Tue Feb 12, 2013
Thu Feb 23, 2012
Annual Report to the Community
Superintendent's Aunual Report to the Community
0212_Annual_Rpt_to_Community.pdf
Tue Apr 12, 2011
Budget Update to Staff
DATE: April 10, 2011
TO: All Staff
FROM: Dan Forbess
RE: Budget Process Update
After six months on the job, my assessment of our budget was summarized in my annual report, “Since our enrollment levels determine our State School Fund Grant allocation, a loss of 57 students next year would mean an approximate $340,000 revenue reduction in basic school support from the State” and “we will be budgeting for next year, 2011-2012, with a preliminary expense reduction of at least $600,000.” As I continue to work with our Business Manager, Kelly Howard, and learn more about our finances, our preliminary expense reduction has grown closer to at least $1,000,000, potentially more.
The Oregon legislature is predicting to fund K-12 education at a level similar to the last biennium – roughly $5.7 billion. During the past few years, and predictably for the next few years, funding for all K-12 districts has, and will, remain less than appropriate to meet the needs of our students and families. Sadly for Philomath, our five largest grades of students, grades 8 through 12, which have an average size of 138 students, will be replaced by lower grade levels with average sizes of less than 100. Therefore, without considering any other factors, we will need to continue reducing our operating expenses by at least $300,000 per year due to our declining enrollment.
Unfortunately, there are additional factors contributing to our budget balancing efforts. First, to make up for Public Employee Retirement System’s investment losses, we were notified of an annual increase of about $400,000 in our employer paid PERS contribution. Secondly, prior years’ attempt to build a savings reserve from our general fund revenue into the employee Supplemental & Early Retirement Benefit fund has fallen short. Therefore, we must now begin to directly fund this deferred compensation benefit using general fund dollars. Last year, the expense was $417,295 and we expect the cost this year and in future years will be about the same.
After discussing student need, student numbers, programs, staffing levels, along with the consideration of future facility and potential building configurations with our administrative team last month, I shared a brainstormed list of possible staffing changes with the Board of Directors, Budget Committee, and staff. I also introduced other ideas, such as a four-day school week and aligning PHS and PMS schedules to enhance our use of shared staff. I know my communication started some good dialogue in our buildings with many of you. I am hopeful your conversations have led, and will continue to lead, to additional cost saving ideas.
Now that I have a few more months under my belt and have a greater understanding of our assets and liabilities, I am convinced we can no longer budget and spend funds in a manner we have been accustomed to - we simply can’t afford it. Unfortunately, the need to reduce our budget this year by at least $1 million is absolutely necessary to avoid a crisis. We must make an important adjustment in how we structure and offer student programs. Balancing our budget will require a critical review of revenues and expenses as related to the supported programs. We must find ways to increase revenue and/or decrease expense – both options are going to be painful because I see very few options that don’t include reducing our staff. Simply put: fewer students means fewer staff.
At our previous Budget Discussion meeting, I shared some preliminary budget balancing suggestions, which you’ve all seen, and I was asked by the group to develop additional cost savings or income generating ideas. On Monday night, April 11th, I will be sharing the following information with our Board of Directors, Budget Committee, staff and community. With your help, my goal during the next several weeks is to develop and refine our options. We’ll need to engage all staff and invite community feedback in our process. We’ll need to chart a preliminary decision-making path by early May so we can make some planning decisions. By the end of May, we’ll need to complete our plan and move forward so our program and staffing plans will be finalized for next year.
I’ll be scheduling time with your administrators so we can plan to meet with staff during a regular staff meeting and discuss ideas and options with everyone. In the mean time, please continue meeting with your colleagues and generating some good ideas for us to consider. Again, the list of options below is to continue our discussion and get your feedback. Our budget balancing target is a $1.3 million reduction. Feel free to contact me at your convenience with your ideas and feedback. Thank you.
