GEPA Budget Counter-proposal - 1/20/2010

**Secretary's footnote: Minor corrections were made to align the narrative and budget spreadsheet. Revised 1/20/2010



GEPA’s PROPOSED
FY 2010 – 2011 OPERATING BUDGET



GOOCHLAND EDUCATION PARENTS
ASSOCIATION

Goochland Education Parents Association (GEPA)

Vision

We are committed to ensuring that Goochland County Public Schools continue to provide a high standard of education, through an efficient educational system designed to promote excellent results at every level, which offers each and every child the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Mission

Our efforts will focus on supporting the development and maintenance of a balanced, full service curriculum in Goochland County Public Schools to fulfill the needs of every child in our school system, whether they be gifted, accelerated, average, below average or special ed., and regardless of whether their individual talents lie in athletics, music, drama, art, languages, vocational arts, or technology.

Critical Budget Issues

GEPA respectfully requests the Board of Supervisors to reject the School Board request to appropriate School Board funds as a single lump sum payment, and instead, asks the Board to continue to appropriate County funds to the School Board by category, in accordance with the major classifications for expenditures of school funds described in Section 22.1-115 of the Code of Virginia. GEPA respectfully submits that the County’s responsibilities to the taxpayer are best served by allocating funds to these legally defined categories, and that the public interest in accountability and transparency overrides the School Board desire for budget flexibility.

GEPA recognizes that Goochland County is facing significant revenue reductions in the 2011 fiscal year, and appreciates the budget constraints this places on both the County and the School Board. These revenue reductions at State and County level have created the need for School Board budget cutbacks, and GEPA recognizes the necessity for compromise in this challenging economic climate.

GEPA is concerned that the proposed Superintendent’s budget, first made available to the public on January 12, 2010, does not accurately reflect the publicly expressed budget priorities of the parents and taxpayers of Goochland County. GEPA is further concerned that the Superintendent has not presented the School Board with alternative budget scenarios for consideration during this difficult decision-making process.

In accordance with the Goochland County Public Schools publicly stated goal of actively involving the community in attainment of school system goals, GEPA has prepared an alternative budget proposal for the consideration of the Superintendent, the School Board and the Board of Supervisors. This alternative budget offers increased savings over the Superintendent’s January 12, 2010, budget proposal, and reflects the budget priorities repeatedly expressed by the taxpayers and constituents of Goochland County during public comment at School Board meetings, and during public hearings throughout the budget process, from November 24, 2009 until January 12, 2010, and up to the present:


Budget Priorities

1. Preserve classroom teaching positions. The desire to cut administrative and other overheads before cutting ANY teaching positions, was clearly articulated by many members of the public, both in writing to the Superintendent and School Board, and during public comment throughout the budget process. The preference for preserving teaching positions over administrative positions when considering budget cuts, was also expressed by former Governor Tim Kaine in his December 18, 2009 budget for Virginia schools. Attracting and retaining quality personnel is a stated goal of the Goochland County School system, and GEPA respectfully submits that teachers are the most important and influential personnel in the GCPS system, with the greatest potential to directly impact the quality of education offered to our children.

2. Preserve the current pupil/teacher ratios. Many parents who spoke during the public hearings on the budget expressed satisfaction with the current quality of education in the Goochland County Public School System. The Superintendent’s Proposed FY2011 budget indicates that growth in the GCPS system has been 2.5% over the past three years, and this increased enrollment has been absorbed into existing classrooms for the past 2 years. Class sizes are already increasing, resulting in increased pupil / teacher ratios. There is a wide body of literature documenting the positive impact of small class sizes for students, especially in grades K-3. Specifically, the research documents that smaller classes are especially beneficial for reading and math achievement and for low-income and minority students (Robinson, 1990; Achilles, 1999; Gerber, Finn, Achilles, & Boyd-Zaharias, 2001; Grissmer, 1999; Nye, Hedges, & Konstantopoulos, 2002; Finn & Achilles, 1999; Miller, 2002). Cutting teaching positions while enrollment projections continue to increase would inevitably increase the number of students per teacher, which is contrary to the express wishes of the public, and appears incompatible with the School Board goal of maintaining high achievement in the GCPS system.

