Monday, February 15, 2010

Budget Update

Author:
You read last week that Governor Bob McDonnell had responded to the call from business & elected leaders to maintain the formula for distributing state education funds. That's good news for our tax rate here in Loudoun.

I didn't send out an update after the announcement because it isn't the end of the story. Unfreezing the LCI ensures that Loudoun gets a bigger share of the pie, but it doesn't tell us anything about the size of the pie. McDonnell & the General Assembly have a tough job ahead of them to balance the state's budget, and as the Governor told me (and undoubtedly a lot of people), there will be plenty of cuts to go around. I never expected education funding to be spared.

We still don't have specifics of McDonnell's budget proposals yet but there are rumors that he will propose $735 million in education cuts over the next two years. We're trying to confirm this number and evaluate the legislature's willingness to go along with it. It may be several weeks before we know for sure.

Still, I thought it would be good to know what impact a number like that would have on Loudoun County. The Virginia Education Association took that number and broke it down into the impact on local communities. For Loudoun it would mean about $11.8 million less in state funding next year than if there were no cuts to the state education budget, but still an increase of $25.4M in state funding from FY10, far more than we anticipated when we passed the School Board's budget.

To give you a sense of scale:
  • $25 million is the School Board's request for a local funding increase this year
  • $22.5 million is 3 cents of the property tax rate
  • $12 million dollars is needed to pay for the education of 3,257 new students next year
  • $7.4 million is the savings from increasing average class sizes by one student
  • $5.5 million is the cost of a 1% raise for all LCPS employees
Caveats:
  1. This assumes that the legislature won't freeze the LCI
  2. This assumes that the $735M number from the Governor is correct and that the legislature doesn't alter it
  3. There is other state funding which could be cut, some of which could target Loudoun
I'll try to keep you up to date on the impact to Loudoun of these various moving parts as the state budget picture develops further.

(Interesting side note, Loudoun is the fourth largest school district in the state, but we are eighth in state funding. Chesterfield, Henrico, Chesapeake and Norfolk are all smaller districts receiving more state funding the Loudoun.)

[Washington Post]
[Chap Petersen: Ox Road South]
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30 comments:

  1. So by not giving a 1% raise and increasing the class size by just one student, LCPS can pay for the projected new student growth. And then by applying the proposed increase in state funding to the county "portion" of the budget the BoS can reduce the tax rate by 3 cents.

    Excellent, that's exactly the kind of work a fiscally prudent school board would be doing to support the people and students of Loudoun in this challenging economic environment. So that's what you recommended, right? It must be the beginning of efforts to have the LCPS budget reflect today's economic realities. Glad to see you coming to your senses.
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  2. Somehow I doubt that's what he means. I absolutely agree Loudoun gets shortchanged by the state in education funding, among other things. But that does not mean we need to have a $1.40 tax rate to support Hatrick's latest ridiculous budget. By the way, little Fauquier County is cutting $7.7 million from its already reduced school budget this year! That's with their current tax rate of 76.5 CENTS!!! If they can do that, we can do more.
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  3. Almost every post on this blog (and others) has "CUT THE RIDICULOUS LCPS BUDGET", but no one says what to cut. Why is that?
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  4. Or, maybe LI, you could just MOVE to Fauquier.
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  5. Mandarin Chinese, smart boards in all the classrooms. That's a start...
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  6. From what I have read in the budget, there are no smart boards being purchased with county/state money. The boards that are going to be purchased this year are with a grant I think.

    What else could be cut?
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  7. Hybrid buses, middle school deans...
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  8. I would suggest the school board look at the proposed Prince William County budget for a primer on how to run an efficient school system. They are proposing to spend less money than Loudoun to educate 15,000 more students. They also pay their teachers more according to the WABE report.

    You see, it can be done. It's just that our superintendent and school board prefer to channel all their energy into milking the taxpayers instead of creating an efficient school system.
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  9. Cut... central office jobs (as I keep saying we don't need any of the folks in that ridiculous building to teach well), FLES (many FLES teachers are foreign nationals only here for three years; moreover, the students who have been taking FLES aren't any better in Spanish class than those who did not have it), department chairs at the high school level in the SOL areas only teach three classes (instead of five like the rest of us)- they should teach at least four classes, there are various teachers at various schools (special ed and sign language) who are full time teachers with only part time schedules. There is a lot of waste!