Potential Reduction Description - current discussion/recommendation Amount Running Total
Clerical Support (combined buildings/positions) 48,027
RTI Teacher (move to Title I) 83,629
K-8 "net" Sped certified reduction (Life Skills w/reassignments) 77,040
PMS Teacher resignation (staff reduction) 56,234
9-12 Sped certified reduction (resource room caseload) 34,132
Science/Forestry certified staffing (reduced number of courses) 26,543
Business/Library Media certified staffing (reduced media time) 26,551
1.0 custodial position (less time at PHS demolition) 55,355
Maintenance reconfiguration (add grounds, create lead) 48,180
Subtotal 455,691 455,691
Other Reduction Thoughts - needs discussion - staff/community/board
Additional Course Reductions/Combinations at PHS/PMS to save 1.0 FTE 75,000
Athletics (reductions and/or fee increases) 25,000
4-Day School Week 150,000
Driver's Education - as a self-support, extracurricular program 20,000
Two Furlough Days at $38,000 per day 76,000
Subtotal 346,000 801,691
More Possibilities - critical decisions regarding savings & real property
Reduce Transfers to other Funds (PMS/PHS athletics, pool, construction) 75,000
Reduce Ending Fund Balance - spend remaining savings over next few years 150,000
Increase community Facility use fees 10,000
Sell KV School and carry 10 or 20 year contract - est. annual revenue 50,000
Subtotal 285,000
(Running Total is getting close to target level) 1,086,691
Further options: FTE reductions in other instruction and support areas $280,000 $1,366,691(target)
Mon Jan 31, 2011
Annual Report to the Community
State Standards
The Philomath School District complies with Oregon Administrative Rules 581-022-0405 through -1941, “Standards For Public Elementary And Secondary Schools,” as required by Oregon law. There are sixty-six (66), “Division 22 Standards,” which include requirements for curriculum, instruction, assessment & evaluation, support programs, and administration of legislated requirements for public education. Paper copies of the Philomath School District K-12 performance reports are available at each district building and posted on the district website at: www.philomath.k12.or.us Academic and financial reports are also available on the Oregon Department of Education’s web site at: www.ode.state.or.us
Our staff continues to work on implementing modifications made by the legislature for graduation requirements. Although the Certificate of Initial Mastery is no longer a mandated requirement, Philomath School District must continue to develop and document local assessments of student progress in the essential skill areas of: writing, speaking, math problem solving, math application in a variety of settings, scientific inquiry, social science analysis, career education, and other graduation requirements. We are partnering with Linn-Benton-Lincoln Education Service District to focus some of our professional development time in developing K-12th grade content area data teams. Our goal is to make better use of student assessment data in an effort to improve our elementary, middle, and high school curriculum and instruction alignment.
Currently, graduates must complete a total of 24 credits to earn a district diploma. In addition, PHS offers an Honors Diploma option requiring 26 credits. Beginning in 2012, an additional science credit will be required for graduates. Our most challenging task continues to be preparing for a more rigorous mathematics graduation requirement. This year’s ninth graders, the graduating Class of 2014, will only receive high school math credit for Algebra content and above. In addition, 2014 graduates will be required to demonstrate essential skill proficiency in reading, writing, and math, based on a state approved performance assessment, to earn an Oregon diploma. The Philomath High School Senior Project experience is a model educational program for our students and exceeds the state requirements for career related and extended learning opportunities.
Summary of our Performance, CIP Goals, Budget, Enrollment, & Facilities.
Our Building Mission Statements: K-5: Together we nurture, respect, and challenge all individuals as they grow into responsible life-long learners; 6-8: At Philomath Middle School we recognize the value of all individuals and support their rights to develop to their greatest potential in order that they may take their places as useful members of society; 9-12: Philomath High School is an educational community that continues to embrace a tradition of success – promoting responsibility, respect, ownership, pride, and excellence.
Overall 3-year comparison of OAKS data:
Status % Meet-Exceeded Math-PSD / State Reading-PSD / State
2008 All Students BM I actual (3rd grade) 85% / 79% 88% / 86%
2009 All Students BM I actual 74% / 78% 79% / 84%
2010 All Students BM I actual 71% / 80% 77% / 85%
2008 All Students BM II actual (5th grade) 78% / 78% 79% / 77%
2009 All Students BM II actual 74% / 78% 81% / 78%
2010 All Students BM II actual 81% / 80% 77% / 78%
2008 All Students BM III actual (8th grade) 78% / 70% 69% / 67%
2009 All Students BM III actual 79% / 72% 83% / 71%
2010 All Students BM III actual 74% / 73% 78% / 71%
2008 All Students BM HS actual (10th grade) 51% / 54% 76% / 66%
2009 All Students BM HS actual 42% / 55% 74% / 67%
2010 All Students BM HS actual 69% / 58% 82% / 73%
2008 SPED (all students) 29% 40%
2009 SPED (all students) 31% 40%
2010 SPED (all students) 36% 36%
2009-2011 CIP Goals
• All students in the Philomath School District will be competent, capable, and confident problem solvers in all dimensions of mathematics, using appropriated mathematical knowledge and skills.