3. Preserve a balanced, full service curriculum of programs and services to fulfill the needs of every child in the GCPS system. The stated mission of the Goochland County Public Schools is to meet, “the intellectual, personal, social and career preparation needs of all students”. To fulfill this mission, and avoid becoming “a system of averages” it is important to cater for the needs of all the individuals within the system, not just to the majority, or the average, or the lowest common denominator. GEPA does not feel that the Superintendent’s stated budget goal of maintaining mandated programs and functions and core instructional programs for the majority of students, is any justification for eliminating or phasing out those programs required by a minority of students. Examples that have arisen during this budget cycle include middle school athletics, high school scrimmages, the elementary gifted center and the TenderTots program.

4. Reduce administrative costs and other non-teaching overheads. The School Board has a $920,166 budget for Administration, but there are hundreds of thousands of dollars in Administration expenses included within the Instruction budget category, some legitimate, others questionable. The public has repeatedly emphasized that cuts made in higher level administrative positions, rather than in low level clerical positions and teaching staff, would have a greater impact on the budget and less direct impact on the quality of our children’s education than eliminating programs and teaching positions. Questions have also been raised about the costs of Maintenance and Transportation in Goochland, relative to other like-sized counties, and the need for a Technology budget of $1.5 millon. GEPA believe it is in the best interests of the children within the GCPS system to make cost savings in these areas.

5. Operate the GCPS system in the best interests of ALL the children ALL the time. The Superintendent’s proposed elimination of TenderTots and the Goochland County Center for the Gifted (GCCG) is damaging to a student population with special needs. The TenderTots program is part of the Free And Public Education (FAPE) for children with disabilities that fills the gap between Birth to Three and elementary school. The GCCG offers center-based gifted education in Grades 3-5 for children who have been identified as having special educational needs.

6. Maintain Goochland property values. Investing in a quality educational system supports property values, which offers an immediate, direct benefit to every resident of the County. The prospect of quality education also helps attract professional residents to the area, supports the development of higher value housing, and attracts businesses looking for qualified employees into the locality, all of which has a positive effect on the growth of the tax revenue base for the county. Many GCPS students will eventually return and settle in Goochland County, bringing home their skills and experience a generation from now, to help support and enrich our community. Cutting our educational system down to the bare bones minimum mandated by the law, and narrowing the range of educational opportunities available to the children in the GCPS system, is a short term saving, which will cost Goochland County dearly over the long term.




Executive Overview of the GEPA Budget Proposal, as Compared to the Superintendent’s Budget Proposal:

Areas Increased
Reinstatement of 10 teaching positions cut by the Superintendent’s Proposed budget
Textbooks
Equipment (e.g musical instruments, arts)
Reinstatement of the Tender Tots pre-school Program
Reinstatement of the GCCG center-based gifted program

Areas Eliminated or Reduced
Administrative positions (8)
Efficiencies throughout the Transportation category
Efficiencies throughout the Maintenance category
Technology position (1)


Possible Areas for Reduction
Potential savings could also be made throughout this budget by introducing a Health Savings Account health insurance plan for the school system.




Account 61: Instructional

Areas Increased
Special Education teaching positions (2)
Classroom teachers (7)
Center-based elementary gifted program teacher (1)
Textbooks
Equipment (e.g musical instruments, arts)
Reinstatement of the Tender Tots pre-school Program
Reinstatement of the GCCG center-based gifted program

Areas Eliminated or Reduced
Assistant Superintendent (1)
Research and Information Services Analyst (1)
Teacher Induction Specialist (1)
Central Office Human Resources Clerk (1)
Psychologist (1)
Assistant High School Principal (1)
Testing Coordinator (1)

Tender Tots Program
This fee-based program offers a classroom for disabled children ages 3-6 to learn and prepare for kindergarten alongside their typically-developing peers, without which, their opportunity to learn
from typically-developing children would be compromised at a critical age. This would negatively impact their school readiness when it comes time for them to join up with their peers in kindergarten. Families with children with disabilities receive services from Early Intervention from birth to age 3, when they are transferred into the care of the school system. The lack of an appropriate preschool environment represents a gap in educational services for children who need it the most. F.A.P.E. calls for the "least restrictive environment" and "inclusive" classrooms where children with special needs learn beside their typically-developing peers. This model of education mirrors the real world, in which we all live and work together for the common good, and no one group of people is left behind based on race, religion, disability, etc. Children with special needs have legal rights that are protected under federal law, and schools and institutions in violation of their Civil Rights risk losing federal funding.


