Resource Allocation & School Planning Councils

in Your District

Presenter: Sterling Olson

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Outline Purpose/Why School Resource Allocations

Roles and Responsibilities

Ministry Funding Allocation System

School District Spending

Budget Process

Centralized vs. Decentralized

Sample Information

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Purpose Focus school and district resources on the improvement of

student achievement.

Improve the transparency and accountability of school board allocation procedures and school-based budgets.

Enable school planning councils and other partner groups to understand funding and budget decisions.

Provide opportunity for school planning councils to consult with and provide advice to school boards related to allocations to schools.

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Why School Resource Allocations?

Changes to School Act

Notional School Allocations

Guidelines for School Planning Councils

District Accountability Contracts for 2004/05

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Changes to School Act

Bill 34 – May 13, 2002

Section 8.2

A Board must consult with a school planning council in respect of the following:

(a) the allocation of staff and resources in the school

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Notional School Allocations Minister of Education states (August 26,

2003):

That there be more awareness among the general public about how school boards allocate resources to schools.

Accepts the following recommendation:

That steps be taken to require school boards to provide school resource information and to develop a collaborative process with SPCs so that funding and resource decisions are linked to school growth plans and accountability contracts.

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Guidelines for School Planning Councils

By a date set by the board, a school planning council must prepare and submit to the board a school plan for the school in respect of improving student achievement and other matters contained in the board’s accountability contract relating to that school.

Collect and analyze school resource allocation information.

Develop the plan for improvement.

Provide advice to the school board about the allocation of staff and resources in the school.

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District Accountability Contracts for 2004/05

The intent of the School District Accountability Contract is to focus district attention and resources on improving student achievement.

A description of the process to consult with School Planning Councils about the allocation of staff and resources in school is required.

A sample of the resources allocation form should be attached to the Contract.

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Roles and Responsibilities Cabinet and Treasury Board

establish the overall budget and Individual Ministry amounts

Ministry of Education sets priorities and allocates funding to the school

boards

issues budget and accounting instructions

School Boards sets spending priorities and establishes budgets

consults with School Planning Councils

allocate funding to schools and programs

Schools allocate funding to classrooms/programs

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Responsibilities for School Resource Allocations

School Board Allocate staff and resources to schools and programs Provides information about the allocation of resources to

the school Consults with school planning councils about the

allocation of staff and resources in the school

Principal Provides information to the school planning council about

the allocation of staff and resources in the school

School Planning Council Provides advice to the school board about the allocation

of staff and resources in the school

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The system provides for:

Student Allocation of $5,520 per FTE student Allocation of $250 per homeschooler Enrolment Decline Grant (50% for declining >1%) Unique student needs of ESL ($1,100), aboriginal education ($950), special

education Level 1 ($30,000), Level 2 ($15,000), Level 3 ($6,000), and adult education

Teacher salary differential between districts Unique geographic factors of climate, dispersion, remoteness, school district size,

small communities (fixed) Transportation and Housing allocation (fixed) GAAP Funding

The funding system was set for three years up until 2004/05 and significant changes are planned for 2005/06

Allocation of Provincial Operating Funding

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Enrolment ranges from 289 to 60,386 fte Funding varies from $5.2 to $376 million Average teacher salaries vary from $58,092 and $64,720 Dispersion, remoteness, climate and size of schools vary

Enrollment changes 2002/03 to 2003/04: SD #36 Surrey 868 1.46% SD #93 Conseil Scolarie 209 7.61%

SD #61 Victoria (572) (2.79%) SD #85 Vancouver Island North (239) (11.01%)

Total (6,591) (1.14%)

School Board Variations

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School Districts allocate their spending between 4 key functional areas:

Instruction

School District Operating Spending

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School Districts allocate their spending between 4 key functional areas:

District and School Administration

School District Operating Spending

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School Districts allocate their spending between 4 key functional areas:

Operating and Maintaining buildings

School District Operating Spending

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School Districts allocate their spending between 4 key functional areas:

Transporting and Housing Students

School District Operating Spending

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Instruction 76%

Operations & Maintenance 13%

Administration 8%

Transportation 3%

School District Operating Spending:A Provincial Picture

Salaries 74%

Employee Benefits 15%

Supplies & Services 11%

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School Districts need to establish their own process for preparation, consultation and approval of their operating budgets. Communication throughout the budget process is vital.

When establishing Budget timelines, Boards need to take into account staffing deadlines and implementation processes.

Budget Process - A question of Balance

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Budget Process and Accountability CycleSchool Planning & Goal Setting

(Involvement of School Community)

School Planning Councils

Accountability Agreement

Budget Goals & Guiding Principlesof Board of School Trustees

District Budget Preparation,Consultation and Approval

Allocation of Budget toPrograms and Schools

ContinuousProcess

ContinuousProcess

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Guiding principles and priorities are set.

