Beginning of school also marks start for future budget planning

Several weeks ago I wrote a column that heralded in the new school year. Now that students are reunited with their friends, teachers have welcomed back former students and met new ones, and parents breathed a sigh of relief, it’s already time to start preparing for the 2008-2009 school year.

This early preparation comes in the form of budget planning. Needs for students and their education are ever changing. Pressures are on students to meet greater expectations from the community, and we face the challenge of preparing our students to succeed in an increasingly diverse and global society.

With no revenue distribution authority or tax authority, the Mat-Su Borough School District primarily shares information with those who make the revenue distribution decisions. We do our best to explain what we need for a viable and guaranteed learning program for students.

Over the past five years the district accomplished some major steps toward making a viable and guaranteed curriculum for all students. The two foremost planning tools for this were a curriculum audit four years ago, along with a follow up audit in 2006, and last year implementing a budget process called Program Based Budgeting. This has focused district personnel on efficiently and successfully developing and offering programs to their maximum level given various funding scenarios.

In the years before PBB the district developed its budget by putting all programs, costs and other variables on the table for everyone to view. Discussions and public hearings were held to determine what programs would survive or be added for the upcoming year. Of course, most everyone felt the items in the budget that connected directly with their respective area of responsibility or interest were absolutely needed. Sometimes this resulted in various programs and departments becoming enthusiasts for deciding what other departments should trim or cut.

Using PBB, departments or areas of funding look at their own programs and develop three scenarios:

1. What would the department and programs offer if the respective area had to trim 10 percent to 15 percent of the revenue from its current budget.

2. How would current levels of funding be allocated.

3. If the revenue picture were enhanced anywhere from 5 percent to 10 percent what programs and services would be offered.

This put the most knowledgeable and experienced folks in a position to make decisions about which they are most knowledgeable and experienced. In this school year’s budget cycle the district had five groups: high schools, middle schools, elementary schools, small schools and district administration and support services.

Fifteen funding packages were determined, with each of the five groups developing an 85 percent package, a static revenue budget package and an enhanced package. Since the district has no revenue authority this process makes available to the Borough and state — those with revenue authority — a window to look at programs the district will be offering. PBB also clearly outlines the prioritization of programs and services within the package of proposals.

For the 2008-2009 school year, the number of committees has grown from five to 10. Those committees are:

• high schools,

• middle schools,

• elementary schools,

• small schools,

• extra curricular activities,

• special education,

• operations and maintenance,

• business services,

• school support services,

• and instructional support services.

Each committee will be composed of two community members, two principals, a certified staff member, a classified staff member and a central office administrator. These seven people will be charged with attending all budget committee meetings and voting on the committee recommendations.

The public at large is invited to sit in on all of these meetings and provide input at designated times.

Application forms for the positions on these committees can be found on the district’s Web site, at the front desks of schools in the district and at the school district office.

Committees begin meeting this month. In late November or early December the parameters these committees develop will be shared with principals and department directors. The school board will finalize the budget this winter for recommendation to the Borough assembly by April 1, 2008.

I encourage everyone who has an interest in the school budget process and school funding in general to participate in Program Based Budgeting, either as a member of the one of the 10 committees or an attendee at the committee meetings.

George Troxel is superintendent for Mat-Su Borough School District.