the process. is their children’s education that is to tighten their belts and attempt to
• Plan how many public forums are at stake. retain some of their contingency
necessary to communicate the The final analysis of the commu- funds for more difficult times that
information and gather input. Plan nity’s input should be posted on the may be on the horizon. A collabora-
dates, locations, and times that are school Website and possibly in a tive decision-making process that
convenient for school personnel news release, together with the involves as many stakeholders as
and community members. school and district budget commit- possible, yet is realistic and easy to
• Advertise the public forums’ agen- tees’ recommendations. The implement, goes a long way toward
das, locations, times, and purposes community’s input should be shared helping school districts stretch what
through the local newspaper, dis- with the members of the school few dollars they have.
trict Website, newsletters, and board during deliberations.
word of mouth. When the district budget commit- Christy Cortner-Castro, Ph.D., is a dis-
trict administrator in northern Idaho. She
• Plan the agendas for each forum. tee has determined its final
has 24 years’ experience in public educa-
Break the information into several recommended reductions, the super-
tion as an administrator at the district
sections to avoid overwhelming intendent takes the recommendations
and building levels and as a teacher.
the public. to the school board. The superin- Email: [email protected]
• Present a clear picture of the dis-
trict’s past, current, and future
financial and program needs.
• Present the areas being considered
for reduction and provide clear
explanations for why those areas
are being considered.
• Ask for questions, comments, sug-
gestions, and concerns during
appropriate times within the pres-
entation.
• Ask citizens for their input about
the proposed cuts through a dis-
trict survey. Include the survey on
the district Website and have
copies available for pickup at the
district office. The school board
can consider publishing the results
of the public survey on the district
Website, as well as in the local
paper.
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