Spokane7
33°
November 17, 2009 in City
Federal funds kept schools afloat, but ‘safety net’ ends soon
Washington, unlike many other states, was quick to use federal stimulus funds to shore up school budgets during the last wrenching budget cycle.
The state spent $362 million in stimulus funds – slightly more than half of what it expects to receive for K-12 funding through the stimulus – during the 2008-’09 school year to restore budget gaps, according to a Department of Education report.
Now school administrators worry about how the state will fill the hole left by the federal funds when they dry up at the end of this school year.
Mark Anderson, assistant superintendent of Spokane Public Schools, said he hopes the state will go easier on education than other government programs in coming budget negotiations, but he’s dreading the funding “cliff” coming next school year.
“If the economy doesn’t improve in Washington … we’re in trouble,” Anderson said. “I don’t know how the state is going to make up that funding from the feds.”
Said Craig Numata, supervisor for financial information in the district, “(The state) used up the safety net.”
Spokane Public Schools, the largest school district in Eastern Washington, received about $13 million for the 2008-’09 school year and will receive a little over $20 million for the 2009-’10 year, Numata said.
The district reported 798 jobs saved in the quarter ending in June. But Numata said the district wouldn’t have laid off that many people – that’s how many people’s salaries were paid with stimulus money.
The district notified 108 teachers at the end of last year that they could be laid off, Anderson said. In the end, no teachers lost their jobs, but 42 positions were eliminated through attrition, he said.
Even with the stimulus, the district continued an eight-year trend of slashing expenses, Anderson said. Since 2001, Spokane Public Schools has cut about $50 million from its budget.
When federal money runs out, balancing the budget will be difficult, he said.
The district’s class sizes are already at the maximum allowed by contract with the teachers union, and it is already receiving the maximum revenue from local taxes allowed by state law, Anderson said.
“We’re kind of stuck,” he said.
East Valley School District’s manager of fiscal affairs, Al Swanson, said it’s too early for the district to develop specific budget reduction plans, but that doesn’t mean administrators aren’t already sweating the loss of federal funds.
“The reality is, we’re all a little worried,” he said.
Swanson said the district received about $1.9 million in federal funds last year and about $1.8 million for this school year.
“Undoubtedly, if we’re looking at reductions around $1.8 million, you can’t make those cuts without affecting things like salaries and benefits,” Swanson said.
Representatives from Central Valley and West Valley districts couldn’t be reached for comment.
Mead School District is just beginning to discuss how to adapt when the stimulus money dries up, said Wayne Leonard, the district’s executive director of business services.
“It’s coming up a lot,” Leonard said. “There’s a lot of questions being asked, but not a lot of answers.”
Even with the $5.3 million Mead got in stimulus money for this year, Leonard said the budget was still about $1 million smaller than last year’s.
About 85 percent of most school budgets is salaries and benefits; the rest, which covers expenses such as utilities, bus fuel and cafeteria food, is hard to cut, Leonard said. “Any kind of shock to school budgets starts affecting people right away,” he said.
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Rifleman__Dodd on November 17 at 12:25 a.m.
Didn’t all that stimulus money go for the maintenance and other non salary items, so they could shift that money over to save jobs?
or can anyone else tell us where all that money went to besides tether balls, hop scotch chalk andthe Principals doughnut fund?
Uptight_Spokanite on November 17 at 6:30 a.m.
“Mark Anderson, assistant superintendent of Spokane Public Schools, said he hopes the state will go easier on education than other government programs in coming budget negotiations,”
Well sure he does, it’s time to circle the wagons and protect our self interests. However, if push comes to shove kids can be home schooled but I’m pretty certain that dangerous prisoners can’t be home prisoned. Or damaged bridges home bridge repaired.
Grow up Mark Anderson and quit selling out your brothers and sisters in government. We’re all in this together. Try to remember the whole civic palette and not just your two crayons.
Megan_B on November 17 at 7:43 a.m.
Uptight:
When push comes to shove kids who have a single, working mother in a lower-income neighborhood can’t always be home schooled or afford to go to a private school. Having a safe place for our children and providing valuable education should always be our number one priority. A quality education is the key to a quality future. It is a nurtured, brilliant child that grows up to become the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, providing a means for hundreds of future jobs. Instead of always thinking about the here and now, and short-term results, education is the best means of investing in the future of this country.
eagleproducer on November 17 at 9:12 a.m.
The currrent public education system is broken, and that is a comment coming from a teacher with over twenty years experience.
District 81 has structural budget deficits that needed to be addressed before last year because of decreases in enrollment. Look again for major cuts in teaching positions (and larger class sizes as a result) while the administrati remains completely bloated with the Mark Anderson’s of the system gobbling up funds that would have been better spent on student services.
lewis8457 on November 17 at 9:40 a.m.
