District Advisory Committee for Programs and Operations FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about the District Advisory Committee for Program and Operations and its recommendations to the Shoreline School Board

Updated: 1/25/2007

Frequently Asked Questions about the District Advisory Committee for Program and Operations and its recommendations to the Shoreline School Board

What were the financial issues that led to this committee being established?

During the FY 2006-07 budget development process, the District made a commitment to evaluate a number of program and operational issues during this school year. The FY 2005-06 fiscal year ended with a projected deficit of $2.8 million.

In building the FY 2006-07 budget, approximately $4.7 million in reductions were made, mostly in staffing. From last year to this year, Shoreline has reduced 4.5 administrative positions, 2 in the school sites and 2.5 at the District Office.

At this time, we have the following administrators:
23 administrators at our K-12 school/program sites
1 administrator for our Shoreline Children’s Center - (Preschool and Extended-Day Programs)
17 administrators at the District Office
Total:  41 administrators (40 for comparison to K-12 systems)

Based upon the ending fund balance projections at this time, it will be necessary to reduce District expenditures by at least $2 million for the FY 2007-08 school year. It is anticipated that this reduction will allow the District to have a positive projected ending fund balance for FY 2007-08. The District must adopt a balanced budget for FY 2007-08 in order to be in compliance with state statutes.

How would the District make up the deficit?

In an effort to avoid further staff reductions and negative effects on the classroom, District program and operational efficiencies are the logical place to identify savings. To accomplish this goal, the District Advisory Committee for Program and Operations was formed by the Superintendent to make recommendations to the School Board for implementation in the 2007-08 school year. The DACPO committee was asked to formulate its recommendations to the school board with the goal of reducing future expenses by $2 million or more annually.

The $2 million target for the DACPO Committee does not reflect the entire goal of expenditure reductions for 2007-08. The District is committed to look at every other possible means of reducing expenditures and operating the District more efficiently.

Transportation, food service and other District functions will be evaluated for their potential cost savings and efficiencies. Every improvement that can be made in District operations will protect instructional programs now and in the future.

Who are the members of this committee that made these recommendations?

The committee was comprised of a broadly based group of 28 PTA Council representatives, community members at large, certificated and classified staff, principals and administrators. A list of committee members is available on the District Web site, as is detailed information used by the committee in making its recommendations.

What topics did the committee address?

The three specific topics that were addressed by this committee are:

• middle school models (the current 7/8 vs. 6/7/8),
• the current 7-period vs. 6-period day in the middle school, and
• program and school consolidation and/or closures.

The committee recommended a return to the 6-period day in the middle schools and the School Board approved that recommendation at its January 22 meeting.

How much would the District save if an elementary school were closed? The average elementary overhead costs, those that do not follow students to a new site, are estimated to be $726,077.

This cost is significantly more than those of other districts because of the richness of our District staffing model and the fact that it is not based upon a per pupil allocation.

Librarians, nurses, family advocates, office staff, paraeducators and others are valued in our schools. Other districts that have chosen to keep small schools open have not typically been able to keep the same kind of support staff in place at the schools. Nurses and family advocates at each elementary site have always been rare and most recently full-time librarians are being eliminated from many neighboring elementary schools.

This is the reason that some districts estimate the cost savings for closing an elementary site as less than Shoreline.

How did the committee choose which school to recommend for closure?

The District Advisory Committee for Programs and Operations criteria included:

• Number of students impacted
• Classroom capacity in each building
• Utility costs
• Potential impact to transportation costs without special programs
• Building condition

The committee ranked the schools from 1 to 11 and considered each criterion in coming to its decision. After these criteria were considered there were other “lenses” applied to the process, including equity and east/west geographical balance. The criteria rating sheet is on the DACPO Web page.

Can’t the district sell off some of its existing surplus lands to help make up the deficit?

No. Sales of property can be used only for capital projects. The interest, however, can be directed to instruction materials. The committee was provided a complete list of properties in the District’s land bank. Some of the properties have been leased to private schools, churches or are now used as parks.

