I was on the MCCPTA YouTube channel and discovered a lot of interesting clips from Monday night's Budget Forum. Here's two clips: one of my introduction, and one discussing Maintenance of Effort. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any clips that included my comments during the Q&A session. If I do, I'll post them!
Showing posts with label Budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Budget. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Effects of class size increase; FY 2012 school budget battle
Today, I have two articles regarding the budget from the Gazette. One discusses the effects of class size increases, and the other describes the upcoming FY 2012 school budget. What's your opinion on the budget? Leave a comment!
Montgomery's largest class size increases seen at elementary, high school levels
By Andrew Ujifusa
Montgomery's largest class size increases seen at elementary, high school levels
By Andrew Ujifusa
Montgomery County Public Schools saw the largest jumps in average class size among its youngest and oldest students, according to a report from the schools superintendent published last month.
The average size of a kindergarten class grew by almost one student, from 18.8 students in the 2009-2010 school year to 19.7 students this year, Superintendent of Schools Jerry D. Weast reported in a Dec. 21 memorandum to the Board of Education, while the average class size in grades 1 through 5 grew from 21.3 students to 22.2 students.
At the high school level, the average non-English class also jumped by nearly a student, from 25.2 students to 26.1 students, while the average high school English class size grew less, from 24.4 to 24.8 students. English classes are broken out because the classes are kept smaller due to the amount of writing that teachers must grade.
At the middle school level, average non-English class size grew from 24.6 to 25.2 students, while middle school English class size on average grew less than half a student, from 23.6 to 24 students.
Weast put the statistics in a positive light, writing to the school board: "It was expected that class sizes would grow by 1.0 student; therefore the results are better than expected. Elementary schools had the greatest increase in class size, because most of the higher-than-projected level of enrollment was at the elementary level."
Despite the school system's decision to increase its guidelines for the largest class sizes at all grade levels this year, the percentage of classes at some levels that the school system considers "oversized" still grew in some cases.
For example, the guideline for the maximum non-English high school class also grew from 32 students last year to 33 students, but the number of those classes classified as oversized grew from 270 last year to 285 this year. The number of "oversized" kindergarten classes only grew from six to 13, but that was after the maximum guideline increased from 25 to 26 students.
After the school system increased the maximum class size guideline for English middle school classes from 28 to 29, the number of those "oversized" classes dropped from 84 to 59. Non-English middle school classes considered "oversized" decreased from 186 to 153, after the maximum guideline increased from 32 to 33.
Class size has become one of the most passionate conversation topics related to county schools, after the school system announcement earlier this year that it projected the one-student increase in average size.
Montgomery County Public Schools has an enrollment of 144,458 students this school year, an increase of 2,681 from last year, at the same time that 182 teacher positions were cut.
Weast has raised the possibility that class sizes could increase again next year if the school system receives significant budget cuts. Enrollment is expected to top 145,000. He has proposed a $2.16 billion budget for next year, $59.6 million more than this year's budget.
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Another battle shaping up this year over Montgomery County schools budget
by Andrew Ujifusa
The average size of a kindergarten class grew by almost one student, from 18.8 students in the 2009-2010 school year to 19.7 students this year, Superintendent of Schools Jerry D. Weast reported in a Dec. 21 memorandum to the Board of Education, while the average class size in grades 1 through 5 grew from 21.3 students to 22.2 students.
At the high school level, the average non-English class also jumped by nearly a student, from 25.2 students to 26.1 students, while the average high school English class size grew less, from 24.4 to 24.8 students. English classes are broken out because the classes are kept smaller due to the amount of writing that teachers must grade.
At the middle school level, average non-English class size grew from 24.6 to 25.2 students, while middle school English class size on average grew less than half a student, from 23.6 to 24 students.
Weast put the statistics in a positive light, writing to the school board: "It was expected that class sizes would grow by 1.0 student; therefore the results are better than expected. Elementary schools had the greatest increase in class size, because most of the higher-than-projected level of enrollment was at the elementary level."
Despite the school system's decision to increase its guidelines for the largest class sizes at all grade levels this year, the percentage of classes at some levels that the school system considers "oversized" still grew in some cases.
For example, the guideline for the maximum non-English high school class also grew from 32 students last year to 33 students, but the number of those classes classified as oversized grew from 270 last year to 285 this year. The number of "oversized" kindergarten classes only grew from six to 13, but that was after the maximum guideline increased from 25 to 26 students.
After the school system increased the maximum class size guideline for English middle school classes from 28 to 29, the number of those "oversized" classes dropped from 84 to 59. Non-English middle school classes considered "oversized" decreased from 186 to 153, after the maximum guideline increased from 32 to 33.
Class size has become one of the most passionate conversation topics related to county schools, after the school system announcement earlier this year that it projected the one-student increase in average size.
Montgomery County Public Schools has an enrollment of 144,458 students this school year, an increase of 2,681 from last year, at the same time that 182 teacher positions were cut.
Weast has raised the possibility that class sizes could increase again next year if the school system receives significant budget cuts. Enrollment is expected to top 145,000. He has proposed a $2.16 billion budget for next year, $59.6 million more than this year's budget.
--
Another battle shaping up this year over Montgomery County schools budget
by Andrew Ujifusa
After hearing school and county leaders argue over how much money was too much and not enough for education, one parent at a forum Monday said he was already predicting one bad outcome for next school year.
"I gather from the conversation that class size is going to go up," said Larry Edmonds of Burtonsville, the cluster coordinator for Paint Branch High School.
Edmonds spoke at a forum held by the Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations at Montgomery County Public Schools headquarters in Rockville. Leaders discussed what should happen to the school system's operating budget next fiscal year as enrollment rises, resources continue to shrink and the possibilities loom that the state will cut K-12 education aid and dump more public employee pension costs on counties.
With his proposed $2.16 billion budget for fiscal 2012 on the table, including $82 million in additional money from the county, Superintendent of Schools Jerry D. Weast counseled patience.
After noting that "no one here is an advocate on behalf of reducing staff in schools," Edmonds asked Weast whether the school system had a plan in place for determining which teachers should be let go first, if some have to be cut.