GCCG Center-Based Gifted Program

The center-based elementary gifted program is a core program for children identified as having special educational needs. This program was established by the School Board and the previous Superintendent, based on extensive research, which supports pooling as (a) the best practice method for educating these special needs students, and (b) the most cost-efficient use of resources in rural counties like Goochland. The Superintendent and School Board are required to consult with the Gifted Advisory Committee when making changes to the 5 year plan, but no consultation ever took place prior to the Superintendent’s budget proposal to eliminate this program. There are currently approximately 120 gifted students in Goochland County and 5 gifted teachers, so reducing the number of gifted teachers to 4, would result in a pupil/teacher ratio of 30:1 for these special needs students, which is unacceptable. The only remaining budget savings from eliminating (or “phasing out”) the GCCG is the cost of transporting the students to the center from their home schools. This unnecessary cost could be eliminated, by reserving these students seats at the front of the high school/middle school and GES buses, and making one extra stop at the GCCG en route. This also has the potential to increase the amount of instructional time for each 3-5 grade gifted student by about 1 hour per day.

In accordance with Section 22.1-94 of the Code of Virginia, the Goochland County Board of Supervisors appropriates tax revenue to the School Board by categories, as prescribed by the Board of Education per section 22.1-115 of the Code. Funds appropriated to a given budget category, cannot be spent in a different category, without the express permission of the Board of Supervisors. The total FY09-10 budget for Instruction is $19,977,724. The Department of Education designates an Account Code of 61000 for the instruction budget category, and describes the positions that may be classified under this legal category when the school board files their annual report of expenditures. There appear to be a number of positions included in the Instruction budget category, which, according to Attachment C to Memo No. 215-09 from the Department of Education to the Superintendents, dated August 7, 2009 (and available on the DOE website), should be included within the Administration budget category.

For purposes of comparison ONLY, the financial information contained in this budget proposal is based upon the figures supplied in the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget for FY2011, dated January 12, 2010. While we disagree with, and question the legality of, the budget allocations of a number of the positions in the Administration and Instruction budget categories, GEPA feels this is an issue to be addressed separately, to avoid clouding the financial information presented in this budget. In our line-by-line budget, we have left these positions in the categories allocated by the Superintendent in her Proposed budget, and limited our action to comments in the narrative sections. While we have identified a number of positions that we believe have been the misallocated in the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget, this does not represent a complete and exhaustive list, as we are limited by the information that has been provided to us. The * information below contains more detailed references for each position mentioned.

GEPA still stands behind the proposals we make for the elimination or combination of positions in this budget, regardless of their current or future budget category allocations.


1. Elimination of the Assistant Superintendent position, to save $107,279 in basic salary, a total savings of $142,681.07 (assuming 33% benefits).* Goochland County Schools can no longer cost-justify this additional level of Administration, in addition to a full time Superintendent of schools, earning $121,808.96 in basic salary, ($162,005.91 assuming 33% benefits), plus three directors of Education, earning a combined total of $270,302 ($359,501.66 assuming 33% benefits). Another budget alternative might be to eliminate the Director level of administration, which would save considerably more from the budget, but would most likely cause more disruption to the school system.

2. Elimination of the Research and Information Services Analyst position, to save $50,570 in basic salary, a total savings of $67,258.10 (assuming 33% benefits).*

3. Elimination of the part-time Teacher Induction Specialist position, to save $32,533 in basic salary, a total savings of $43,268.89 (assuming 33% benefits). * If the school system does not have the resources to hire any new teachers, the necessity of this position is in doubt.

4. Elimination of the head office Human Resources Clerk/Substitute Coordinator to save $33,011 in basic salary, a total savings of $43,904.63.*

5. Combination of the three psychologist positions currently listed under the Instructional Category with a total basic salary of $120,231, ($159,907.23 including 33% benefits) into two psychologist positions with a total basic salary of $77,320, ($102,835.60 including 33% benefits), offering a total cost saving of $57,071.63. *

6. Elimination of one Assistant Principal position at the high school, to save an average cost of $70,800.50 in basic salary, or a total of $96,824.67, (assuming 33% benefits). According to The Code of Virginia, 22.1-253.13.2 H 2, the School Board is required to have one full-time assistant principal in high schools for each 600 students. According to the GCPS website, GHS enrollment is 770. GCPS needs one full time assistant principal for the first 600 students, but the second full-time assistant principal position does not appear to be required until GHS enrollment reaches 1200.

