Spring09 D6 Financial And Program Needs

Citizens’ Blue Ribbon Panel

A Review of Introductory MeetingsNovember 2008 – January 2009

Dr. Ranelle Lang, SuperintendentMr. Wayne Eads, Chief Operations Officer(Statistical Data Revised, January 2009)

The Purpose of the Panel

• Continue community conversation and build on feedback gathered thus far

• Assist District 6 staff with their moral and professional responsibility to provide the best education possible

• Consider community expectations

District 6 Profile and Basic Facts

19,284 students38 facilities

101 portable classrooms2,307 employees

Our Schools

15 elementary schools2 K-8 schools

5 middle schools3 high schools

4 alternative schools 3 charter schools

2 contracted or state-run facilities

Scope of Operations• Every day we have almost 22,000

people involved in our operations• Our students eat 2 million school meals

a year• 8,000 students per day ride our school

buses, which travel more than 1 million miles over the course of a year

• We have 5,000 computers and 3,000 extensions on our phone/data network

The State of the District Our Celebrations

• Increased student achievement• Removed from Academic Watch• Launched a district-wide continuous

improvement process• Created and followed-through with a

bold strategic plan• Earned numerous awards for

achievement


• Increased student achievement


110 strategic plan action

steps

92% are complete

or ongoing

8% being worked on this year

The approaching storms

Increasing Accountability

Rising Expectations and Competition

Lack of Money

The State of the District Storm 1: Increasing

Accountability

• Federal: No Child Left Behind and Adequate Yearly Progress

• State: Accreditation• District: Comprehensive

Accountability System, Achievement Gaps

• School: School Accreditation System

The State of the District Storm 2: Rising Expectations

and Competition

• Parents and students are seeking expanded choices and services

• Trend of academic improvement must continue

Community Expectations are Growing

• Curriculum and textbooks• Computers other technology• Specialized programs: alternative

schools, IB, AP & CTE• Safety and security• Transportation• and other areas

The State of the District

Storm 3: Lack of Money

Financial resources do not match current

or future needs and expectations

Financial Storm

170th

Question: Of the 178 school districts in

Colorado, where do we rank in total funding

per student?

General Fund Revenue • Our general operating fund revenue

is controlled by the State. Currently:• 25% comes from Greeley-Evans

– Specific ownership taxes (vehicle registration)– Local property taxes

• 75% comes from State Equalization funds

• A mill levy override supplements the general fund and is not controlled by the State.

• Unlike our neighbors, School District 6 has no mill levy override.

MLOs around Greeley-Evans:amount per student, every

year

Greeley-

Evans: $0

Eaton: $710

Gilcrest-LaSalle-Platteville: $1,124

Loveland: $969

Johnstown-Milliken: $174

Fort Lupton: $1,155

Windsor: $692

Keenesburg: $609St. Vrain:

$690

2008-09 data

Fort Collins: $773

District State Funding Per Student

Mill Levy Override Funding Per Student

Total

Weld County Re-8Fort Lupton

$7,022 $1,155 $8,177

Weld County Re-1Gilcrest, La Salle, Platteville

$6,891 $1,124 $8,015

ThompsonLoveland, Berthoud

$6,554 $969 $7,523

St. VrainLongmont, Firestone, Frederick

$6,777 $690 $7,467

Weld County Re-2Eaton

$6,703 $710 $7,413

Weld County Re-3JKeenesburg

$6,759 $609 $7,368

PoudreFort Collins

$6,554 $773 $7,327

Weld County Re-4Windsor

$6,554 $692 $7,246

Weld County 6Greeley, Evans

$6,732 $0 $6,732

Weld County Re-5JJohnstown, Milliken

$6,554 $174 $6,7282008-09 data

MLOs + per-pupil funding

2008-09 data

$4,000 $6,000 $8,000

J ohnstownGreeley-Evans

WindsorFort CollinsKeenesburg

EatonSt. VrainLoveland

GilcrestFort Lupton

State Funding MLO Funding

Where is our revenue spent?

This container represents our

general operating fund

Our general operating fund for the current fiscal year is $128,334,016

Expenditures

The vast majority of the budget is spent on employee salaries and

benefits.

Everything else (utilities, fuel,

textbooks, etc.) makes up just 13% of the

budget. 13%

87%

Utilities, fuel, textbooks, etc.

People (salaries and benefits)

Expenditures

Utilities32%

Professional fees4%

Other 5%

Repairs, maint. & equipment5%

Textbooks 6%

Computers and technology6%

Tuition 9%

Purchased services12%

Supplies, postage, printing, etc. 21%

13%

87%



Expenditures

Teachers 71%

Instructional aides 5%

Bus/Facilities staff 8%

Principals6%

Office/Support staff 4%

Professional staff 3%

Administrators3%

13%

87%



Higher Costs =

Forced Choices

If costs increase in any area, some other cost area must be reduced in order to make room.

Purchased Items

Teachers

Instructional aides

Bus/Facilities staff

Principals

Office/Support staffProfessional staff

Administrators

Forced Choices in 2008-09

• Fewer people (central administrators, teachers, classified staff, non-classroom substitutes)

• Less technology• Limited textbooks, school materials

and supplies• Less classified overtime• Smaller raises for support staff and

administrators than teachers

Forced Choices in 2009-10

• If nothing changes…– will have to make cuts to purchased items,– and/or eliminate or reduce programs,– and/or reduce staff.

• Community choice– Should we reduce programs, materials or staff?– Should we maintain programs, materials or

staff?– Should we enhance programs, materials or

staff?