Weast replied that there was, but that the decision might have to be made in the latter stages of fiscal 2011, which ends June 30, because of uncertainty over state funding.
"We're just not going to know until maybe June this year, and that doesn't give us much time to do the processes we have to," said Weast, who is set to retire effective July 1.
Included in the list of the Parent-Teacher Association's priorities is no further increase in average class size and no reduction in academic intervention, special education and the number of reading teachers.
The average kindergarten class size was 19.7 students this year, up from 18.8 students last year. The largest class sizes this year are in non-English high school courses, with an average of 26.1 students, up from 25.2 students.
Several audience members, in support of the association's priorities, sported bright yellow shirts with a "Got Staff?" sticker pinned on the back, above the slogan "Smarter Growth for Smarter Kids."
The association's goal of preventing another class size increase dovetails with the 152 new classroom positions Weast plans to create in fiscal 2012 to keep up with a growing student population, projected to increase from 144,458 this year to more than 145,000 next year.
But the association's desire to stave off classroom staff cuts easily could wilt. When the school system's budget shrank by $96 million this fiscal year, 182 teacher positions eventually were cut.
While Weast assumes a $28 million increase in total state funds for the school system, school board member Philip Kauffman (At large) of Olney raised the possibility of a 5 percent cut in public school aid from the General Assembly. This fiscal year, the state provided $488 million in total funding.
"My fear is that we may be looking back on this time as the beginning of the end," Kauffman said.
County Councilman George Leventhal (D-At large) of Takoma Park said Weast's budget, which assumes $1.497 billion in county funding, did not match with fiscal facts and the needs of police and fire departments, libraries and other county agencies.
"We are not going to fund his budget, because we don't have the money," Leventhal said.
He said the county should get credit now for past generosity, because in the decade prior to 2009 the county funded schools on a per-pupil basis by $577 million more than state law required. As a result, the school system qualified for state aid increases, which occur when enrollment increases.
Leventhal added that some form of pay cut was on tap for fiscal 2012 for all public employees, in the form or furloughs or other cuts. Raising taxes, meanwhile, simply would cause the county to fall further behind Fairfax County, Va., in the quest to attract new businesses, he said.
For fiscal 2011, all county employees except school system employees were required to take furlough days. County Council members did suggest teachers take furloughs on classroom planning days, but school officials balked at the idea.
"We're all going to take home less in our paychecks," Leventhal said.
But school board members said Weast's budget, while it carried a big price tag, simply kept the school system from losing ground.
Referring to the conflict between the school board and council last year, which culminated in the threat of a lawsuit by the school board against the council over cuts, school board member Laura Berthiaume (Dist. 2) of Rockville commented, "It's certainly better to do it with us than do it to us."
But without knowing what burdens state government will ask counties to bear, school board members said trying to read the tea leaves was very difficult.
Weast's budget still needs the school board's approval. The board will vote on the budget Feb. 8, after public hearings, hosted by the Board of Education, on Jan. 12 and Jan. 19.
Describing the substance of the conversation between the school board and council members, Ted Willard, the association's curriculum coordinator, observed, "This feels to me like a game of chicken with two school buses."
"I gather from the conversation that class size is going to go up," said Larry Edmonds of Burtonsville, the cluster coordinator for Paint Branch High School.
Edmonds spoke at a forum held by the Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations at Montgomery County Public Schools headquarters in Rockville. Leaders discussed what should happen to the school system's operating budget next fiscal year as enrollment rises, resources continue to shrink and the possibilities loom that the state will cut K-12 education aid and dump more public employee pension costs on counties.
With his proposed $2.16 billion budget for fiscal 2012 on the table, including $82 million in additional money from the county, Superintendent of Schools Jerry D. Weast counseled patience.
After noting that "no one here is an advocate on behalf of reducing staff in schools," Edmonds asked Weast whether the school system had a plan in place for determining which teachers should be let go first, if some have to be cut.
Weast replied that there was, but that the decision might have to be made in the latter stages of fiscal 2011, which ends June 30, because of uncertainty over state funding.
"We're just not going to know until maybe June this year, and that doesn't give us much time to do the processes we have to," said Weast, who is set to retire effective July 1.
Included in the list of the Parent-Teacher Association's priorities is no further increase in average class size and no reduction in academic intervention, special education and the number of reading teachers.
The average kindergarten class size was 19.7 students this year, up from 18.8 students last year. The largest class sizes this year are in non-English high school courses, with an average of 26.1 students, up from 25.2 students.
Several audience members, in support of the association's priorities, sported bright yellow shirts with a "Got Staff?" sticker pinned on the back, above the slogan "Smarter Growth for Smarter Kids."
The association's goal of preventing another class size increase dovetails with the 152 new classroom positions Weast plans to create in fiscal 2012 to keep up with a growing student population, projected to increase from 144,458 this year to more than 145,000 next year.
But the association's desire to stave off classroom staff cuts easily could wilt. When the school system's budget shrank by $96 million this fiscal year, 182 teacher positions eventually were cut.
While Weast assumes a $28 million increase in total state funds for the school system, school board member Philip Kauffman (At large) of Olney raised the possibility of a 5 percent cut in public school aid from the General Assembly. This fiscal year, the state provided $488 million in total funding.
"My fear is that we may be looking back on this time as the beginning of the end," Kauffman said.
County Councilman George Leventhal (D-At large) of Takoma Park said Weast's budget, which assumes $1.497 billion in county funding, did not match with fiscal facts and the needs of police and fire departments, libraries and other county agencies.
"We are not going to fund his budget, because we don't have the money," Leventhal said.
He said the county should get credit now for past generosity, because in the decade prior to 2009 the county funded schools on a per-pupil basis by $577 million more than state law required. As a result, the school system qualified for state aid increases, which occur when enrollment increases.
Leventhal added that some form of pay cut was on tap for fiscal 2012 for all public employees, in the form or furloughs or other cuts. Raising taxes, meanwhile, simply would cause the county to fall further behind Fairfax County, Va., in the quest to attract new businesses, he said.