    Profe
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  10. The biggest problem facing our county is that none of our elected official (school board or board of supervisors) are strong enough to make cuts. They want to appease every little special interest group and, instead of actual program cuts, they do things like cut unfilled positions and freeze things. If they made actual cuts, they may be able to save the taxpayers some money. Basically , they all need to grow a pair.
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  11. If the BoS would bring more businesses to the county and not give huge tax breaks to the few that do set up shop, then the budget wouldn't be financed on the backs of homeowners. Growing the tax base instead of expecting individual classroom teachers to do more with less is our only long term viable solution.

    I do not want 29 students in an elementary classroom. I want fewer of my neighbors to be leaving their houses at 6am to commute to DC because they have good jobs here in the county.
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  12. Believe me, anon, I am seriously considering that. Fauquier knows how to manage a budget. Hatrick is clueless.

    Again, look at my figures. Fauquier is cutting 7.7 million dollars from their comparitvely miniscule school system. All while having a tax rate of 76.5 cents compared to our proposed $1.40. Something is rotten at LCPS. I am no education expert, but some very reasonable cuts have been proposed here and elsewhere. other systems are doing it, so we can do.
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  13. before one goes and praises Prince William's budget, keep in mind that they have ELIMINATED kindergarten assistants- meaning that the k teacher will have 25 five year olds with NO help!!! And they have full day kindergarten. Also any first year teacher will most likely be destaffed due to increasing class size. Also, don't think that increasing the class size is a good idea, what that means is that teaching staff in schools is cut. You will most likely see at least 30 kids in a class. SOL scores will go down. kids who may need a little extra attention will fall through the cracks and we will be forced to teach minimal standards. IS that what we want?? Should cuts be made- yes but NOT at the expense of our kids. Start with that stupid FLES program. start looking at adding a PE assistant instead of having 2 teachers, do we really need Mandarin Chinese or sign language? Middle school deans? Central office staff- who can we cut there? AND WHY did we buy a new report card system for elementary schools? How much did that cost?? it is NOT more efficient and the teachers have MORE work to get the grades in. It takes twice as long to fill out the report card. Talk about waste.( and oh yea, it has had many glitches) Ask teachers what should be cut, ask them what they can do without- I am quite sure they can be creative enough to figure it all out.
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  14. That's great anon - good example of the tone deafness of the Hatrick administration. Believe me, me and other fiscal hawks have no desire to "dismantle" the education system, we just want it run efficiently, which we all know it isn't. I've heard so many stories like yours from other teachers, yet Hatrick plods along on his merry, well compensated way. But the geniuses on the School Board just gave him a four year extension at a salary "TBD", so I guess we can't expect much to change anytime soon.
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  15. How about we make LCPS employees actually drive their own cars to their jobs instead of picking up county vehicles at schools near their homes. How much money does that little perk cost me a year?????
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  16. What if we don't drive school buses to McDonald's, Burger King and Starbucks in the morning. That might save some gas.
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  17. I really think our budget problems start at the top (Hatrick). How can we get rid of him?
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  18. I am thinking that the teachers should just work the hours they are paid to work. Lets see what happens then- but sadly the dedicated teachers will still go that extra mile because that is just who they are...good teachers will do whatever it takes to make kids successful. Too bad the school board and the admin staff can't see that. They assume that the teachers can just take on more and more kids and still make them successful. Won't happen and when the test scores hit rock bottom, who will be blamed? teachers. Remember this school board- when Loudoun county has a school system that no one wants to be a part of- you created it!
    Cami
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  19. Cami, The past couple years without a cost of living increase and/or a step increase I have been cutting back on my time at school in small ways. I only meet with/call parents during school hours. If kids need extra help they have to come during the FLEX period as I don't make time before or after school for them. Sometimes I feel bad about it, but you're right- we're asked to do more and more each year (this is year 12 for me) and the school board/board of supervisors/many citizens don't want to compensate us for it.