o CIP: By June 2010, 59% of 10th grade students will meet or exceed the achievement standards on the OAKS, as calculated in the adjusted AYP status for mathematics performance.
o CIP: By June 2011, 70% of 10th grade students will meet or exceed the achievement standards on the OAKS, as calculated in the adjusted AYP status for mathematics performance.
o As measured annually on AYP Academic Growth in 2010, 3rd-8th grade students will demonstrate positive growth in the % of students meeting the achievement standard as measured on the OAKS.
o As measured annually in spring 2010 and 2011, 70% of students in grades K-2 will meet district-established performance standards on AIMSweb mathematics spring probe.
• All students in the Philomath School District will be competent, capable, and confident readers, writers, and speakers.
o CIP: 70% of Philomath High School students graduating in the class of 2011 will meet the achievement standard for the essential skill of “read and comprehend a variety of text” as measured by the eligible criteria adopted by the State of Oregon (OAKS Reading, Classroom work
• 2009-2011 CIP Goals (continued)
samples, ACT, ASSET, Compass, PLAN, PSAT, SAT, and/or WorkKeys assessments)
o Measured AYP annual growth by 6th-8th grade students 70% of K-5 students meeting the AIMSweb reading spring probe standards
Budget Overview
2009 General Fund Budget was: $14,405,722; State School Fund Support was: $8,911,926
2010 General Fund Budget was: $13,571,196; State School Fund Support was: $8,312,311
2011 General Fund Budget is: $13,874,154*; Budgeted State School Fund Support is: $8,306,851
*Note: Does not include $195,000 furlough days reduction and $255,000 in other budget reductions=$450,000 total
2008 General Fund Expense was: $12,898,703; Ending Fund Balance was: $1,421,674
2009 General Fund Expense was: $12,552,224; Ending Fund Balance was: $2,004,675
2010 General Fund Expense was: $12,032,321; Ending Fund Balance was: $1,803,497
2011 Budgeted Spending Percentage of Total and Actual Amount Budgeted by Function
Regular Instruction – 39.9% $ 5,491,646
Special Ed. Instruction – 16.4% $ 2,276,157
Support Services – 8.1% $ 1,128,737
Transportation – 5% $ 687,714
Building Admin – 6.4% $ 883,923
District/Business Admin – 4.2% $ 576,628
Facilities O & M – 9.4% $ 1,301,457
Tech Services – 2% $ 279,084
Supplemental Retirement – 1.6% $ 260,000
Summer Programs & Community Services $ 9,322
Total Program Budgeted Expense $12,894,668
Transfers, Contingencies, Unappropriated – 7% $ 979,458
2011 Total Budget $13,874,153
Enrollment
Our enrollment continues to slowly decline, which can be attributed to a lack of employment, housing starts and new families moving into our school district community. Whereas, recent graduating classes are averaging 140 students and future graduating classes will be in the low 100’s, our district can expect to see a 40 student per year decline if our school community does not grow. Our current K-12 enrollment is roughly 1,650 students, which includes 166 at Kings Valley Charter School students. We are predicting an enrollment decline of approximately 57 students for the 2012 school year based on the number of Kindergarten students at CPS & Blodgett (84) and the number of seniors at PHS (141). Since our enrollment levels determine our State School Fund Grant allocation, a loss of 57 students next year would mean an approximate $340,000 revenue reduction in basic school support from the State.
Philomath School District is considered one of the finest school districts in our region. We are fortunate to enjoy a positive enrollment gain from neighboring school districts through inter-district transfer and KVCS students. However, we must consider how to increase our enrollment, as well as, increase our revenue if we are to continue to provide the quality and quantity of educational programs. Current facility improvement projects, which include a major reconstruction project of Philomath High School, should help attract families to our community.
