PRINTABLE VERSION

District 16 regularly provides the public with information regarding its finances, its instruction and achievement, its compliance with state, local and federal regulations, and its progress on projects and program implementation. And while the district always seeks to be even more accountable to the public, I believe that our district, as well as those school districts around us, have done an exceptional job in reporting and demonstrating how they use tax dollars.

Here are a few examples of Spring Lake Park School District 16 efforts to provide clear and understandable information to our constituents throughout the year:

School district audit

Each year, by law, every school district in the State of Minnesota is audited by an independent public accounting firm. School district audits are rigorous, often more so than private businesses, as it involves procedures to verify that the financial matters are in compliance with federal, state, and local guidelines.

School districts operate in a highly regulated environment in which expenditures, procurement procedures, fundraising, student accounting, and federal reimbursement requests are among the areas scrutinized. The independent auditor issues opinions on the accuracy of financial reports and the compliance with rules and regulations required by the Minnesota Department of Education, the state auditor’s office, the federal government, and large bond rating companies such as Moodys. (The bond rating for District 16 was recently improved by Moodys for the third time in four years, a testament to its academic and financial health.)

Some politicians have proposed that 70% of all school district dollars be spent “in the classroom.” While it sounds reasonable if you don’t study school district budgets, it is, regrettably, inflexible and misleading, because it doesn’t take into account administrators, school media staff, school counselors, a number of special education services, maintenance, safety and security, and a list of additional items that support and enhance student learning.

All are necessary services for everyday operations, and these costs vary in each school, depending on a number of variables, including the specific needs of the students and the age of the school building. That’s why these decisions are best made by local school boards, who are duly elected by their constituents, the purest form of accountability.

Curriculum, instruction, and student achievement

Just as districts provide annual reports on finances, they also provide annual reports on academic achievement. District 16 recently submitted its annual report to the Minnesota Department of Education. Through its community-staff Systems Improvement and Accountability Committee (SIAC), the district reports to the community on its goals, progress, and results on curriculum, instruction, and student achievement. A wide range of testing results is also included. The basic content of this report is determined by the MN Department of Education. Our report is available on the district website and a printed version will be sent to all district residents.

Major assessments of student achievement
Each year students, the schools, and the districts are accountable through public testing results that includes the basic standards tests, Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, measures of academic progress.

No Child Left Behind
Schools must comply with federal regulations for reporting as well. A school's status is then, by law, reported publicly and results are sent to all parents of the district. In the most recent report from the state, all District 16 schools met the required progress level. There are "penalties" prescribed by the legislation for schools that are not making "adequate yearly progress."

Approval for funding increases
School districts operate with funding provided primarily from the state and from community taxpayers. If the state offers no new funding, or provides funding increases less than the cost of living, we must modify our budget, reduce programs and/or staff, or just simply get by with less. From time to time we seek additional funding from local taxpayers. A "levy for learning" produces funding for the district’s general fund and might be used to reduce class sizes, for example. A "bond referendum" produces funding for such needs as roof repair, technology upgrades, or health and safety improvements.

In either case, no funding would be made available unless and until we present our case for the need and local taxpayers agree to support our request.

Parent and community involvement, the ultimate in accountability
A school district’s staff is truly mindful of, and responsive to, the attitudes and feelings of parents. This is an example of customer service responsiveness, another characteristic of the free market system. While this is a powerful method of accountability in Minnesota public schools, School Boards constantly struggle with decisions in which the viewpoints of parents and community members (our "customers") vary widely.

Parents and community members work hand-in-hand with district staff at nearly all levels. School Board members, who set policy for the schools, are elected by the community. PTAs, PACs, advisory councils, task forces, and committees abound.

The right size for responsiveness
Spring Lake Park School District 16 is "personal in size, extra-large in opportunity." With this size, we feel, comes a more personal responsiveness and accountability. Any parent or community member can contact any district staff member and can expect to get a prompt and respectful response. We can’t always guarantee that it will be the response that is sought, but we are always at your service. We will always take your phone call, respond to your e-mail, visit with any individual or group.

Every viewpoint matters. That’s our promise. Every decision we make is for the benefit of the greatest number of students. That’s accountability.

Our mission: High expectations, high achievement for all. No Excuses.