Costs of providing existing services are projected into the next year (salary and benefits, utilities, etc.)

Factors that will change such as student enrolment, inflation, contract changes, one time items are determined.

Revenues, any surplus/deficit from the previous year are projected and the net budget position (shortfall or surplus) is determined.

Options and strategies to address net budget position are identified.

Decisions are finalized.

Preparation of the Budget

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SD #91 Budget Allocation Criteria

Addresses board goals

Stays within existing resources

Equitable

Understandable

Predictable

Encourages efficiencies

Decision neutral

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The level of school control over budgets and the allocation of resources varies across the province.

There isn’t one “best way” to allocate resources.

What decisions are flexible?

Centralized vs. Decentralized

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Who Makes the Decisions? A significant number of districts indicate that they allow

schools limited decision making (primarily around what the supplies budget can be spent on).

Conversely, there is a fairly high number of districts that, subject to varying constraints, allow some decisions to be made at the school level around staffing as well as supplies and service.

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Who Makes the Decisions

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15

10

5

0

Limited Expanded

Nu

mb

er of D

istricts

Scope of School Level Decision Making

WHO MAKES THE DECISIONS?

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What Information is Provided by Districts to Their Schools?

Districts provide information to schools about the number of teachers and the amount available for teaching supplies.

Many districts also supply $ information associated with the teaching and other support staff.

In most cases, districts provide a rationale or funding formula that derives the $ amounts that they have announced.

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2004/05 School Allocation Funding Worksheet School: Sample School Cost Center: 19

Enrolment Data (FTE)

Regular Enrolment

Kindergarten 14.0

Grade 1-3 84.0

Grade 4-7

Grade 8-10

Grade 11-12

Total Regular Enrolment 98.0

Adult Enrolment

Aboriginal Enrolment 42.5

ESL/ESD Enrolment

M.I.D. Enrolment

Allocated FTE Staffing:

Fixed Principal/V.P. Time 0.40

Fixed P/VP Teaching Time 0.60

Teachers 4.6640

Total Allocated FTE Staffing 5.6640

Targetted Aboriginal Education 42.5 * $ 800 = $ 34,000

ESL / ESD - * $ 1,100 = $ -

Special Education / Level 1,2,3 (per Charlene) 76,444

Adult Supply Allocations -

School Funds Allocations 14,040

2003/04 School Surplus 10,224

Board Initiatives (Fine Arts, Low performing, etc.) 2,960

Other School Allocations 109,126

Total funding to be allocated $ 212,794

(Not including aboriginal education)

SD #91 (Nechako Lakes)

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2004/05 School Allocation Budget Worksheet

School: Sample School Cost Center: 19

Admin Regular

Instruction Career

Programs Learning

Assistance French

Immersion Library Counselling Special Education Programs ESL /

ESD

TOTAL

141 102 103 104 105 107 108 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 117 130 TOTAL COST P/VP FTE -

0.40 0.60 1.00 Total A.O. FTE 0.40 0.60 - - - - - - - - - - 1.00

Teacher FTE - Kindergarten (2 classes) 1.00 1.00

Gr. 1 1.00 1.00 Gr. 1/2 1.00 1.00 Gr. 2/3 1.00 1.00

Gr. 3 1.00 1.00 Support 0.30 0.06 0.10 0.15 0.05 0.66

Total Teacher FTE - 5.30 - 0.06 - 0.10 - - 0.15 0.05 - - 5.66 $ 417,708 T.A. Hours per day -

5.50 5.50 3.00 2.25 5.25 5.75 5.75

Total T.A. Hours - - - - - - - - 14.25 2.25 - - 16.50 $ 81,741 Clerical Hours per day -

5.50 5.50 Total Clerical Hours 5.50 - - - - - - - - - - - 5.50 $ 29,700 N.H.S. Hours per day -

0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75

Total N.H.S. Hours 1.50 - - - - - - - - - - - 1.50 $ 6,525 Funding Available

Special Education Teacher Assistant annual cost per hour : $ 4,954 School based 10 month clerical annual cost per hour : $ 5,400 Regular Teachers $ 344,203

Noon Hour Supervisor annual cost per hour : $ 4,350 Funding to be Allocated

212,794

Total Funding Available

556,997

Teacher annual cost : $ 73,800

Total Cost from above

535,674

Special Ed. Progams: Level 1 (119), Level 2 (118), Level 3 (116) Other are 117 and 132 Funding Available for other services and supplies $ 21,323

SD #91 (Nechako Lakes)

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Outline Purpose/Why School Resource Allocations

Roles and Responsibilities

Ministry Funding Allocation System

School District Spending

Budget Process

Centralized vs. Decentralized

Sample Information