    Profe
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  20. profe, myself and other fiscal conservatives do want to compensate you fairly. But let's face it, everyone is taking a hit financially these days. My wife and I are certainly making less than we did a couple years ago. You all know where the real waste is - publicize it and let's cut that crap out, then we can talk about teacher salaries. We all know there is waste and excess in this system, but until it is thoroughly weeded out it will be difficult to push for spending increases. Of course I don't think any of that will really change until Hatrick is gone, and this boneheaded School Board just voted to keep him around for four more years. I think the only way we'll see real change in the interim is if it comes from within. Band together and demand real change and efficiency and you'll have a lot of people backing you up.
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  21. Insider,

    It's not just that we're stuck with Hatrick burning through our money, we also have the Board of Supervisors that continue to fund, fund, fund, at whatever costs. I have a theory that, if the BoS gave the schools less, IN THEORY, the school board would actually have to make some tough choices. Unfortunately, were that to happen, I envision that the school board would cut necessary programs and continue to fund their pet projects... I'm scared to see what our schools are going to look like in a few years. Too bad we don't have a lot of private school options.
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  22. I agree anon, which is why I wish I could incite a teacher revolt - I don't know if we'll see any substantive reform unless it comes from within, and we're certainly not going to get it from the Htarick regime. It has to be a bottom up movement.
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  23. I believe that the busses go to other parking lots to wait for their next run (middle school/high school), since the school parking lots are full (and have lots of pedestrians!) during the morning hours. They are supposed to turn their engines off, however.
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  24. We- as in all of us who pay for this budget- need to get more educated about what is in the budget. Then, since the school board simply rubber stamps whatever Hatrick asks for, we need to demand some accounting for the effectiveness of all the programs and the elimination of programs and positions that are not measurably improving education. One place to start is the $24 million dollars needed to fund the food services. That is above what is taken in from students paying for lunch and the TONS of free food the school gets from federal and state sources. That is a pretty big chunk of change and I'd like to see someone on the board as a few hard ball questions about that program.
    And, how about that FOUR year contract Hatrick got with a salary TBD!!! That is insanity! I have never ever heard of such craziness.
    I went to one of the school board working sessions. It was appalling. Instead of really challenging Hatrick or his staff, they were instead wishing for more money so they could put deans and guidance counselors in every grade This proves to me that Hatrick and the school board are so far off track that they have totally lost sight of the primary mission of the school is- to educate children.
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  25. In doing some quick math, according to the Budget p.322, there are 329.5 Administrators in LCPS. These do include Principals, but not Dr. Hatrick's salary. 329.5 employees make just under $35 million for this year. With 191.7 of those Administrators making over $100K/year. 123.7 of the administrators are on the highest "step" in their pay level.

    And just in case you are wondering, not a single teacher or pay scale goes above $100K/year (max teacher is $96195 on step 26)
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  26. If Hatricks salary is TBD, can't we make it $50,000? Maybe THAT would get rid of him.
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  27. I like the way you think Anonymous
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  28. I think we need to now refer to him as Edgar "TBD" Hatrick!

    John, you wanted to be Chairman to supposedly shake things up a bit. Here's a perfect opportunity to set yourself apart.
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  29. You really need to read the Loudoun Times-Mirror's excellent editorial on this issue in this weeks paper - at www.loudountimes.com; click on 'opinion'. Great and timely overview of the LCPS budget...good for you, LTM!
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  30. To Sew Creative Mom who said to grow the commercial sector so the County's budget wouldn't be financed on the backs of homeowners... I agree with you that we need more non-residential development. However, I would like to point out that although residents contributed the most to the County revenue, they also consume the vast majority of the total expenditures. Spending $12,000+ per student on average within the public school system demonstrates what a good deal residents with kids get in this County. I don't mind paying my taxes given that I have one child in kindergarten and a second 2 year old. An EDC study in 2006 found that residents provided 55% of the total County revenue but consumed 94% of the total expenditures. In comparison, Loudoun businesses contributed 26% of the total County revenue and only required 6% of the County funds.
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