May 7, 2009

In this update we will take you through the process used by the Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) to determine how decisions were made in regard to budget reductions and to determine its priorities and recommendations to the Superintendent.

Process

BAC participated in two sessions in which the District’s budget and Arizona’s method for financing schools were reviewed. A list of budget reduction recommendations, developed from meetings held with staff on all GESD campuses and District department heads, was presented as a starting point for discussions. The committee spent the remainder of its sessions reviewing recommended budget reductions, making and refining recommendations and, finally, prioritizing them into three tiers. Tier 1 reflects reductions of up to $4.37 million; Tier 2 reflects reductions of up to $6.36 million; and Tier 3, the worst case scenario, reflects reductions of $12.78 million. The dollar amounts associated with these tiers are still not firm, but are based on the preliminary information we have from the state.

In making its decisions and prioritizing its list of recommendations, BAC took into consideration:

• Department reduction decisions – When the final level of budget reductions are determined, 20 percent of that total will come from District administration and department cuts in Tier 1 and Tier 2. Under the worst case scenario, Tier 3, 18 percent of the total will come from this area. This is a greater reduction than the overall cuts being made district-wide.
• Maintain jobs – In prioritizing its recommendations, BAC sought to preserve as many jobs as possible. Based on the magnitude of the reductions, not every position could be preserved. In order to preserve employment for GESD staff members some BAC recommendations moved employees to other positions for which they are qualified. For instance, because they are certified teachers, no librarian would lose a job because classroom positions are available.
• Protect class size as much as possible – Although recommendations to raise class sizes remain, options to add as many as three or four additional students were taken off the table.
• Keep as many programs as possible – Particular attention was paid to programs that potentially could have been cut had the override failed last fall.
• Safety and discipline – BAC wanted to preserve positions and programs dealing with student safety and discipline as much as possible.
• Equity among schools – Some of the positions recommended for reduction were those that served a limited number of schools, or just one school. The committee believed that retaining those positions was inequitable to those schools without them.
• IBN recommendations – BAC took into consideration the agreement developed by the Interest Based Negotiations Committee and its effect on the budget.

In addition, some reductions were suggested based on the potential loss of up to 300 students for the 2009-10 school year.

Below is a list of recommended reductions by tier and priority:

Tier 1

Tier I reductions are based on required reductions of up to an estimated $4.37 million.

·        Pay for endorsements only for teaching in area of endorsement; no mentor position stipends; no change to Special Education stipends (IBN recommendation)

·        Department Reductions (represents 20 percent of budget reductions made on all tiers)

·        Certified Professional Growth Movement – Allow to move multiple columns (IBN Recommendation)

·        Capital Outlay Revenue Limit Transfer for Unit 118

·        Do not allocate $590,262.81 in Soft Capital

·        Reduction of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of 12 regular classroom teachers and two related arts teaching positions due to projected loss of 300 students

·        Through attrition, change Achievement Advisors to teacher salary schedule plus stipend

·        Increase Unemployment Insurance Expense

·        Eliminate Instructional Specialists and Intervention Specialists

·        Eliminate bus driver retention incentive

·        Eliminate Community Liaison

·        Eliminate teacher referral stipend

·        Eliminate Saturday School funds

·        Eliminate all athletic transportation

·        Raise class size by one student per teacher and reduce special areas teachers by 4 Full Time Equivalents (FTE) – would mean the loss of 18 FTE regular classroom teachers

·        Add teachers to handle large classes after school starts

·        Eliminate Student Advisors

·        Eliminate Family Services Advocate

·        Eliminate Social Workers/Counselors

·        Psychologists – reduce to 8.0 FTE

·        Librarians – convert from 16 Librarians and 1 Clerk to 17 Clerks, 1 Librarian, 1 Department Secretary

·        Make Attendance Secretaries work year consistent at 185 days

Tier 2

Tier 2 reductions include all reductions made in Tier 1, and are based on required reductions of an estimated $6.36 million.

·        Half percent decrease in salary (IBN recommendation)

·        Raise class size by an another .5 student per teacher (would raise total increase in class size to 1.5 students)

·        Add teachers to handle large classes after school starts

·        Add no new teachers to the Teacher Longevity Program

·        Do not allocate $1,180,525.62  in Soft Capital

·        Eliminate late bus runs

·        Cut 5^th-6^th grade after-school sports program and reduce insurance premium

·        Endorsements paid at one-half and only for teaching in area of endorsement; half stipend amounts for Special Education (IBN recommendation)

·        Eliminate K-2 Math consumables (soft capital)

Tier 3

Tier 3 reductions include all reductions made in Tiers 1 and 2, and are based on required reductions of up to an estimated $12.78 million.

·        An additional half percent decrease in salary (IBN recommendation – would raise total salary decrease to one percent)

·        Certified Professional Growth movement – One Column only(IBN recommendation)

·        Reduce school M&O allocation by $6.00 per student

·        Do not provide department secretary to assist District Librarian

·        Do not allocate $2,361,051.23 in Soft Capital

·        Nurses – Convert from 17 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)/Registered Nurse (RN)/Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to 3 or 4 BSNs and 17 Health Clerks (including funding for up to $20,000 for a lead nurse with advanced medical training)

·        Attendance Secretaries – Cut 3 FTE in smallest schools

·        Eliminate 15 Crossing Guard positions (Unit Managers to will cover crosswalk duties for 90 minutes in the morning.  Lead Custodians will cover crosswalk duties in the afternoon)

·        Implement .75 radius for busing. This will require the addition of 12 Crossing Guards for major intersections and other hazardous crossing areas

·        Pay no endorsements; half-pay for  special education endorsement (self-contained classes only) – (IBN recommendation)

·        Raise class size by an additional one student (would raise total increase in class size to 2 students)

·        Attendance Secretaries – cut an additional 5 FTE in Grade 4-8 schools of 750 or fewer students; in K-8 schools with fewer than 850 students

·        Do not restore band (6.5 FTE)

·        Reduce all cleaners to 5 hours per day  192 days per year

·        Reduce school M&O allocation by an additional $6.00 per student

·        Eliminate Regular Ed education assistants

Send any questions to jcummings@gesd40.org.