For fiscal 2011, all county employees except school system employees were required to take furlough days. County Council members did suggest teachers take furloughs on classroom planning days, but school officials balked at the idea.
"We're all going to take home less in our paychecks," Leventhal said.
But school board members said Weast's budget, while it carried a big price tag, simply kept the school system from losing ground.
Referring to the conflict between the school board and council last year, which culminated in the threat of a lawsuit by the school board against the council over cuts, school board member Laura Berthiaume (Dist. 2) of Rockville commented, "It's certainly better to do it with us than do it to us."
But without knowing what burdens state government will ask counties to bear, school board members said trying to read the tea leaves was very difficult.
Weast's budget still needs the school board's approval. The board will vote on the budget Feb. 8, after public hearings, hosted by the Board of Education, on Jan. 12 and Jan. 19.
Describing the substance of the conversation between the school board and council members, Ted Willard, the association's curriculum coordinator, observed, "This feels to me like a game of chicken with two school buses."
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Debate: Teacher Pay and the Budget
This was a piece today in the Rockville Patch by Brandon Rippeon and Saqib Ali. What would you cut from the budget? Post a comment!
Rippeon's point:
Ali's counterpoint:
Rippeon's point:
The Gazette's Dec. 22nd issue said County Council members said teachers should make the same sacrifices as county employees, who are giving up pay raises. What should be the focal point is not the compensation of MCPS' overworked and underpaid classroom teachers, but the overwhelming number of administrators and bureaucrats whose titular positions and ridiculous pay packages are sapping the school system of badly needed resources.
Here are just a few of the outlandish positions and salaries one could only find in Montgomery County where the entire school system is run to benefit the few (administrators and bureaucrats) at the expense of the many (students and classroom teachers).
- A "video services technician" who received $81,899 last fiscal year to convert VHS material to DVD.
- An "information technology specialist" who for only $103,609 provided telecommunication services.
- An "instructional specialist" and a "coordinator" in the Office of School Performance who received a combined $282,807 to work on curriculum development.
- And a "web producer" whom I am confident earned every dollar of his/her $102,997 taxpayer funded compensation package.
These are not individual positions. There are thousands of them throughout the 22,000 strong MCPS work force.
Compare those positions and salaries to the income of a classroom teacher with BA degree who is paid a whopping $46,410.
The current county revenue shortfall and budget crisis have given the County Council a fortuitous opportunity to exert control over the selfish and reckless school board and MCPS leadership. The council should mandate a total budget and personnel review by an outside auditor. I would be very curious to see how those 1,000-plus MCPS issued credit cards are being used. The taxpayer has overfunded MCPS maintenance of effort requirements by over $500 million over the past decade; we have done our part.
Throughout the upcoming negotiations MCPS should remember only 25 percent of Montgomery County residents have children in the public school system, yet MCPS is spending more than 55 percent of our total budget.
Ali's counterpoint:
Let me get this straight: You think the real problem with MCPS's budget is that there are too many administrative and overhead expenses when compared against classroom teachers' salaries?
That's certainly an original argument. But I suspect it's wrong.
A certain amount of overhead positions are necessary for smoothly running one of the country's larger school system. It's easy to lampoon and demagogue them as you have done. I would actually agree that no-one should be getting paid $82,000 a year simply to transfer VHS to DVDs, but I doubt that is their only duty. I certainly can't find anyone willing to substantiate that.
The issue that the County Council is currently wrestling with is how to close next year's $300 million dollar deficit (out of a total budget of $4.3 billion). There are only two choices: increasing taxes or deeply cutting services. Cuts are more likely since many politicians read the victory of the 2008 "Ficker Amendment" to be a mini-tax rebellion by the county's residents — a sort of "We can't take it any more!" moment.
So the four-point-three-billion-dollar question is: Where will these cuts fall? Will they come out of the school system's hide? Or the non-school system county employees (firemen, policemen, other civil servants)? Will they take the shape of layoffs, furloughs, reduced employee benefits or increased employee contributions?
These questions will be resolved by byzantine maneuvering and vicious knife-fights in the County Council and among various labor unions over the coming months. All the while players in this tense drama will be positioning themselves to run for higher office in 2014.
These budget-balancing votes in Annapolis and Rockville in 2011 might be the most significant (and controversial) votes these politicians take their entire four year terms.
Monday, January 3, 2011
MCCPTA Operating Budget Forum
Tonight, I went to the MCCPTA Operating Budget Forum. Members of the Board of Education and County Council were present for questions about the Operating Budget from MCCPTA. It was a very exciting and interesting event, to say the least.
There was some debate between the Board and Council about meeting Maintenance of Effort, which I explained in my previous post today. Can we meet it? At the forum, Councilmember Leventhal stated that the council would be unable to fund MCPS at the level proposed in Dr. Weast's Operating Budget. This level is $10,664 per student, for a total projected contribution of $1.497 billion.
Members of the Board stated that meeting Maintenance of Effort is a requirement under law and is necessary to maintain the quality of education in Montgomery County, especially because we are projected to have an increase in enrollment next year of over 2,800 kids.
However, councilmembers also brought up several important points. The school system's current budget is around 57% of the county's, and Dr. Weast's proposed budget would bring the school system's operating budget to approximately 62% of the county's budget. Many other departments in county government will have to suffer cuts, including the library system. In addition, last year all county employees (except those in the school system) had furloughs.
As you can see, there's merit to both arguments. However, I do believe that the school system should be funded at Maintenance of Effort. In the end, this budget forum's really helped me to understand other points of view. It was informative, and I encourage everyone to show up to the Board's Operating Budget hearings on January 12th and 19th.
There was some debate between the Board and Council about meeting Maintenance of Effort, which I explained in my previous post today. Can we meet it? At the forum, Councilmember Leventhal stated that the council would be unable to fund MCPS at the level proposed in Dr. Weast's Operating Budget. This level is $10,664 per student, for a total projected contribution of $1.497 billion.
Members of the Board stated that meeting Maintenance of Effort is a requirement under law and is necessary to maintain the quality of education in Montgomery County, especially because we are projected to have an increase in enrollment next year of over 2,800 kids.
