May 14, 2013
Decreasing enrollment trend.
Decrease in State, Local, and Federal funding.
Increasing operation costs.
Sustaining the Construction/Lottery Fund.
The necessity to increase program offerings cost effectively.
The necessity to strengthen the curriculum while utilizing staff more effectively.
840 850 860 870 880 890 900 910 920 930 940
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Enrollment
Enrollment
In the previous slide, the enrollment has declined.
Even though there has been a small increase in enrollment in 2013 (884) from 2012 (870), the projected enrollment of 2014 (890) does not represent a significant enrollment
recovery.
As a small school division, the loss of student enrollment from 2009 to the projected
enrollment of 2014 of approximately 40 students is a significant decline of
approximately 5%.
The necessity to reduce staffing in
accordance with the Standards of Quality guidelines.
Reducing operating costs diverts funding to the increasing liability of the school division to mandated salary and benefit requirements.
The proposed configuration would provide a more financially sustainable format while
enhancing the instructional program.
The economic down-turn of the economy has impacted all revenue streams for public
education.
From 2008-2009 school year to 2012-2013 school year, state funding has decreased as depicted in the following chart:
School Year State Funding Local Funding
2008-2009 $4,913,181 $2,253,914
2012-2013 $4,067,554 $1,850,941
Total lost State and Local Funding for Bland County Public Schools:
$1,248,600
Local funding is influenced by the decline of enrollment.
There has been an increased burden on the Bland County Board of Supervisors to fund schools with the increase in the Composite Index.
Bland County Board of Supervisors has
evidenced their continuing commitment to the Bland County School Board by
consistently providing funding in excess of what is mandated by the state. However, it is important to note that the Board of
Supervisors is also being impacted by the down turn in the economy and is unable to secure the additional funding needed to
bridge the School Board’s budget shortfall.
It is important to note that Federal funding for Title I, Title II, Part A, and Special
Education has decreased approximately 5%.
It is unclear what effects the Federal
sequestration will have on these programs.
The Federal government provided funds to assist public education as part of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in 2009.
Those funds assisted school divisions for a period of time during this economic
recession.
The ARRA Funds were depleted in the fall of 2012.
The school division must continue to
purchase goods and services at increasing costs.
Examples of these increasing costs include:
◦ Increased cost of gas and diesel fuels;
◦ Increased cost of electricity, coal, and other utilities;
◦ Increased cost of health insurance and required employer contribution; and
◦ Increased cost of instructional materials.
Mandates from the Virginia Department of Education and the Legislature of the
Commonwealth of Virginia have resulted in increased costs that are unfunded. These include the following:
Mandated courses to be included as part of graduation requirements.
Mandated contract development with the Virginia
Community College System (VCCS) to offer a General Education Certificate and/or an Associates Degree as part of the high school curriculum.
Mandated implementation of an Academic and Career Plan to students that encourages students to
participate in one of the 16 Vocational Technology Career Clusters.
Mandate to provide an increase in compensation to employees of school division to offset the
employee’s requirement to contribute 5% of their retirement benefit to the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) within a 5 year period.
News from legislators indicate that there will be a contribution increase of employers to the VRS at the rate of 2% per year for the next 3 years for a total increase of 6%.
A proposed VRS Hybrid plan will further increase the employers contribution in January 2014.
State statute permits school divisions to utilize construction/lottery funds to offset budget deficits.
The graph on the following slide
demonstrates the use of these funds to the present time and a projected date of
depletion.
Budget Year Beginning Balance Transfer
2011-2012 $2,475,075.94 $35,241.00
2012-2013 $2,439,834.94 $300,000.00
2013-2014 $2,139,834.94 $688,915.00
2014-2015 $1,450,919.94 $725,000.00
2015-2016 $725,919.94 $775,000.00
2016-2017 $0
The transfer of funds for 2014-2015 and 2015- 2016 are conservative estimates.
Since October of 2010 every effort has been made to reduce operating costs while
considering the projected decrease in state and federal funding.
In light of these efforts Bland County Public Schools has continued to achieve recognition for academic excellence while reducing
operational costs by approximately
$304,806.00.
• Utilize the existing campuses to the following configuration:
• Combine schools for a PK-6 grade configuration on one campus.
• Combine the schools to form a 7-12 grade configuration on the other campus.
• Both campuses are viable locations for either one of these configurations.
• Utilize the Reduction in Force policy while
examining teacher credentials to assign teachers to fulfill the educational programs of the proposed
configuration.
• Proposed efficiency in regard to the overall
instructional program and possible cost savings projection.
