Friday, May 15, 2004

Letter: Connell on school budget issues Participants at the recent town hall meeting raised several questions regarding the system’s plans to meet the current budget crisis. The questions pertained to the costs of block scheduling and the impact of the budget crisis on other Georgia school systems. Herb Garrett, executive director of the Georgia Schools Superintendents Association, reports the results of a survey of local superintendents dated March 2004. Superintendents indicated their boards’ projected actions in dealing with the current budget crisis. Over 50 percent of the 149 respondents indicated that their boards would require a higher operating millage rate for the 2004-2005 school year. Fifty-eight of the superintendents stated that their millage rates would remain constant but also stated that their boards increased the tax rate at the beginning of the 2004 budget year. Many of the superintendents reported a need to cut budgets and increase local property taxes. According to Mr. Garrett, “an overwhelming majority of the respondents indicated that their systems would find it necessary to reduce personnel, curtail or eliminate programs, increase class sizes, reduce local salary supplements, or cut back on the number and variety of class offerings.” To be precise, 122 school systems stated the need to implement cutbacks in 2004-05 in personnel, programs, courses, salary supplements, or services. These same systems stated the need to increase the average class size above 2003-04 levels. One hundred sixteen systems indicated plans to reduce personnel and 63 would reduce course offerings. Mr. Garrett emphasized that the most optimistic outlook for local school systems includes reduced finances for the budget year of 2005. At a recent meeting of metro area school comptrollers, some surrounding counties indicated that they made significant personnel cuts last year and would need to make less severe cuts this year. Other counties indicated plans to make the following cuts to meet the current budget crisis: • Griffin-Spalding will be unable to open a newly constructed school in the next school year. The system would need either to cut programs or reduce personnel in order to open the new school. The Board of Education voted to delay opening the school. • Dekalb County raised the millage rate by one mill for budget year 2004 and increased class sizes to the maximum. • A North Atlanta county projects having 300 less teachers, cutting the purchase of textbooks, and utilizing maximum class sizes. An Atlanta county plans to give employees a one-time salary adjustment but will forego raises. A South Atlanta county plans to cut Central office staff, eliminate over 40 physical education teachers, increase class sizes to the maximum, and delay buying new textbooks. Coweta County avoided making cuts in personnel and programs for budget year 2004 by spending $5 million out of the reserve account. This is the equivalent of making a $5 million cut. Most systems made cuts for year 2003-2004. Coweta County avoided cuts by spending out of reserves. Several counties cut music and art in elementary programs and increased class sizes in 2003-2004. Transitioning from block scheduling to modified block scheduling in the high schools is a strategy for other school systems to meet the current budget crisis. Herb Booth reported in the Dallas Morning News that school districts are abandoning block scheduling. He states, “dwindling state dollars are forcing school districts to ratchet down budgets ... “ Booth points out those schools are able to operate with fewer teachers by returning to class schedules that are more traditional. A local superintendent in Texas stated that his school wanted to protect block scheduling. Teachers voluntarily surrendered one planning period every day, resulting in each of the 100 teachers teaching an extra class. The superintendent stated that this eliminated the need to hire twelve to fifteen new teachers. The Dallas system saved approximately $12 million by switching from block to traditional scheduling. The deputy superintendent for business services stated that the move was a necessary budget strategy. The Rockwall Independent School District reinstated a traditional seven period schedule to save over $1 million dollars annually. Teachers will teach six periods each day, resulting in reducing personnel by 25 positions. Most surrounding systems, including Fayette and Henry, have traditional schedules with 50-minute planning periods. Currently, Coweta County teachers have 90 minutes of daily planning. Block scheduling provides opportunities for students to take a variety of courses. To take advantage of the benefits of block scheduling, but knowing the cost effectiveness of traditional schedules, the high schools are exploring the possibilities of modified block scheduling. As you can see, the Coweta County Board of Education faces the same tough decisions as school boards all across the country. While we are not suggesting return to the traditional six period day, we must look for alternatives that will reduce expenditures by $1.5 million in the high school budgets. Operations, transportation, elementary and middle schools, central office, and student services have proposed substantial cuts in their budgets. I hope that this brief summary will assist the citizens of Coweta County in understanding the magnitude and critical nature of this budget crisis. Perhaps we may find solace in knowing that we are not alone. Thank you so much for your cooperation and suggestions for grappling with these difficult issues. Together, we can survive and thrive. — Peggy Connell, Ph.D Superintendent Coweta County School System

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