Finance Committee Operating Budget of the BOE presentation
Corda presents the budget.
Budget Objectives:
1. Fund continuing expenditures to meet state/federal requirements, board polices and contractual obligations
Local contract maximum Grades k-2: 22 grades 3-5: 24 Grades 6-12: 28
2. Continue to support development and revision of curriculum …
3. Provide those programs that re necessary to increase the achievement of all students especially in light of NCLB and out commitment to closing the gap.
He shows the dollar amounts and the % increase.
He shows a 5 year historical annual operating budget % increase.
Unusual increes in the budget:
Staffing levels in the high schools, ell and special ed
Oil prices and oil based products
Higher than expected increase in out of district tuition for special ed students
High increase in gas/diesel fuel
2 additional buses for Jefferson magnet school /AITE program
Amanda Brown sks about the increse in out of district tuition, specifically what the dollar amount is. Opdahl doesn’t know the ansers and has to lool it up. Odd since they are on a slide about the unusual increse, so you’d expect that they’d be prepared.
Brown asks for the number of students.
Someone says its on page 99. Everyone looks at 99, code 563, the request is 3million plus. Which is $500k more. Brown repeats her request for number kids serviced. Brown asks if its an increase in kids or an increase in costs. Opdahl says it changes every year and that they service these kids till age 21.
Corda explains that it’s a law that sys its 21.
Opdahl offers to send the detail.
Corda seems shocked that binders were not delivered. Hamilton confirms that they didn’t get binders. The binders apparently will be sent later.
Corda moves on to the % of municipal budget comparison chart Norwalk is in the middle at 58%, but if you reference the budget Hamilton prepared you’ll see that BOE budget items are counted outside of the operating budget thus increasing that ratio. Corda does not show the population comparison as a reference point in this chart.
The next slide is the enrollment decline in elementary schools and what the projects are, and that the peak in high school sis now and all grades will decline in the future.
The next slide shows the principal allocations $130 per pupil at the high school levels $1110 at the middle school and $100 for the elementary schools. These funds are used for specific expenses ranging from professional development, travel expenses, instructional supplies, replacement textbooks, library books, audio/video supplies, dues fees and memberships and office equipment.
Cord mentions that the high school attrition ratios are hard to predict as of late. He says historically they are plus/minus 3%.
Bonnenfant asks if for an explanation of dropping class enrollment sizes reflect a drop out rate. Cord explains that the class size is indeed a bubble of a population bulge.
Cord explains he difference in staffing levels between NHS and Brien McMahon. He points out that it’s the Center For Global Studies counts for some of the staffing. For some reason he has separated out the staffing for Center For Global Studies from the staffing levels for Brien McMahon. It is left to the viewer to shift back and forth between pages to add up the numbers to see that it is equivalent. He then goes on to explain course election interest variances.
Geake asks how you hire a .8 teacher. Corda explains they look for someone who has certification in something else. Hamilton reminds Corda that sometimes a grant will pick up part of the cost.
Corda is delighted that the center for global studies is increasing. A5 other school districts send kids here. Perhaps that may explain train witnessed school kids traffic blogging sleuths.
Ponus and West Rocks are the only middle schools that have 2 assistant principals. The enrollment there is 684 at Ponus, and 673 at West Rocks. Corda suggests that they might reduce staffing at West Rocks due to projected declining enrollment.
Cranbury seems to have higher enrollment that Brookside and Columbus. Corda goes through an interesting explanation of attrition ratios on the elementary schools, yet I wonder why he doesn’t talk to the teachers who usually have a better idea of what families are planning to move etc. and then use the attrition ratios to do projections. This is really a long winded explanation of why he adds staff that is not allocated to any school to cover for the eventual discrepancy.
Rowayton is seeing an increased enrollment and is projected at 424. They are projected to need 4 third grade teachers.
Org charts are presented next.
The next charts (starting on page 68 referrer to the administration area. Corda points out the investigatory budget for out of district students. This year Corda thinks that 45 investigations were conducted or on process, and that only 6 resulted in having to leave the schools.
Hempstead asks about previous years budget increases due to increased degree level changes. Previous years were flat budgets for $250k, they claim. Hempstead asks about maxed out teachers and what steps teachers are at.
Page 79, now we are on the finance office. Health, life and dental stuff goes here. (212 object code, $24 million) Cord explains the $500k increase. Corda goes into excruciating detail here, he is proud of the average 2% average increase in costs that he has achieved by increasing co-pays, and limits etc. Hempstead asks about how much is really due to the contract, and Corda answers that some if its contract obligations but that much of it is not. They rebid every 3 years with carriers.
Hamilton explains hat the BOE is really self insured and that they can really only negotiate the stop loss insurance. The claims are what the claims are.
Page 81 they are adding 1 tech in IT and the costs of the service contracts are increasing.
Battery died, so I have to transcribe the rest, but in the meanwhile here’s the link to the budget book itself. Well not quite, its not the backup level of detail that they said was online. But the smaller book is linked below.