Increasing Accountability

Rising Expectations and Competition

Lack of Money

Process and Timelines

Dozens of citizen volunteers who are:– Reviewing district programs and areas

of need– Reviewing costs and expenses– Asking questions, seeking clarification,

being critics– Prioritizing the areas of need– Recommending course of action to the

Board of Education in August 2009

Areas being studied, based on community and staff feedback:– Academic Programs– Student and Teacher Resources– Safety and Security– Special Programs: Co-Curricular and

Extracurricular– Operations, Facilities and Transportation

Some of the items being reviewed by the Academic Programs committee:– Increase program offerings for students, including

International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) classes

– Counseling services at all schools– Increase technology access and use in the

classroom– Full-day kindergarten and preschool for all students– Career and Technical Education (CTE)

Estimated “100% costs”: $24,409,350

Some of the items being reviewed by the Co/Extracurricular committee: – After-school program for all students– Soccer program for Middle School students– Upgrades to athletic equipment and facilities– Equitable athletic and fine arts offerings to all

students at all schools

– Upgrades to fine arts equipment and facilities (i.e. band uniforms, instruments)

Estimated “100% costs”: TBD

Some of the items being reviewed by the Student/Teacher Resources committee: – Textbooks for all students– Appropriate intervention materials and consumables

for all students (workbooks, etc.)– Additional classroom aides for students– Appropriate materials and technology resources in

every classroom (whiteboards, overheads, LCDs, etc.)


Some of the items being reviewed by the Safety/Security committee: – Campus monitors for all schools– Video cameras for security monitoring of all

entrances– Safety lighting on campuses– Parking lot updates and traffic flow support– Crossing guards

Estimated “100% costs”: $709,500

Some of the items being reviewed by the Operations/Facilities/Transportation committee: – Updates to schools and district buildings to ensure

safety of students and staff– Replace portable buildings with appropriate

classrooms for student learning– Provide lockers for middle school students– Provide district-wide transportation for field trips

and special programs


Timeline:• Now through April

– committees review and prioritize areas of need

• April– committees present their findings and priorities

to full CBRP– CBRP citizen leadership begins narrowing focus

on highest priorities– CBRP begins drafting advisory recommendation

to Board of Education

Timeline:• May

– CBRP finishes draft of advisory recommendation to Board of Education

• May and June – CBRP citizen leadership gathers community

feedback on draft recommendations, adjusts draft as needed

• July – CBRP citizen leadership gives final draft to BOE

Timeline:• July

– CBRP citizen leadership gives final advisory recommendation to BOE

• August– BOE takes action on recommendations

Frequently Asked Questions

regarding mill levy overrides

Don’t we already have a mill levy?

• The current mill levy goes into the state equalization fund.

• 25% comes from Greeley-Evans– Specific ownership taxes (vehicle registration)– Local property taxes

• 75% comes from State Equalization funds

• Mill levy override dollars stay in our community.

What is a mill levy?

• “Mill” does not mean a million• “Mill” comes from the Latin “mille”

which means one thousand.• So a “mill levy” in tax language is a

tax of one/one thousandth of the value of something

What is a mill levy override?

• The State sets the funding formula for K-12 districts.

• Local K-12 districts can vote to tax themselves at a higher rate than the State formula.

• If local taxpayers approve a tax rate higher than the State formula, they “override” the State formula and provide more funding for the education of their children.

How much does a mill cost a homeowner?

One mill costs the owner of a $100,000 home 67 cents per

month.

Show me the math!

• The assessor sends every homeowner a Notice of Valuation.

• This sets the actual value of a home (this is not the market value, but should be close).

• This notice also tells you what percent of the actual value will be subject to property tax. Currently that percent is 7.96%.

Tax Process

• The assessor also sends the Real Estate Property Tax Notice.

• This notice actually shows the calculation for your property tax bill.

• The actual value is multiplied by the assessment percentage to find the assessed value.

If Actual Value = $100,000

• Taxable value = 7.96% of $100,000 = $7,960• Cost of one mill = $7,960/1,000 = $7.96 per year• Monthly cost per mill = $7.96/12 =

$.67 = $.67 per

month

The Actual Cost of a Mill• A $200,000 average home: Mill cost $1.34 per

month• 15 mill on a $200,000 home: $20.10 per month

• Yearly cost on a $200,000 home: $241.20 or: – 1 Starbucks Venti Mocha per week

(estimated cost $4.20)– 1 trip to McDonalds per month for a family

of 4 (estimated cost $20)– 2 music CDs per month (each CD costs

approximately $12)

Does an MLO Affect Businesses?

• Yes, business properties are assessed

at a higher rate, currently 29%.• The math process is the same.• 15 mills on a $1 million business

property would cost a business owner:– $362.50 per month or– $4,350 per year.

Does an MLO Affect Senior Citizens?

Senior Homestead Exemption• If you meet the criteria, 50% of the first $200,000 of

actual value of residential property is exempt from taxation.

• A property owner must be 65 years old and have owned and occupied the property as a primary residence for the last 10 years.

• This exemption is contingent on yearly funding from the Colorado Legislature.– It is currently funded and in full effect– There have been prior years where the exemption was not

funded by the legislature and the exemption was suspended.

How Much Revenue Does a Mill Generate?

• Considering the overall assessed value in Weld County, right now one mill would generate approximately $1 millionfor Weld County School District 6.

• If property values decline, the revenue generated would go down as well.

What about charter schools?

• State law does not require charters to be included. Each community makes its own decision.

• In some communities they have been included and in some they have not. This will be some of the work of the CBRP.

• Generally, the details of charter participation

are outlined in contracts with the district.• Interest and support of the MLO is created

through knowledge and conversation.