Our school district does not have a deficit, the state does, and school districts and agencies depend upon the State for annual funding. Every school district, every state agency, and most Minnesotans, then, will feel the effects of the state’s $5 billion deficit.

 

To affect our budget by as much as $1.5 million, we will make budget cuts, but we also hope to utilize other sources of revenue, and make changes to programs. We will look to a decrease in expenses and an increase in revenues to balance our budget, using a combination of methods that we collectively refer to as “modifications.”

 

If you’ve been following the news, Gov. Pawlenty has proposed a 2% increase for education. At this point, it is only a proposal with a long way to go before becoming reality. It also has very, very specific strings attached. As the history of politics and negotiations show, even if his proposal prevails, it would likely not be a 2% increase. At the same time the governor is proposing a 2% increase, legislative leaders have been telling school districts to prepare for a budget freeze or even reduction in funding. We must complete our 2009-10 budget by mid-April, while the very earliest we will know about funding from the State will be mid-May.

 

The most well-known component of QComp, enacted by the Legislature in 2005, is performance pay for teachers. In addition to performance pay, school districts that implement QComp need to have career advancement options for teachers, job-embedded professional learning, and teacher evaluation processes in place. School districts that participate receive funding that includes a combination of state aid and a School Board-approved local levy. At this time Spring Lake Park Schools has made a purposeful decision not to be involved in QComp. However, this could change. (read more)

 

Again, this is also a proposal. As of this time, a version of the bill has been approved by the House but not the Senate. It is possible that additional Special Education and Title 1 aid for all of the nation's schools could be a part of this stimulus package, and this would definitely help our school district.

 

Our 2006-09 Facilities Improvement Plan to upgrade all school facilities, funded by a voter-approved levy, is nearing completion. By law, construction funds must be kept in a separate account and used only for this purpose. The budget modification process we are undergoing is for the General Fund.

 

Transportation is a significant budget item. We are always looking for ways to deliver this service in a more efficient manner. We will definitely evaluate this area, as we will all other areas.

 

Parents, community, and staff were asked for their budget ideas in the first phase of the process. In the first two weeks, from Feb. 4-16, there were 1,000 visits to the Budget Modification section of the website.  Of the 1,000 visits, 100 unduplicated ideas were submitted. Design Team members reviewed and considered each idea, many of which are now represented in the list of current ideas to be considered.  Parent, community, and staff ideas were  summarized for Input Team review and consideration. The Input Team is comprised of staff, parents, and community members.   A community meeting on April 6 will provide an opportunity for anyone in the community to become part of the process and offer feedback.

Class size studies of metro area districts by Metro ECSU, an independent organization,  show that Spring Lake Park Schools has consistently improved its standing in recent years. 

High School class sizes: Ranked 5 of 22 overall, better than average in all areas
Grades K-5 class sizes: Ranked 10 of 22, improving from 15th to 10th in 3 years
Grades 6-8 class sizes: Ranked 16 of 22, only one student above the metro average, improving from 22nd to 16th in 3 years

 

This budget process is identifying reductions and modifications for the General Fund. Can you give us a quick lesson in the various funds?
The modification process is for the 2009-10 General Fund  which includes: General (expenditures not included elsewhere), Transportation, Operating Capital. 

The district's other funds, that are not part of this process, are Food Service, Community Service, Capital Projects-Building Construction Fund, Debt Service Fund, and Trust Fund.

 

Some government agencies, departments, and school districts have discussed furloughs, significant layoffs, and hard freezes. Is anything such as this being proposed?
The district is not looking at anything like that. However, in order to minimize job reductions, which would give us a greater probability of maintaining class sizes and retaining the staff we have purposefully developed in recent years, one proposal is to reduce the traditional average increase in salary and benefit packages.

 

 

One of the best ways to keep informed will be through the district’s website. Prominently displayed on the district home page and the home page of each school  is a “Budget Modification Process” section that will contain information about the decision-making process, timelines and teams, meeting dates and times, and  updates through the April 14 completion of the process. School and school district publications, Enews Updates, and local newspapers are additional sources.