Can the proceeds from the sale of the South Woods property be used to help make up the deficit?

No. State law requires that proceeds from the sale of surplus property be put in the Capital Projects Fund. However, the income and investment earnings from property sales can be directed to the General Fund and used for the purchase of instructional supplies, materials and capital outlay purposes. The School Board adopted a resolution doing this at its Jan. 22 meeting. Given current investment rates, it is anticipated this action will provide approximately $70,000 during the current fiscal year for instructional supplies, materials and equipment.

We just approved a bond issue back in February 2006. Can’t any of those funds be used to make up the deficit?

No. It is important to distinguish between general operating funds and capital projects funds approved in the bond issue. These funds from the bond issue cannot legally be used to pay for regular operational expenses of the District.

Can the District pass a special levy to make up the deficit?

No. The District passed a four-year maintenance and operations levy in February 2006. The District is at its levy capacity as established by the state.

We have heard about these binding conditions from the state regarding the District and its budget. What are they?

The binding conditions are an agreement between the District and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Among the conditions placed upon the District is the expectation that Shoreline present a balanced budget for the 2007-2008 school year. If the District fails to do so, the state could require a balanced budget or withhold future funding until a balanced budget is presented. An oversight administrator designated by the state meets regularly with District administrators to monitor the District’s budget, both in the areas of staffing and expenditures.

How can I be a part of this process now that it goes to the School Board?

During the 90 days prior to the School Board’s decision regarding the proposed closure of the school, the board is required to conduct public hearings. Separate hearings must be held for each school proposed to be closed.

When will the hearings begin?

The School Board has established a process and timeline for conducting the required hearings for each proposed school closure (North City and Sunset) and facility closure/program move (Room Nine Community School and Home Education Exchange).

The hearings schedule is as follows:

When would the Board make its decision?

A final decision to act on the proposal would likely be made in mid-April.

If the School Board decided to close a different school than those proposed, would there need to be more hearings related to the school proposed?

Yes.

When would a committee be formed to make adjustments in school boundaries?

The District is now creating a boundary and transportation committee that is expected to begin meeting in February. Any necessary adjustments to school attendance areas will be made subsequent to the decision on school closures, but the District needs to begin the process now.

If the Board decides to close two schools, what will the remaining elementary schools look like?

Recent demographic information indicates that Shoreline has declined more than 900 students in grades K-6 since 1996. During the same period, we have opened additional sites that serve the same age population. Data shows that if the number of traditional elementary schools were reduced from 11 to 9, the average size of each school would still be considered quite reasonable (approximately 500) by most districts’ standards. In fact, schools that average approximately 500 also achieve staffing savings in the area of PE and music by reducing the need for travel between buildings, etc.

An evaluation of open classroom space in all K-6 buildings also indicated an ability to consolidate programs that would not lead to overcrowding or larger class-size.

There is nothing in the DACPO recommendation to close two schools that would cause class size to increase. In fact, consolidation should reduce the number of large classes by providing more flexibility in scheduling. Classroom teachers will follow students in the same ratio we have this year to their new sites.

What about this talk of East-West geographical balance? Aren’t we one school district?

In 1986 when Shoreline High School closed, the I-5 arbitrary boundary divided the District more equitably. Since that time, Shorewood has grown larger than Shorecrest. The Boundary Committee needs to consider the wisdom of leaving I-5 as the boundary in the future. Currently, six of our elementary sites feed primarily Einstein and Shorewood and five of our sites feed Kellogg and Shorecrest (Parkwood has a small split in its feeder pattern). The proposal to geographically balance the District by identifying one school in the Kellogg/Shorecrest feeder pattern and one school in the Einstein/Shorewood feeder pattern for closure will reduce the numbers to five feeding the west and four the east. Data shows that we have a nearly equal number of open classrooms on each side of the District. Also, if you take the number of students currently being served on the east side of the District and try to place them all within three sites, the average school size would be over 600, which would potentially cause overcrowding. That would not happen on either side with the current recommendation.