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Minds and Matter: Gap in commitments and expressed goals
by Kevin Hatfield, School Superintendent · Op-Ed · July 23, 2015
At a time when the job market requires students to be given a world-class education, as outlined in the Governor’s “Blueprint for Success,” there seems to be a growing gap between the State’s commitments and these expressed goals.
Did you know that the Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) Grant, which the West Branch Community School District successfully applied for and is receiving $250,000, can only be used for the TLC program? The education community has always supported and implemented research-based programming such as those found in the TLC conceptual framework. Still, despite the rhetoric, to be clear, TLC funds can only be used to support TLC costs.
Did you know that this year’s 1.25 percent Allowable Growth (now Supplemental State Aid) generates only $52,000 of new money for our district and students and that the governor’s veto of the one-time funds equates to an unrealized loss of $89,000 for the WBCSD’s budget?
In 2014 – 2015, the district experienced a decline in enrollment of 12 students. The loss of enrollment loss equates to a potential loss of $76,000 if enrollment doesn’t rebound in the 2015 – 2016 school year.
A comparison of the district’s 2015 – 2016 Aid and Levy with the 2014 – 2015 Aid and Levy shows we will need to support our students needs with $115,000 less in State Aid. You can see again why the Instructional Support Levy vote was so important! Thank you! Imagine an additional loss of nearly $400,000 in revenue!
I have no doubt that our families want to maintain core programming, new, rigorous engineering and math courses, new health occupation courses, new robotics experiences, additional foreign language, college credit opportunities (district support has quadrupled over the past four years), as well as, enhanced summer school support and funding for outstanding programming like “Leader in Me.”
Fortunately, the Board of Education and the administrative team have been working hard to ease the burden on the district’s general fund in anticipation of the funding shortfall we have been experiencing. To avoid larger staff reductions for this year, the district made difficult, but important, staffing decisions based on enrollment scenarios, canceled needed curriculum adoptions, reduced nearly all overtime and continued our work to streamline inventories and purchasing needs.
As a result of this work, taxpayers will see only a slight increase in the total school tax rate — $14.10 to $14.17 per assessed $1,000.
When the state underfunds its schools due to revenue issues created from other priorities, the burden often shifts to local taxpayers. The school board and I will continue to work to maintain a reasonable school tax rate for our citizens with the knowledge that we must deliver a rigorous, relevant, 21st Century, college and career preparation education for all students.
Please note: the facilities improvements are funded from sources set aside expressly by state law and by local voters for brick-and-mortar needs and technology needs. We have remained true to our commitment to phase in facilities improvement aligned to a “future focused” facilities vision.
Did you know that 115 community members and stakeholders provided the core input for the development of the district’s Master Facilities Plan? With these things in mind, we will continue to focus on how best to cope with the challenge presented by state decisions on our general operating resources.
This is the community’s school district. At this stage, I can only encourage our parents and citizens to advocate for additional school funding and the investments needed to properly educate our children.
The WBCSD’s students, like all the children of Iowa, need us to find a way to restore Iowa’s historic commitment to education.
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