School Budgets

[PineappleMama]

So last night I was scoping AISD.net to see if they've figured out what the plan is for make up days. We're not in it, but cousin KK is and Sis doesn't have internet... knew she'd ask eventually. We've got a couple built into the calendar, but kids have been out more than that. The schools can petition TEA for a waver of those days and/or extend the school year... anywho, while I was there I saw a video of the Super talking about budget stuff, and a link to http://www.aisd.net/aisd/mediaroom/tabid/10273/Default.aspx where that is covered plus a lot more.

It ain't pretty. I posted on FB about it. We decided to HS this year but still in touch with a lot of AISD parents. Then this morning I got a call from one of them. She'd been up to the school and it's BAD. The principal is red eyed... this is a tough lady mind you... the librarian is talking about early retirement rather than being cut to part time and having to share her library with another PTer... disaster, she's SO awesome and is the backbone of the book fair which raises thousands every year for the school... TAs are toast, including two of the three (for four teachers) for kindergarden. ALL probationary teachers were canned... and all first year teachers are probationary in Texas, just the way certification works. One school lost over half of their math department... bunch retired so new were hired last year... NOT GOOD. VPs for middle school are being trimmed to 1 per 750 students... office staff cut in half there (all schools actually) too. Guidance techs gone. Turning Point, the campus trouble kids are sent to instead of flat out suspension/expulsion is shut down. The drug, or rather anti-drug, program is gone. Band and orchestra for 5th & 6th is gone.

One thing they cut was Convocation... the big tadoo for staff at the beginning of the year... that'll save $12,000.00. Seriously, you blew that kind of cash on one meeting this year and wonder why you're in a bind. Sheesh. Knowing the whole state was in a bind, like everyone else. But unlike other states also got screwed out of millions, hundreds of millions, in federal education funds thanks to Rep Doggett (D-Austin)... you knew all that was coming and you still were blowing money. And these are the college graduates... the SMART people of our society. Scary to think of what the only a high school diploma (like me) folks are doing.

Sorry, I had to rant on this one. Power mongering, completely irresponsible (imo) spending, and the big ol' pink slip axe all brought to a school yard.

Then I log in to yahoo and see an article saying that Dallas ISD's trimming will cut 3900 jobs.

Given that Texas was one of the last to really be hard hit by the recession I can't even imagine how much worse things could be elsewhere.

Here's hoping things start looking up soon and

to all the teachers, staff, students and parents who're trapped in this mess.

 

[mom'sfolly]

Yeppers, the lege is even talking about raising class size, maybe as high as 30 for elementary school. Our snow day may cost the district as much as $100,000 in state funding. The snow day is set before they can schedule graduation and they graduate May 28 and the snow day is May 30 or 31. Because state funding is based on average daily attendance, having all the seniors miss one day of school means lots of money lost. Not to mention this is a holiday weekend when lots of people wouldn't send their kid to school anyway, me included.

This is going to get ugly. The only thing that is good is that oil prices are going up, which means the budget shortfall might not be as big as predicted. Our district is already at the state limit for taxation, so they can't even get more revenue from parents without the state changing the rules.

 

[WriterofWords]

You really don't want this teacher to go off on this subject lol!

 

[michickenwrangler]

I worked for a district in southeast Michigan that was very financially stable when I started. In August 2008. The economy tanked a few months later along with the auto bailouts. About half of the county had jobs tied up in the auto industry (a lot of fringe sector stuff like doors or radiators were made locally) so over that winter, the high school lost 10% of its enrollment and the incoming kindergarten class was only 40% of what they had been previously. I, along with 6 other teachers, were laid off.

To add insult to injury, the old football stadium which was probably about 80 years old (not an exaggeration) was condemned so the district had to build a new one. So while at my classroom window watering the jalapenos and cilantro I grew in Spanish class, I could watch bulldozers clearing ground for the new "athletic complex" that was to include state of the art locker rooms, etc...

The way the budget was set up with grants and millage, none of that stadium money could be applied to general funds. Ah well, at least I have a job now.

 

[mom'sfolly]

In our growing district, almost all capital projects are paid for with bond funds. Bond funds can only be spent on the projects they for which they were raised. This is why buyer's remorse on our football stadium delayed the bond funds desperately needed for new school. The bond that did get passed was smaller and cut several schools and land purchases; which ends up costing more long term.

I'm on my local PTA, and I'm hoping that we can help fund some of the things that the district will have to cut. I know what will be cut; the assistant librarian, funding for the library, field trips, any staff support staff, and if they enlarge the class size; a whole lot of teachers. Raising the class size by three or four students would eliminate at least one teacher per grade, because the classes are allowed to go one over. At my school that would be enough to get almost all the teachers out of the portables, so you wouldn't have to heat and cool those spaces. Savings all around, except for the fact that you have 26 or 27 kids in a classroom made for 20-22, and overworked teachers without support staff, and too many kids in to small of spaces......the list of negatives goes on and on.

 

[PineappleMama]

Heard something on the radio about class sizes increasing to 35:1... donno if that's the maximum, minimum... if that's 4th and higher or applies to K-3 (which did have a setting of 22:1)... just a blurp in the 99 second news thing and I wasn't really paying much attention... what a mess.

Talking to one teacher yesterday and she said that it's a mess, but is hoping not as bad as it looks?? Teachers are guaranteed a kid free (meaning not working) lunch just like any other employee... if they fire the cafeteria monitors that means teachers (or the principal, yeah that's likely) will have to take over that part... so, guess their lunch hour will now be their former planning/conference time?? But if they do that it means some teachers won't eat until 2:30pm... n'mind the added stress of no longer having a period for just planning/conferences... *sigh* not looking good. Even to the teachers/staff who didn't get a slip this week ...