Spoketucky since you are a teaching professional could our kids be taught right at home off the computers? It would be cheaper to put a computer in every home with school age children with a networked Internet.
As our economy falters we will need to still educate our kids but at what expense?
Megan_B on November 17 at 10:38 a.m.
Studio Art, Drama, Music, and social skills are hard to teach through a computer. I have taken several online courses through the community college while a running start student in high school that did well however, such as economics, English, and math. But, besides providing an education, school has also been a safe place where children can reside during the day while their parent(s) work. There are cost-cutting measures that can be both effective in improving education, and utilizing the current system. The problem is that juggling the budgets as they are currently is more complicated than plopping kids in front of a computer, to make sure that all of the basis are covered - including the valuable portions of education that include the arts and physical education. Money-saving measures need to be thought out for long-term improvement of the entire system. Instead of making temporary cuts such as laying off teachers only to re-hire them again a few years down the road when the economy improves doesn’t prevent the same scenario from re-occurring. What money is available needs to be used for what is needed most, and money that can be raised elsewhere (such as for athletic events) can be last on the list. Finally, the entire education system needs to be gears towards what will improve our nation in the future. Students need to be prepared for college and jobs that involve new technologies, engineering, advanced medicine, etc, etc. If we put the money in the right places, it can be returned three-fold by the produced results.
shanusmaximus on November 17 at 5:56 p.m.
@MeganB
“Studio Art, Drama, Music, and social skills are hard to teach through a computer.”
As much as those things are “neato”, they are a waste of time and money. You all waste your time with this crap and the kids can’t even read. Don’t bother with teaching how our government works…..off to Drama class!
“But, besides providing an education, school has also been a safe place where children can reside during the day while their parent(s) work.”
You mean “babysitter”.
“The problem is that juggling the budgets as they are currently is more complicated than plopping kids in front of a computer, to make sure that all of the basis are covered”
What bases do you mean? Science? History? Civics? Reading? English? Math? Holy Moses! I think I just filled up a whole school day!
“What money is available needs to be used for what is needed most, and money that can be raised elsewhere (such as for athletic events) can be last on the list.”
Lol! Sooooo……Drama, Art, Music and “Social Skills” are more important than sports? No….no they are not. Cut all of them. Use the facilities for what matters, then you don’t have to fire teachers (probably could hire more) and your overflow can be made into another class to help eliminate crowding.
“Finally, the entire education system needs to be gears towards what will improve our nation in the future. Students need to be prepared for college and jobs that involve new technologies, engineering, advanced medicine, etc, etc.”
I totally agree. So why would you waste your time and money on Arts and Sports? Don’t get me wrong……I LOVE all of those things, but we have to come down to reality…..WE ARE BROKE as a NATION!!! But getting these clowns to save money or cut anything is like expecting a heroin addict to stop taking heroin. I think it goes something like this….
Addict 1: Dude, we are out of heroin, let’s go borrow some money from your mom.
Addict 2: Man, she is still peeved that we didn’t pay back that money we borrowed from her last week. Besides, I don’t think she has anymore….
Addict 1: After we get our heroin I think we should order some pizzas….
Megan_B on November 18 at 10:55 a.m.
“As much as those things are “neato”, they are a waste of time and money.”
As much self-sufficiency as possible is great, such as selling play tickets, choir concert tickets, and tickets for athletic events. Running fundraisers. Cutting them completely out means cutting out a lot of reasons kids even stay in school.
And in contradiction, they are not a “waste of time.” Several careers are inspired and can be acquired through the arts. As an art major myself, I can tell you that a year out of college (art major, btw) I am a graphic and web designer who is able to make enough to support myself and pay my bills on time. My career choice is just one of many that can be fulfilled with an art degree. If I hadn’t been introduced to the arts in school, I probably wouldn’t even know what a graphic designer was.
As a community it is important that we are coming together to make sure this stuff can happen as fiscally independent as possible. Why don’t we have volunteer referee’s at sporting events instead of hired ones? Why can’t school dances be paid for solely with fundraising? There are more options out there that needs to be discussed before we pull the plug on what you deem as “unimportant.”
shanusmaximus on November 18 at 4:42 p.m.
@MeganBs
Your preference is showing. You are trying to put sports below what you like….what you PREFER.
“Several careers are inspired and can be acquired through the arts. As an art major myself, I can tell you that a year out of college (art major, btw) I am a graphic and web designer who is able to make enough to support myself and pay my bills on time.”
Notice how you don’t give any credence to sports and a career? Scholarships? Pro sports? Sports medicine? Broadcasting? Management? Coaching? Just as a start…
“As a community it is important that we are coming together to make sure this stuff can happen as fiscally independent as possible. Why don’t we have volunteer referee’s at sporting events instead of hired ones? Why can’t school dances be paid for solely with fundraising? There are more options out there that needs to be discussed before we pull the plug on what you deem as “unimportant.””