However, councilmembers also brought up several important points. The school system's current budget is around 57% of the county's, and Dr. Weast's proposed budget would bring the school system's operating budget to approximately 62% of the county's budget. Many other departments in county government will have to suffer cuts, including the library system. In addition, last year all county employees (except those in the school system) had furloughs.
As you can see, there's merit to both arguments. However, I do believe that the school system should be funded at Maintenance of Effort. In the end, this budget forum's really helped me to understand other points of view. It was informative, and I encourage everyone to show up to the Board's Operating Budget hearings on January 12th and 19th.
Budget cuts and school gardens
I have two interesting articles today. The first is a piece from the Baltimore Sun about our state's budget crisis.
Budget cuts loom, taxes possible as Annapolis takes on shortfall
By Julie Bykowicz, The Baltimore Sun
A gaping budget gap awaits Gov. Martin O'Malley and Maryland lawmakers when they return to Annapolis this month — a problem that persists even after three years of recession-driven trimming and now amplified by the evaporation of federal stimulus aid.
But fresh from re-election to four-year terms, officials have the political capital this year to make unpopular choices.
O'Malley, a Democrat who campaigned heavily on his commitment to education and secured the backing of the state's largest labor union, is considering cuts to schools and reductions to the state work force. And the Democratic-controlled legislature, emboldened by its immunity to November's national Republican tide, is weighing tax increases, including those on alcoholic beverages and gasoline.
"The general rule is, get the hard decisions out of the way early," said former Gov. Parris N. Glendening, a Democratic elected official for 31 years. "Even if there are budget-balancing gimmicks left, it's still better to just make the tough calls now so that voters can see the full benefits of what you've done by the next election."
Such was the case with O'Malley's first term. He called a special session of the legislature in 2007, pushed through a billion-dollar tax plan and laid the foundation for a slot machine gambling program.
Due largely to a national recession and a slow start for gambling, the state's budget remains awash in red, with as much as a $1.6 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year's $13 billion operating budget and a structural deficit — the persistent difference between state revenue and state spending — of about $2 billion, legislative analysts say.
A committee of top legislators recently recommended that the governor shrink the structural deficit by at least one-third this year, meaning that O'Malley would need to reduce spending by about $667 million, in addition to closing the gap in the operating budget.
The governor has said that his fiscal 2012 spending plan, to be unveiled this month, reflects the "new normal" of more than 7 percent unemployment and lower revenue from income taxes and other sources. He has pledged not to introduce new or increased taxes, though he has said that he would be open to revenue proposals approved by the General Assembly.
In recent memos and conversations with agency leaders and advocates, state officials have revealed some of O'Malley's options for cost savings.
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This second article discusses the ongoing issue of school gardens.
Frustration sprouts in Montgomery County over resistance to school gardens
By Michael Birnbaum
Charlotte Schoeneman thought her daughter's Takoma Park school would welcome a parent proposal to start a vegetable garden; the city typically embraces all things green.
But she and other Montgomery County parents were rebuffed, told that one person's tomato is another one's maintenance nightmare. School officials cited allergies, pests and possible summertime neglect as reasons for concern.
The parents, who were inspired in part by first lady Michelle Obama's national campaign to fight childhood obesity, said they're puzzled by the school system's decision. In D.C., which has the highest rate of adolescent obesity in the country, several public schools have gardens, and a recently passed law encourages more. Arlington County boasts about 25.
"Vegetable gardens teach kids that there's more to a meal than just chicken nuggets on a plastic tray," Schoeneman said.
Schoeneman said that she and other members of the Takoma Park Elementary School PTA have worked to improve food at the school, though their victories have been minor at best. The school's principal nixed a proposal to use school property for a garden, Schoeneman said, saying she was worried about attracting pests.
Schoeneman said she enjoys spending time with her second-grade daughter in their own Takoma Park vegetable garden, which attracts nary a rat.
"If you had a fruit tree, you could see the fruit growing on the tree," Schoeneman said. "If you had a little plot, you could have beans and some chard and some onions. You could watch those things growing on their own."
Montgomery County's handful of school vegetable gardens came about only because some schools went rogue and built them without central office permission. Parents whisper about them and try to shield them from publicity.
A February letter from Superintendent Jerry D. Weast to the school board outlined his concerns.
"Because vegetable gardens are a food source for pests, create liabilities for children with food allergies, and have other associated concerns, the Department of Facilities Management staff has not approved gardens designed to produce food," he wrote.
He suggested instead that the school system work with the Montgomery Department of Parks to build gardens on park property near school sites. Parents say that's not a meaningful option for teachers who want to make growing food part of the school day.
When the gardens are off school grounds, "it's kind of pointless, because it's not acting within the curriculum, and the teachers couldn't embrace it," said Kristen Dill, another Takoma Park Elementary parent. She has a degree in horticulture and grew up in Nebraska. But she's been stymied in the suburban wilds of Montgomery County.
"Elsewhere, there's so much energy right now" around vegetable gardens at schools, Dill said. In Montgomery, by contrast, "it feels like molasses," she said.
School officials said they are working to develop standardized plans for container gardens that schools could use as soon as this spring. The school system also has allowed some property near administrative buildings - not schools - to be used for community vegetable gardens. But many parents and community advocates say that's not enough.
"There are school systems around the country that are embracing this," said Gordon Clark, director of Montgomery Victory Gardens, a group pushing for community gardens. "Any school that wants to do it should have some support from the school system to do it any way they want."
Parents and teachers around Montgomery County, including at Takoma Park and Piney Branch elementary schools and Montgomery Blair High School, have tried unsuccessfully to start vegetable gardens.
Montgomery officials said there is no ban against vegetable gardens and cite the schools that have them to prove their point. But they said they have discouraged them until now due to concerns about pests such as rats and groundhogs, who might be attracted to the vegetables, and with student allergies to certain crops. Nevertheless, they're committed to the idea, they said.
"Any school in Montgomery County that wants a vegetable garden, there will be a way for them to have a vegetable garden," said Sean Gallagher, assistant director of the school system's Department of Facilities Management.
