Final
Task Force Feedback and Perspectives
SCHOOL FINANCE SYSTEM
Votes:
Action Taken:
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03:49 PM -- Task Force Perspectives and Feedback
For the purposes of providing feedback and perspectives on the issues discussed and presented during the meeting, the task force was represented by three school district officials, representing school districts of different sizes. Cindy Stevenson, Superintendent, Jefferson County Schools, representing one of the state's large school districts, discussed the categorical funding distribution for Jefferson County Schools and distributed a hand-out showing the school district's budgeted expenditures and the estimated funding sources for categorical programs in the district. (Attachment ). She discussed the pressures and stakes for school districts in providing categorical programs and said she would present a "wish list" or what the school district's priorities would be if it received the amount, $87.8 million, projected as its categorical funding gap.
03:52 PM
Dr. Stevenson reviewed a specific list of priorities compiled by Jefferson County school district administrators, including:
adding 15 days to every teacher's school year, to include additional time for teacher training and more direct intervention with students;
adding and updating materials and resources for students;
establishing intervention specialists and ensuring core intervention for students struggling with literacy and reading skills, in an effort to avoid subsequent special education costs;
increasing the availability of preschool in the district;
lowering kindergarten class size and implementing full-day kindergarten for those in high-risk and high-poverty schools;
reducing class size in grades 4-6 in high-poverty schools;
adding math and science teachers in the high schools;
implementing alternative programs and learning plans for at-risk students to address the dropout problem;
increasing safety measures at schools;
reducing student fees;
establishing leadership development for district leaders; and
replacing paraprofessionals with trained teachers.
03:58 PM
Peg LePlant, Chief Financial Officer, Englewood School District, represented one of the state's medium-sized school districts. She noted the school district's demographics, including the fact that 43 percent of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch. Ms. LePlant stated that $2.6 million from the district's general fund will have to go to special education, to provide services for approximately 500 special education students in the district. She described the challenges of providing for the district's special education students and its English language learners.
04:02 PM
Glen McClane, representing the Platte Valley School District, presented the perspectives of a small school district. He noted that transportation needs have a big impact on his district. Additionally, vocational education and funding play a major role in Mr. McClane's rural school district. He said that Platte Valley is basically unable to offer a true gifted and talented program, but that for purposes of special education, the school district is part of the Centennial BOCES. He provided figures for shortfalls in special education reimbursement, and added that the cause and effect of funding shortfalls may be difficult to assess in a small school district, as employees wear many different hats. He discussed some of the cuts that the school has had to make in recent years, including eliminating driver's education courses and cutting back on student materials and supplies. He estimated the categorical shortfall for his school district as over $1 million.
04:15 PM
Representative King asked about inflationary increases built into a school district's salary survey. Dr. Stevenson responded and noted that the district's recent mill levy override allowed the school district to sustain existing programs, but not to add any new programs. Mr. McClane and Ms. LePlant also responded to inflationary increases built in to the salary schedule.
04:20 PM
Representative Merrifield asked whether the three school districts received an increase in state funding for this school year. Ms. LePlant said that Englewood School District received less because Englewood is a declining enrollment school district. Dr. Stevenson said that Jefferson County School District is also a declining enrollment school district and noted that Amendment 23 was passed before additional expectations have been placed on school districts. Mr. McClane said that between the 2003-04 to 2004-05 school years, the district did receive more funding. He said that both enrollment levels and receipt of at-risk funding impact his school district.
04:25 PM
Senator Windels commented on Amendment 23 provisions and asked the school district representatives about both facilities needs and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Requirements. Dr. Stevenson said that a recent bond issue has helped the school district with its facilities. She indicated that NCLB has placed mandates that the school district supports, but that the programs that would help meet NCLB goals, such as free preschool for students in poverty and full-day kindergarten for students in poverty, are not affordable for the school district.
04:29 PM
Mr. McClane said that capital reserve funds no longer cover his district's costs for capital needs, and the school district will be asking voters for approval of two bond issues in November. He said that the NCLB pressures are similar to those already expressed. Ms. LePlant said that the school district is not able to invest in new buildings and is trying to maintain its older buildings. She said the district's poverty level pose challenges, but the district has actually seen a decrease in its Title I funding because of way that census data is being utilized in allocations.
04:33 PM
Senator Windels thanked the three panel members for sharing stories from their school districts. She announced that the next committee meeting would be on September 13th. Representative King requested that representatives from charter schools be added to the next agenda.
04:37 PM
The committee adjourned