7. Elimination of the GED Testing Coordinator, to save $50,172 in basic salary, a total savings of $65,223.60, with the reallocation of these position functions to the guidance counselors.

* Assistant Superintendent: This position is listed under the Instructional budget category as school administration, when the DOE clearly indicates it should be classified within the Administrative category, under Account Code 62120, Executive Administrative Services. Account code 62120 encompasses: “Activities associated with the overall general administration of, or executive responsibility for, the LEA, including the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent and other staff who report directly to the Superintendent”.

* Research and Information Services Analyst: This position is listed under the Instructional budget category as school administration, when communications from the DOE indicate it should be classified within the Administrative category, under Account Code 62130, Information Services. Account code 62130 encompasses: “Activities concerned with writing, editing, and other preparation necessary to disseminate educational and administrative information to students, staff, managers, and the public, through direct mailing, the various news media, or personal contact”.

* Human Resources Specialist: The DOE classifies this position as an Administration expense, with an Account Code of 62140, Personnel Services. Reclassifying this position in Administration would deduct $60,654.66 in basic salary, a total savings of $80,670.70 (assuming 33% benefits), but this budget does NOT include that deduction. Account Code 62140 encompasses: “Activities concerned with maintaining the school system’s staff. This includes such activities as recruiting and placement, staff transfers, in-service training, health services and staff accounting”.

* Nurse: The DOE classifies this position as an Administration expense, with an Account Code of 62220, Health Services. Reclassifying this position as Administrative would deduct $43,874.00 in basic salary, a total savings of $58,352.42 (assuming 33% benefits), but this budget does NOT include that deduction. Account Code 62220 encompasses, “Activities associated with physical and mental health services that are not related to direct instruction. Included are activities that provide students with appropriate medical, dental and nursing services.

* Teacher Induction Specialist: The DOE classifies this position as an Administrative expense, with an Account Code of 62140, Personnel Services. Account Code 62140 encompasses: “Activities concerned with maintaining the school system’s staff. This includes such activities as recruiting and placement, staff transfers, in-service training, health services and staff accounting”.

* Human Resources Clerk / Substitute Coordinator: The DOE classifies this position as an Administrative expense, with an Account Code of 62140, Personnel Services. Account Code 62140 encompasses: “Activities concerned with maintaining the school system’s staff. This includes such activities as recruiting and placement, staff transfers, in-service training, health services and staff accounting”.

* Psychologist : This position is described as an Administration category expense, under DOE Account Code 62230, Psychological Services. Account Code 62230 encompasses, “Activities concerned with administering psychological tests and interpreting the results, gathering and interpreting information about student behavior, working with other staff members in planning school programs that meet the special needs of students as indicated by psychological tests and behavioral evaluation, and planning and managing programs provided by psychological services, including psychological counseling for students, staff, and parents”.

Account 62: Administration

Areas Eliminated or Reduced
Accounts Payable Specialist (1)

In accordance with Section 22.1-94 of the Code of Virginia, the Goochland County Board of Supervisors appropriates tax revenue to the School Board by categories, as prescribed by the Board of Education per section 22.1-115 of the Code. These categories include (i) instruction, and (ii) administration, attendance and health. Funds appropriated to a given budget category, cannot be spent in a different category, without the express permission of the Board of Supervisors. The total FY09-10 budget for Administration is $920,166. The Department of Education designates an Account Code of 62000 for the administration, attendance and health budget category, and describes the positions that may be classified under this legal category when the school board files their annual report of expenditures. There appear to be a number of positions included in the Instruction budget category, which, according to Attachment C to Memo No. 215-09 from the Department of Education to the Superintendents, dated August 7, 2009 (and available on the DOE website), should be included within the Administration budget category.

For purposes of comparison ONLY, the financial information contained in this budget proposal is based upon the figures supplied in the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget for FY2011, dated January 12, 2010. While we disagree with, and question the legality of, the budget allocations of a number of the positions in the Administration and Instruction budget categories, GEPA feels this is an issue to be addressed separately, to avoid clouding the financial information presented in this budget. In our line-by-line budget, we have left these positions in the categories allocated by the Superintendent in her Proposed budget, and limited our action to comments in the narrative sections. While we have identified a number of positions that we believe have been the misallocated in the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget, this does not represent a complete and exhaustive list, as we are limited by the information that has been provided to us. The * information below contains more detailed references for each position mentioned.