Initially, he said, schools will have an approved template for a portable container garden. Later, "if a school has shown they can do really well with a container garden," they might be able to move on to more traditional raised beds. "We just want to give them the right guidance to be successful."
Many other local school systems have embraced gardens without such caveats. The first lady made headlines when she invited students from Bancroft Elementary School in the District to help plant the White House vegetable garden, and she made more headlines when she in turn visited Bancroft to help students plant theirs.
The D.C. Healthy Schools Act, passed in May, created a program that gives grants to D.C. schools to help them set up school gardens and encourages them to create compost piles as part of them. At least nine schools have vegetable gardens.
And in Arlington, the school system has encouraged gardens without exerting significant direct control.
"There's no central policy of 'this is where your garden's going to be, this is what you're going to grow.' It's up to the school," said Frank Bellavia, a spokesman for the school system.
Bellavia said he had not heard of any issues with pests or allergies and that someone from the community typically maintains the gardens over the summer. Vegetables from the school gardens usually are donated to a food bank, he said.
Meanwhile, Montgomery parents have lowered their expectations.
"I'm not really hoping for much," said Schoeneman. "I just keep plugging away, and maybe something good will happen as the tides turn."
Friday, December 31, 2010
Budget Video is Live!
I've finished my video on the budget! I've also included information about the Superintendent Search and the cell phone pilot. You can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3CBsVLLQ6Q.
More Budget Facts
After some reading, I wrote up a list of important things you guys should know about this year's budget.
· FY 2012 Proposed Operating Budget
o $2.163 billion, increase of $59.6 million or 2.8% from FY 2011 $2.104 billion
· Revenue sources in FY 2011
o Revenue from county: 67.3%
o Revenue from state: 23.2%
o Revenue from federal government: 5.7%
o Other: 3.8%
· Change in revenue sources in FY 2012
o Revenue from county: $1.497 billion, up from $1.415 billion (69.2%)
o Revenue from state: $516 million, up from $488.6 million (23.86%)
o Revenue from federal government: $65.56 million, down from $119.06 million (3.03%)
§ Loss of almost $54 million in federal stimulus aid
o Other: 3.91%
· Enrollment increase
o Officially, there are 144,064 students
o Projected 2012 enrollment of 146,649 – an increase of 2,585 students
· Expenditures
o Instructional Programs: 80.5%
o School Support: 14.6%
o System-wide Support: 2.3%
o Miscellaneous (including Food Service): 2.6%
· Reductions and Savings
o No across-the-board class size increase
· Maintenance of Effort
o State law requiring county to provide local funding at least equal to the same amount last year per student
o FY 2012 requirement is $10,664 per student
o MCPS received a MOE waiver last year
o County Council is the school system’s funding body – the BOE can’t tax
o This year’s MOE requirement is $1.497 billion
o If the County Council does not fund us at MOE, we face a penalty of up to $27 million in loss of increased state aid
· Dr. Weast’s Recommended Budget – not definite
· The Board of Education is holding Public Hearings on the budget on January 12th and 19th, 2011
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Quick Budget Facts
In anticipation of my upcoming budget video, here's some facts about the Superintendent's FY 2012 Recommended Operating Budget:
- No new services or initiatives
- No across-the-board class size increases
- No Cost of Living Increases (COLAs) for employees for the 3rd year in a row
- MCPS employees have agreed to forgo COLAs for the past two years, and voted to give up step increases last year - saving us $115 million annually
- Meets Maintenance of Effort: state law requiring the county to fund education at the same per-student level of $10,664 from FY 2010 (because MOE was waived during FY 2011)
- If the county doesn't fund the budget at MOE, MCPS will likely be penalized with the loss of $28 million in increased state aid
- 2.8% budget increase ($59.6 million) to account for a 2.3% growth in enrollment and loss of federal stimulus funds
- Loss of $54 million in funds from the federal stimulus package, leaving us a "funding cliff"
- Currently, the number of students considered Limited English Proficient is 18,793
- The number of students receiving Free or Reduced-Price Meals (FARMS) is at 45,196 - nearly one-third of MCPS students
- MCPS was named a recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the highest presidential honor an American organization can receive for performance excellence through innovation, improvement, and visionary leadership
- MCPS was selected as a finalist for the Broad Prize for Urban Education, which recognizes large school systems that have improved student performance while narrowing racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic achievement gaps
- No new services or initiatives
- No across-the-board class size increases
- No Cost of Living Increases (COLAs) for employees for the 3rd year in a row
- MCPS employees have agreed to forgo COLAs for the past two years, and voted to give up step increases last year - saving us $115 million annually
- Meets Maintenance of Effort: state law requiring the county to fund education at the same per-student level of $10,664 from FY 2010 (because MOE was waived during FY 2011)
- If the county doesn't fund the budget at MOE, MCPS will likely be penalized with the loss of $28 million in increased state aid
- 2.8% budget increase ($59.6 million) to account for a 2.3% growth in enrollment and loss of federal stimulus funds
- Loss of $54 million in funds from the federal stimulus package, leaving us a "funding cliff"
- Currently, the number of students considered Limited English Proficient is 18,793
- The number of students receiving Free or Reduced-Price Meals (FARMS) is at 45,196 - nearly one-third of MCPS students
- MCPS was named a recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the highest presidential honor an American organization can receive for performance excellence through innovation, improvement, and visionary leadership
- MCPS was selected as a finalist for the Broad Prize for Urban Education, which recognizes large school systems that have improved student performance while narrowing racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic achievement gaps
That's all for now - keep an eye out for my video!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Operating Budget Presentation
Superintendent Dr. Jerry Weast presented his proposed Operating Budget this Wednesday, December 15th at Richard Montgomery HS.
He has recommended a $2.163 billion budget that complies with Maintenance of Effort. This is an increase of $59.6 million, or 2.8% from the FY 2011 budget. It is important to remember that this budget requires additional local funding due to the loss of federal stimulus funds (ARRA).