Facilities
As staff and community members know, the age and condition of our facilities required the Board of Directors and administration to consider improvement options. The outcome of a comprehensive facility assessment led to a voter approved $29 million dollar facility improvement investment project. During the summer: a) the gymnasium at Blodgett received a new roof, b) the PHS Forestry building boys and girls locker rooms were remodeled, and c) our district technology services equipment and staff were relocated to a renovated Maintenance/Technology building. Currently, the renovation of 17 classrooms, including HVAC, roofing, siding replacement at PES is underway. The $2 million PES project will be completed by August 2011. Blodgett and PMS renovation projects, which include roofing, siding, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC upgrades, will begin this June and be completed by early September at a cost of $470,000 (BES) and $1.5 million (PMS). Finally, the $24 million PHS project includes the construction of 24 new classroom spaces, two new gymnasiums, new student counseling and administration offices, and renovation of 12 classrooms. Lastly, the current large gymnasium will be converted to a combined use performing arts auditorium and student commons area. This major facilities upgrade will include seismic upgrades and a photovoltaic energy efficiency component. Needless to say, the investment in our facilities is an investment in our students and for our future program needs and growth.
Summary
Although State School Funding is declining, because of the economy and our declining enrollment, our district is in a fair financial position. With that said, we will be budgeting for next year, 2011-2012, with a preliminary expense reduction of at least $600,000. Over the years, the district has done a good job of balancing general fund resources to support quality programs throughout our K-12 system and target federal resources to support primary literacy goals. However, state revenue resources are not keeping up with our educational program needs. Overall, our K-12 grade level academic performance has been very good, as indicated by State Assessment performance levels. State Assessment scores are but one indicator of student success. Our greatest resource, the caring culture created by Philomath School District staff, and our tireless community volunteers, are what makes PSD a special place for students. Please contact Superintendent, Dan Forbess, at (541) 929-3169 if you have any questions regarding your Philomath School District. Thank you!
Fri Aug 27, 2010
New Beginnings
Our school facilities are changing: Estimated architectural design, permits, fees, contingencies and construction oversight - $3,000,000; Blodgett Elementary School upgrades $450,000; Philomath Elementary School upgrades $2,500,000; Philomath Middle School upgrades $2,500,000; Philomath High School renovation $20,000,000…
…overwhelming public support for changes to our facility infrastructure and investing in the future of our students and community – Priceless!
Change can be a wonderful departure from routine. As a community, change may be necessary to help businesses thrive economically and encourage families to join the community and help our community grow. As with any business, our school district must continue to look at ways to adjust to meet the needs of our students and community members – we evolve, we grow, and we change.
The Philomath School District and community partners realized a change was necessary to maintain safe, healthy, and functional educational facilities. Our facility renewal effort was overwhelmingly supported by our community. Employees, Board of Directors, students, parents, and other community partners saw the need for change. An affordable plan, requiring property tax and federal stimulus revenue support was structured to help implement the change. The plan was well-defined, well-communicated, and understood clearly by Philomath School District voters. Thus, the 80% voter approval was the highest supported property tax based capital improvement bond ever passed by a community in Oregon.
Plain and simple: Our school facilities exist to support learning. When we develop long-term facility maintenance and improvement plans, we do so with hopes of enhancing our learning environment. With that said, the learning environment we create for our students is also predicated/enhanced by our approach to teaching, supervising, and supporting learning in many ways.
Over the next two years, our educational facilities will be changing. Our students and staff will be moving in and out of different learning environments – different buildings and different classrooms. Some of us may be placed in temporary facilities for a period of time only to be uprooted and moved, subsequently, into short-term facilities until all permanent work has been completed.
What I really want us to strive to maintain, during this period of positive facilities upgrade, is the positive learning environment we maintain for our students. During the next two years it will be incumbent upon us to maintain a sense of normalcy, strive to reach our school and district improvement goals, and keep our students engaged in their own learning. Whether, or not, we make a conscious effort to change, change is a part of life and we must adapt or be left in the dust – construction pun intended.
When the Board of Directors voted to place Ballot Measure 02-71 before the voters in May, our change was set in motion. When community members overwhelmingly voted to support BM 02-71, our request for change was affirmed and is now reality.
I believe reality for PSD is this: we support a positive learning environment and demonstrate our commitment in how our employees and community support student learning and by enhancing our education facilities. I look forward to beginning my career change with the Philomath schools community. I am honored and proud to be joining this educational community and look forward to a great year. Thank you!