GEPA still stands behind the proposals we make for the elimination or combination of positions in this budget, regardless of their current or future budget category allocations.

1. Combination of the Director of Finance and Operations position with the Accounts Payable Specialist position, for a savings of $45,869 in basic salary, a total savings of $61,005.77 (assuming 33% benefits).


* Human Resources Specialist: Reclassification of this position, currently listed under Instruction, as an Administrative category expense, would add $60,654.66 in basic salary, a total addition of $80,670.70 (assuming 33% benefits). This budget does NOT include that addition. The DOE classifies this position as an Administrative expense, with a Function Code of 62140, Personnel services. Function code 62140 encompasses: “Activities concerned with maintaining the school system’s staff. This includes such activities as recruiting and placement, staff transfers, in-service training, health services and staff accounting”.

* Psychologist: Reclassificiation of these two remaining positions, currently appearing as 3 psychologist positions under Instruction, as an Administration category expense, would add a total of $77,320 in base salary, ($102,835.60 including 33% benefits). This budget does NOT include that addition. The DOE classifies these positions as an Administration expense, under DOE Account Code 62230, Psychological Services. Account Code 62230 encompasses, “Activities concerned with administering psychological tests and interpreting the results, gathering and interpreting information about student behavior, working with other staff members in planning school programs that meet the special needs of students as indicated by psychological tests and behavioral evaluation, and planning and managing programs provided by psychological services, including psychological counseling for students, staff, and parents”.

* Nurse: Reclassification of this position, currently listed under Instruction, as an Administration category expense, would add $43,874.00 in basic salary, a total of $58,352.42 (assuming 33% benefits). This budget does NOT include that addition. The DOE classifies this position as an Administration expense, with an Account Code of 62220, Health Services. Account Code 62220 encompasses, “Activities associated with physical and mental health services that are not related to direct instruction. Included are activities that provide students with appropriate medical, dental and nursing services.





Account 63 : Transportation

Areas Eliminated or Reduced

From 2004 - 2009 our school attendance grew by less than 15%. During the same period, our transportation costs for Goochland
County Schools have increased by over 50%. Although one might believe this is a result of fuel prices, fuel is less than 14% of the total budget, and thus we have some expense issues with the way in which Goochland County Schools provides transportation services for it's student population. Through some research we have determined that if the cost of fuel was removed from the 2004 budget, and an annual inflation rate of 2.75% was applied year over year, and then $300K was added back into the budget to cover the cost of fuel, the total budget should equal $2.17M dollars. This is a reduction of $220K from the current proposal of $2.39M.

With that, we also believe it is necessary once the new budget is approved to completely review both the school's and county's
transportation fleets and systems and find a more fitting and affordable means to transport our kids to and from school. When
measured by the Comparative Study of Local Governments, Goochland's per student transportation costs are some of the highest of all
the LEAs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. With a fleet of 67 buses and 63 additional vehicles, we believe there is tremendous scope for efficiencies across the school and county's fleet that will benefit all taxpayers, and free up expense dollars for more
educationally-driven expense dollars.

Our schools cannot sustain continued expense increases in non-educational activities such as transportation.

Account 64 : Maintenance

Areas Eliminated or Reduced
Recognizing the need for a decrease in wasteful spending within the Maintenance Category nominal changes have been put in effect. The budget cuts from maintenance supply costs, replacement supply costs, laundry and dry cleaning and supports Dr Underwood’s one-hour decrease for all part time employees. The total cost savings amount to a $54,000 improvement over the budget proposed by the office of the Superintendent.
These cuts reduce the Maintenance budget by 5% and we feel should be easily obtained given that the Maintenance budget has increased annually in spite of the new building complex for Middle and High School provided in 2007. These cuts should also help to move our children to creating a Green School System by implementing the duties of trash removal and recycling. Thus increasing our eligibility for Federal funding in future years.

Account 68 : Technology

Areas Eliminated or Reduced
Elimination of one of the following positions, with a combined basic salary of $215,074.31, totaling $286,048.33 (assuming 33% benefits), for a total average saving of $95,349.61:

Technical Services Coordinator
Technical Services Specialist
Information Technology Specialist

Budget counter-proposal dated 1/20/2010:
http://www.goochlandparents.com/files/GEPA_budget_counterproposal.xls