Standard 2:Instructional, administrative, and support personnel C- Student Teacher Ratios
24:1 Kindergarten across District - Aide at more than 24
24:1 Grades 1-3 across District w no class larger than 30
25:1 Grades 4-6 across District w no class larger than 35
24:1 in English classes grades 6-12
21:1 School-wide ratio in middle and high school
Middle and high school teachers will be provided one planning period per day, unencumbered of any supervisory duties
Standard 2: Instructional, administrative, and support personnel
D- Shall utilize local, special education, gifted, and CTE funds a minimum number of licensed,
fultime equivalent positions for each 1,000 students
E- Funding for prevention, intervention, and remediation services
G- A minimum of one full time Reading Specialist
1. Principal in Elementary: one half time 299, one full time at 300 Principal in Middle: One full time
Principal in High School: One full time
3. Librarians in Elementary: one full time at 300 students
Librarians in MS: one Half time to 299, one full time at 300 Librarians in HS: one Half time to 299, one full time at 300
4. Guidance counselors in Elementary: One hr per day per 100 students
Guidance in MS: one period per 80 students Guidance in HS: one period per 70 students
J Shall employ two full time equivalent positions per 1,000 students in grades k-12, one to provide technology support and one to
serve as an instructional technology resource teacher.
H
Bland Hs Sociology
Photojournalism- TV/News
BOTH Drama
Reading Intervention Additional Ag. Class
Choir
Rocky Gap HS Astronomy
Photojournalism-Yearbook SAT Review/Creative Writing
Middle School Component
Provide for MS Team Model with cross content planning and lessons Exploratory Rotation for 7th grade students:
Agriculture/FACS Art/Intro to FL/Music Daily Physical Education Accelerated Math opportunities
8:45 am – 3:30 pm
Bus # Current
Time Proposed
Time Bus # Current
Time Proposed Time
3 7:05 7:00 1 7:00 6:50
10 7:15 7:05 2 7:20 7:10
16 7:30 7:25 14 7:05 6:55
19 7:20 7:15 15 7:10 7:10
23 7:15 7:10 20 7:20 7:10
24 7:08 7:00 21 7:00 6:50
25 7:20 7:15 22 7:17 7:12
28 7:00 6:50
Pick-up times range from current time to approximately 10 minutes earlier for some bus runs.
Bland
Elementary Bland High
School Rocky Gap
Elementary Rocky Gap High School
215 138 186 140
4 shuttles will provide transportation from one site to another – Elementary and High School.
Shuttles will leave sites at 8:10 am.
Shuttles will arrive at alternate school site at approximately 8:30 am.
Approximately 20 minute drive time – 13 miles one way at 55 mph.
Shuttles will leave school sites at 3:35.
Shuttles will arrive at alternate site at approximately 3:55.
Activity bus will load at 3:35.
1st Parent Pick-up Time – 3:40 pm
Shuttle Parent Pick-up Time – 4:10 pm
Student drivers may leave the school site at 3:40 pm.
Analysis of required curriculum while being attentive to teacher credentials.
Attentiveness to the Standards of Quality guidelines.
Consider staff preferences as applicable.
Impact mitigated by the Reduction in Force policy.
Proposed Instructional
Staff Savings
Estimated Cost Savings
316,111.20
Instructional materials are allocated based upon enrollment. Expenditures in this area
are closely monitored. There is no plan to cut the provision of instructional materials for
students.
It is proposed that academic and athletic programs will continue to receive limited funding to continue to operate these
worthwhile programs.
Proposed Administrative and Support Staff Cost Savings:
$88,657.57
Proposed Extra-Duty Cost Savings:
$15,565.11
Proposed Staff Configuration Cost Savings:
$467,008.05
Total Proposed Savings
$571,230.73
Transportation: Approximately $55,000.00 increase for fuel.
Facility Upgrades: $40,000.00
Proposed operational cost savings:
$571,230.73
Proposed cost of consolidation:
$95,000.00
Proposed net savings of consolidation:
$476,230.73
2013-2014 Budget Shortfall
$688,915.00
Proposed Net Savings of Consolidation
$476,231.00
Approximate Impact on Construction
Lottery Fund if Schools are
Consolidated
$212,684.00
Approximate Impact on Construction
Lottery Fund without
Consolidation
$688,915.00
Maintain what we already have while strengthening the instructional program.
Offer more dual enrollment credit classes.
Provide more opportunities for all students.
Enhance the K-12 scholastic experience by a middle level format which would assist in the
transition from elementary school to high school with increased program offerings at no additional operating cost.
Use of the Instructional Technology Resource Teacher more effectively.
Limited traveling by itinerant personnel.
Special Education case loads will be streamlined.
Decrease of teacher course preparations.
Consistent course offerings to all students.
• Local History, Photojournalism, Sociology, Pre-
calculus, and SAT Prep/Creative Writing for all high school students.
• The addition of Reading Intervention and Dual Enrollment Calculus as a high school elective choice.
• The addition of Drama and Choir as high school elective choices for all students.
This would provide common planning for elementary teachers;
Streamlined Speech services at the elementary school;
Coordination of Gifted Program delivery;
Daily Physical Education for all K-6 students;
Embedded instructional intervention time for PK-9 students; and
Increased access to specialty classes for Pre-K students.
This would strengthen instructional departments across the curriculum;
increased advantage for all students of the instructional strengths of teachers;
Provides more efficient and prescriptive intervention on a daily basis; and
Provide more targeted, efficient professional development.
Provide a sustainable opportunity for
acceleration for students across the academic core;
Provide more opportunity for “face-to-face”
instruction of Dual Enrollment credit courses;
and
Provide extra-curricular opportunities for students at a lower operating cost for the same services.