It is projected that we will have 3,340 additional students in FY 2012, and an increase of $17.2 million is used to cover these costs. However, there are no new initiatives or programs. In addition, there will be no across-the-board class size increase.
To read the Budget in Brief, click here.
To read the full budget, click here. It is a very large file and may take a long time to load/may crash your computer.
If you have any questions about the budget, don't hesitate to send me an email at Alan_Xie@mcpsmd.org.
A final note: I will be creating a short, 1 minute video about the budget in the next several weeks. It will be sent out to all MCPS middle and high schools in January. An in-depth blog post about the budget is also coming up!
He has recommended a $2.163 billion budget that complies with Maintenance of Effort. This is an increase of $59.6 million, or 2.8% from the FY 2011 budget. It is important to remember that this budget requires additional local funding due to the loss of federal stimulus funds (ARRA).
It is projected that we will have 3,340 additional students in FY 2012, and an increase of $17.2 million is used to cover these costs. However, there are no new initiatives or programs. In addition, there will be no across-the-board class size increase.
To read the Budget in Brief, click here.
To read the full budget, click here. It is a very large file and may take a long time to load/may crash your computer.
If you have any questions about the budget, don't hesitate to send me an email at Alan_Xie@mcpsmd.org.
A final note: I will be creating a short, 1 minute video about the budget in the next several weeks. It will be sent out to all MCPS middle and high schools in January. An in-depth blog post about the budget is also coming up!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Maintenance of Effort Waiver Granted
Because the County Government went below $137.7 Million + $19.7 Million in funding the specified legally-mandated Maintenance of Effort budget that the Board of Education proposed, it needed a waiver so that MCPS wouldn't get slapped with a penalty the following year.
After MCPS and the County Government came to a budget reconciliation agreement last week, the Maryland State Board of Education just voted 7-5 to grant MCPS the Maintenance of Effort Waiver for FY11 and not give MCPS a $51.3 Million penalty next year.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
FY 2011 Budget Reconciliation Agreement
Previously, I had told you all that the proposed County Executive's Budget contained a $137.7 Million reduction to the Board of Education's proposed budget. As of today, MCPS, the County Executive and the full Council (with a recent unanimous vote) agreed to the following more cuts and changes to the budget:
Additional operating budget reductions for FY11: $19.7 million
Total Additional Cuts $24.4 million
Carryover from FY 10 Operating Budget for energy tax: $2.0 million
We will now have to wait for the State Board of Education's ruling on Montgomery County's Maintenance of Effort Waiver to decide whether or not MCPS will lose an additional $52 Million in state aid or not. This will bring the total FY 11 reductions to $137.7 Million + $19.7 Million = $157.4 Million with the possibility of the state Board of Education making the reductions close to $210 Million if they do not grant the Maintenance of Effort Waiver.
I will keep you all informed as the situation progresses.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Joint Letter to County Council from Students Opposing Further Cuts to MCPS Budget
RE: Additional Cuts to the MCPS Budget
Dear Members of the County Council,
The Montgomery County Region of the Maryland Association of Student Councils (often referred to as MCR-SGA) voted last week to take a position on the proposed additional cuts to the County Executive’s recommended operating budget for the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). We are pleased to announce that the MCR Executive Board voted unanimously to support MCPS, MCEA, SEIU Local 500, and MCAAP in opposing any further cuts to the proposed FY 2011 MCPS operating budget. The Montgomery County Junior Councils, our middle-school counterpart, has pledged to take up the issue at their next meeting.
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett’s budget meets 96% of the Board of Education’s request. MCPS is prepared to make cuts amounting to $137.7 million in its operating budget, thus meeting the County Executive’s proposed reductions. The Board of Education has assured us that it will do everything possible to limit the effect these cuts will have on the quality of education provided by the county. However, cuts to the MCPS budget exceeding $137.7 million will put in immediate jeopardy the education of over 142,000 students currently attending public schools in Montgomery County.
The students of MCPS are vehemently opposed to any additional cuts to the County Executive’s recommended operating budget for our school system. MCR-SGA and MCJC, as representatives of the student voice and as strong advocates on behalf of student concerns, are therefore of the opinion that further cuts will only harm the education MCPS can offer and, in turn, harm the potential of MCPS graduates in their roles and endeavors in the future.
Therefore, MCR-SGA and MCJC will actively oppose any further cuts to the proposed FY 2011 MCPS operating budget. Although we have remained relatively silent on this issue in the past, we have realized that we cannot sit idly by without defending our education and our school system, to which we owe so much of who we are and of who we will become.
Students, not staff or administrators, will be feeling the blunt of the reductions that you have proposed. With a skyrocketing increase in enrollment this past year and a reduction in staffing, students will be losing opportunities to sign-up for classes that they may wish to take. In many of our schools, where enrollment in higher level advanced and AP classes is already low, the subsequent increase in class sizes means less choices and less opportunities for our students to truly reach their full potential.
Programs that directly impact the students (such as summer school) and specialty programs that cater to individual student needs will be effectively cut or reduced. Furthermore, because of reductions in staffing, students will likely have less access to developing the student-teacher relationship that is truly essential to learning in our schools. These cuts will disproportionally affect our most at-risk students and will result not only in a decrease in the standards and outcomes of the education system overall, but also in the widening of the achievement gap and the elimination of the gains that thousands of staff and students have worked so hard to reach. It is simply not equitable to deny our students the opportunity to succeed.
Already, students have heard about the possible effects of proposed cuts to instruction, sports, extracurricular stipends, extended day programs, and activity buses – programs that have kept students engaged in the school community and active in participating outside of their schools. We, as students, realize the impact of these cuts in our communities and will not stand for such a hostile assault on our futures.
We are reminded everyday in school that education is the great equalizer – that education has the opportunity to create an unquantifiable multiplier effect among the community that raises the quality of living and the standards of society. Yet imagine a school system where teachers are not adequately trained or prepared to teach students with the latest techniques or content. Imagine a school system where teachers are scrambling to handle an increase in students with a decrease in preparation and instruction time. Imagine a school system where there are not enough counselors or academic intervention teachers to address the problems of our most at-risk students. Imagine a school system where students are not given the attention and the help they need in the media center to utilize and optimize resources and technology. Imagine a school system where students are not provided with safe and healthy schools that are kept clean and in top shape. Imagine a school system this time next year with a sharp increase in drop-out rates, leading to the inevitable deterioration of communities and a decrease in the standard of living. We can not and will not stand for such a school system, for further cuts will only serve to punish the hard work of our fellow staff and students.
