Levy questions DCPS budget cut story
October 2, 2009. Mary Levy, noted schools budgeting expert, issued the following set of questions regarding the DCPS contention that budget cuts caused it to fire teachers and other staff :
DCPS TEACHER LAY-OFFS in 2009: QUESTIONS
The Mayor and Chancellor have announced that the District of Columbia Public Schools face a “budget shortfall” of $35 to $40 million. The press release cites (1) reductions in the DCPS budget by the DC Council, (2) equalization – adjusting school budgets to match fall enrollment, and (3) “right-sizing”. Local school budgets are to be cut by $25 to $30 million, primarily through a Reduction-In-Force (lay-off) of school staff.
What budget cuts? DCPS this year has more money for fewer projected students than in last year’s budget.
- Although local funding was cut by the Mayor and Council, the “state stabilization funds” in the Economic Stimulus federal funding have largely made up the difference. These funds are intended to help school districts avoid cuts and keep teachers.
- The total DCPS budget, including federal and other grants, is $780 million, $15 million more than last year — an increase in per pupil funding of 9%.
DCPS Budgets: FY 2009 and FY 2010
|
FY 2009 Approved |
FY 2010 Approved |
|
| Assumed enrollment* |
47,744 |
44,681 |
| Total funding-all funding sources* |
$ 764.6 M |
$ 779.6 M |
| Dollars per pupil—all funding sources |
$ 16,014 |
$ 17,448 |
| Increase |
|
9% |
*Sources: DC Government, FY 2010 Proposed Budget and Financial Plan (Congressional submission), Vol. 3 pp. D-2, D-14; FY 2009 Budget and Financial Plan (Congressional submission), Agency Budget Chapters Part 2, p. D-14.
How can equalization require budget cuts? DCPS says that it now has about the number of students on which its budget was based. Equalization only moves staff from schools below projections to schools above projections.
What does “right-sizing” mean? Too many teachers? At the beginning of last school year DCPS had lost over 4,300 students. At a ratio of 20 students per classroom teacher, that could mean 200-250 “excess” teachers. The system terminated 248 teachers in June 2009, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office (US GAO). Additional teachers resigned or retired. Are there persons on the payroll not funded in the budget? Are there contract or other costs not in the budget?
Why lay off staff weeks after school has started? The enrollment drop was last year. Reconstitution of school staff took place in June 2008 and June 2009. If there were excess teachers, the problem was known then and a RIF, if needed could have been done in June, without disrupting instruction.
Where are the data and other information justifying cutting school staff in October?
–Mary Levy, October 2, 2009