Anyone that states that further cuts to our school system will not result in a direct impact to students and the classroom is telling a blatant lie. Education truly is the gateway to our futures and we, as students and as the largest stakeholder in the system, will not complacently remain silent as policy makers attempt to strip us of our opportunity to succeed and to achieve our true potential. We ask our elected officials and community leaders to please not do what is “right for politics” but do, instead, what is “right for the students.” Regardless of racial and linguistic barriers, regardless of geographic boundaries, and regardless of age differences, students across the county stand together in asking that education remain the top priority in our community.
As you make difficult decisions in the coming weeks, we hope you remember that you hold the futures of 142,000 students in your hands and that you have the tremendous burden of ensuring that those students are successful in their lives and careers. Therefore, we will stand united with our teachers, our administrators, our service employees, and our school board in asking that the County Council adopt a budget that:
1. Does not furlough ANY county employees
2. Avoids any additional cuts to MCPS beyond the $137.7 million already agreed to
3. Raises the full $101 million proposed increase in the energy tax
4. Phases in the restoration of the reserve fund by going to 5.6% in FY11 and then to 6% in FY12
Sincerely,
Tim Hwang
Student Member, MCPS Board of Education
Daniel Arias
President, MCR-SGA
Richard Yarrow
President, MCJC
Dear Members of the County Council,
The Montgomery County Region of the Maryland Association of Student Councils (often referred to as MCR-SGA) voted last week to take a position on the proposed additional cuts to the County Executive’s recommended operating budget for the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). We are pleased to announce that the MCR Executive Board voted unanimously to support MCPS, MCEA, SEIU Local 500, and MCAAP in opposing any further cuts to the proposed FY 2011 MCPS operating budget. The Montgomery County Junior Councils, our middle-school counterpart, has pledged to take up the issue at their next meeting.
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett’s budget meets 96% of the Board of Education’s request. MCPS is prepared to make cuts amounting to $137.7 million in its operating budget, thus meeting the County Executive’s proposed reductions. The Board of Education has assured us that it will do everything possible to limit the effect these cuts will have on the quality of education provided by the county. However, cuts to the MCPS budget exceeding $137.7 million will put in immediate jeopardy the education of over 142,000 students currently attending public schools in Montgomery County.
The students of MCPS are vehemently opposed to any additional cuts to the County Executive’s recommended operating budget for our school system. MCR-SGA and MCJC, as representatives of the student voice and as strong advocates on behalf of student concerns, are therefore of the opinion that further cuts will only harm the education MCPS can offer and, in turn, harm the potential of MCPS graduates in their roles and endeavors in the future.
Therefore, MCR-SGA and MCJC will actively oppose any further cuts to the proposed FY 2011 MCPS operating budget. Although we have remained relatively silent on this issue in the past, we have realized that we cannot sit idly by without defending our education and our school system, to which we owe so much of who we are and of who we will become.
Students, not staff or administrators, will be feeling the blunt of the reductions that you have proposed. With a skyrocketing increase in enrollment this past year and a reduction in staffing, students will be losing opportunities to sign-up for classes that they may wish to take. In many of our schools, where enrollment in higher level advanced and AP classes is already low, the subsequent increase in class sizes means less choices and less opportunities for our students to truly reach their full potential.
Programs that directly impact the students (such as summer school) and specialty programs that cater to individual student needs will be effectively cut or reduced. Furthermore, because of reductions in staffing, students will likely have less access to developing the student-teacher relationship that is truly essential to learning in our schools. These cuts will disproportionally affect our most at-risk students and will result not only in a decrease in the standards and outcomes of the education system overall, but also in the widening of the achievement gap and the elimination of the gains that thousands of staff and students have worked so hard to reach. It is simply not equitable to deny our students the opportunity to succeed.
Already, students have heard about the possible effects of proposed cuts to instruction, sports, extracurricular stipends, extended day programs, and activity buses – programs that have kept students engaged in the school community and active in participating outside of their schools. We, as students, realize the impact of these cuts in our communities and will not stand for such a hostile assault on our futures.
We are reminded everyday in school that education is the great equalizer – that education has the opportunity to create an unquantifiable multiplier effect among the community that raises the quality of living and the standards of society. Yet imagine a school system where teachers are not adequately trained or prepared to teach students with the latest techniques or content. Imagine a school system where teachers are scrambling to handle an increase in students with a decrease in preparation and instruction time. Imagine a school system where there are not enough counselors or academic intervention teachers to address the problems of our most at-risk students. Imagine a school system where students are not given the attention and the help they need in the media center to utilize and optimize resources and technology. Imagine a school system where students are not provided with safe and healthy schools that are kept clean and in top shape. Imagine a school system this time next year with a sharp increase in drop-out rates, leading to the inevitable deterioration of communities and a decrease in the standard of living. We can not and will not stand for such a school system, for further cuts will only serve to punish the hard work of our fellow staff and students.
Anyone that states that further cuts to our school system will not result in a direct impact to students and the classroom is telling a blatant lie. Education truly is the gateway to our futures and we, as students and as the largest stakeholder in the system, will not complacently remain silent as policy makers attempt to strip us of our opportunity to succeed and to achieve our true potential. We ask our elected officials and community leaders to please not do what is “right for politics” but do, instead, what is “right for the students.” Regardless of racial and linguistic barriers, regardless of geographic boundaries, and regardless of age differences, students across the county stand together in asking that education remain the top priority in our community.
As you make difficult decisions in the coming weeks, we hope you remember that you hold the futures of 142,000 students in your hands and that you have the tremendous burden of ensuring that those students are successful in their lives and careers. Therefore, we will stand united with our teachers, our administrators, our service employees, and our school board in asking that the County Council adopt a budget that:
1. Does not furlough ANY county employees
2. Avoids any additional cuts to MCPS beyond the $137.7 million already agreed to
3. Raises the full $101 million proposed increase in the energy tax
4. Phases in the restoration of the reserve fund by going to 5.6% in FY11 and then to 6% in FY12
Sincerely,
Tim Hwang
Student Member, MCPS Board of Education
Daniel Arias
President, MCR-SGA
Richard Yarrow
President, MCJC
Monday, March 15, 2010
County Executive Proposes Budget; Goes to County Council for Review
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett today announced his recommended $4.3 billion operating budget that closes a $779 million gap for fiscal year (FY) 2011 that begins July 1. Leggett’s budget focuses on protecting essential services and his priorities of education, public safety and the safety net for the most vulnerable, but includes significant reductions in services and staffing levels. Leggett’s hard choices resulted from the continued severity of the economic recession; doubling in the local rate of unemployment; declining residential and commercial development; ongoing, sharp declines in tax revenues and state aid; and emergencies such as the H1N1 flu outbreak and snow removal from this winter’s historic blizzards. Leggett’s previous cost reduction efforts preserved direct services as much as possible, but even these services will now be affected with this year’s looming deficit. This budget proposes cutting costs by eliminating 452 government positions, providing no pay increases of any kind for County government workers, furloughing non-public safety County employees for 10-days, realizing cost savings from all County departments, and reducing current revenue funded expenditures in the capital budget. All told, between position abolishments, leaving positions vacant, and reductions in overtime, Leggett’s budget would reduce the County government budget by 750 work-years. Under the recommended budget, the property tax rate remains unchanged, but recommends an Energy Tax and an Ambulance Fee. Among County government departments, the largest reductions from FY10 levels are in the Regional Service Centers and the Office of Human Resources (both 33 percent reductions), the Commission for Women (27 percent), the County Executive’s Office (26 percent), Housing and Community Affairs (24 percent), Transportation (23 percent), and Libraries (22 percent). Among the lowest reductions were Fire and Rescue (2.6 percent less than in FY10), Police (4 percent), Correction and Rehabilitation (4.5 percent), Department of Transportation/Transit Services (6.8 percent), and Health and Human Services (10.6 percent). Noyes Library would be closed, library materials reduced, and overall library hours cut by 8.7 percent. County recreational facilities, except for pools, would be closed one day each week. Senior mini-trips and outdoor adventure programs would be eliminated. After-school Sports Academies and Recreation Extra programs would be reduced. Eighteen Ride On routes (three weekday, 10 Saturday and five Sunday) would be eliminated and another 16 restructured, saving $2.7 million, and the Call-N-Ride program would be reduced to one coupon book a month. The County Volunteer Center would be reduced and restructured. The budget includes reductions in the Montgomery Cares program that provides health care to the uninsured, as well as reductions in home care, school health aide hours and payment to disability development providers. Funding for the County’s tuition assistance program would be eliminated. Non-emergency tree maintenance would be curtailed and, except for buses, the County would purchase almost no new vehicles or computers during the coming years. Maintenance in County facilities will be reduced. Pedestrian safety education monies would be drastically curtailed. On education, Leggett’s budget meets 96 percent of the Board of Education’s request. The County will again this year apply for a waiver from the State “maintenance of effort” requirement that will lower the County’s contribution by $58.2 million and still qualify for increased state K-12 education aid. MCPS funding will decrease by 79.5 million - a 3.9 percent decrease from FY 10. However, if the "debt service reimbursement" amount is excluded MCPS funding for educational programs in FY 11 will be the same as FY 10. Overall, MCPS' budget will decrease by ($169.7 Million offset by $37.2 Million from Governor) $137.7 Million under the County Executive's plan. More information: http://montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/News/press/PR_details.asp?PrID=6390 HOW WILL MCPS BE AFFECTED?:
The County Council will now review the Budget and will make changes/review/approve it after having hearings in April. Then it will come to the Board of Education to see what cuts will have to be made. We need to make sure that no further cuts are made to the budget in order to preserve our own education. I'll provide more opportunities for you guys to get involved as the time comes. |
Friday, March 12, 2010
Md. General Assembly waives $23 million Montgomery education fine
Schools fine waived
Washington Post
Michael Birnbaum
The Maryland House of Delegates voted 130 to 5 Thursday to waive a $23.4 million fine that had been levied against the Montgomery County public schools this year because the county failed to meet minimum levels of education spending in the 2009-10 fiscal year.
A similar bill passed the Maryland Senate last month, and though some procedural steps remain before the change becomes final (the Senate and the House have yet to pass identical bills), school officials are breathing easier.
The bills waive the minimum spending levels, called "maintenance of effort," for the current fiscal year, and therefore eliminate the penalty associated with the County Government not fulfilling those requirements.
--
The possible $23.4 Million cut to FY 2009-2010 has now been resolved and MCPS will not have to make them.
Monday, March 1, 2010
County Government Gap Now $761 Million
The County Government deficit is now at $761 Million from the previous $608 Million - an increase of 25%. We can only imagine what can happen to the school system budget now. This comes to us after the Governor's recent cuts and the large snow storm that devastated our region. The following is from County Council President Nancy Floreen's March Newsletter:
We knew the news would not be good. Our last fiscal update projected a gap of $608 million for FY11. Now, because of decreases in state aid, fees and taxes, the gap has grown to $761 million. The biggest contributing factor is the unprecedented 15 percent drop in income tax revenue as a result of decreases in both the number of taxpayers and the incomes of those taxpayers. The snowstorms also took a big bite.
In anticipation of next year's budget crisis, County government already has instituted a hiring freeze and a procurement freeze. We have liquidated selected outstanding contracts and slashed spending across the board.
Still, the County Executive told us today his budget will aim to reduce public safety, health and human services, and transit spending by seven percent. He plans to reduce spending in the remaining departments and agencies by 20 percent. The Executive made it clear that significant layoffs, furloughs and service reductions likely will be required.
Although the details of the proposed budget won't be available until March 15, I appreciate the advance information.
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