Then I suppose you will be giving your time to do an art class for kids after school yes? Why can’t art classes have volunteer instructors instead of hired ones? Drama? Same…..again, you seem to put your own interests above some others.
Look, the fact of the matter is I don’t think you or many others realize the magnitude and seriousness of about what is coming down the pike. If we are not honest with ourselves and if we are not prepared to make the SACRIFICES that will be necessary to compete with the rest of the world it is going to get alot harder. I will tell you one thing….we wouldn’t be getting our butts kicked by the Indians, Chinese and Japanese if they were majoring in Arts and Sports.
Everybody wants to be a rock star or artist. We as a society have shunned not only the sciences as a career choice, but we shun skilled labor as something that is demeaning or to be avoided.
P.S. Cherish and be thankful for your job, because I know many people who have gone through the same thing as you and they deliver pizzas.
Megan_B on November 19 at 8:09 a.m.
…not putting the Arts above Sports, to be sure, just recognizing that Athletics tend to have more support from the community. There are a lot more parents who are qualified to volunteer as assistant coaches than tutor in screen printing. (And I have volunteered my time teaching free beading classes at the Art institute in Chewelah, and am willing to do more when time allows) But all that is beside the point. I do agree with you that sciences and skilled labor need to become front and center as our main focus. I may have majored in art, but I didn’t skip Calculus or Chemistry in the process. Infrastructure, new energy technology, and advanced medicine are the jobs of tomorrow. Focusing on these programs secures us a future. Keeping athletics and arts ensures a well-rounded education. The combination, if utilized right, will be our competitive edge.
As of currently, professors in China Universities say the one thing that has American students ahead of their students as of yet is our creative abilities. It’s great to know how to build an iPod, but it’s even better to be able to invent one. (Again, not putting my interests above others, simply using this as an example…) Learning to portray a character in a drama class goes beyond the simple act it is, it trains a student to tap into the creative portion of their brain which, we can hope, will be transferred and used in their chemistry class.
shanusmaximus on November 19 at 9:06 a.m.
@MeganBs
There are a lot more parents who are qualified to volunteer as assistant coaches than tutor in screen printing. (And I have volunteered my time teaching free beading classes at the Art institute in Chewelah, and am willing to do more when time allows)”
You seem to be qualified to volunteer. So why are we wasting our limited resources in public school with this stuff if people like yourself are already volunteering and having classes?
“Keeping athletics and arts ensures a well-rounded education. The combination, if utilized right, will be our competitive edge.”
I normally would agree. But let me give a very real world situation. WE HAVE NO MORE MONEY! You will have to cut things and I think even you would have a hard time defending keeping, say, cartooning class vs. english class. You seem to have the same idea that these superintendents have. The idea that there is this money tree somewhere you can just consistently shake down for money. The harsh reality is that everyone, everywhere in all respects are going to have to start cutting spending. Get ready because we haven’t seen anything yet!
Megan_B on November 19 at 1:18 p.m.
More education = less crime. Less crime = less money spent on prisons. My basic point throughout all of this heated debate is that education is the main key to our future. We neglect it, and we can expect the downfall of our country. We can nit-pick at what needs to be cut and what needs to be kept, but the underlying conclusion is that we need permanent changes for the long-haul. Temporary cuts to survive the short term will only begin the process all over again the next time the economy sinks. By trimming opportunities for students, even for just a few years, we are limiting their options for the future. Instead of asking “Art or English?” (there isn’t a cartooning class provided), we should be asking, “How can we change the system so we can afford to provide BOTH Art AND English?”
shanusmaximus on November 19 at 2:45 p.m.
@MeganBs
“My basic point throughout all of this heated debate is that education is the main key to our future. We neglect it, and we can expect the downfall of our country.”
That is a feel good statement that means nothing. We have neglected it and we are in free-fall. I already said it, If China, India and Japan focused on the kind of stuff we did in our educational system, they wouldn’t be kicking our butts. Get back to basics….but apparently they can’t even handle that.
“Instead of asking “Art or English?” (there isn’t a cartooning class provided), we should be asking, “How can we change the system so we can afford to provide BOTH Art AND English?””
Apparently they can’t because the public schools are already ass over tea kettle. You, again, just don’t seem to grasp reality. The city is broke, the county is broke, the state is broke, the nation is broke.
We are so broke it isn’t a joke. There used to be cartooning…..I should know because I used to take that joke of a class.
““How can we change the system so we can afford to provide BOTH Art AND English?””
You don’t think that is what they been asking and struggling with year after year? And look at where they are at. Something has to be done besides rattling the begging cup every year.
Megan_B on November 19 at 3:58 p.m.
I GET THAT WE ARE BROKE. Please! That’s my whole point! You have a more educated society you have less people on welfare (save money there), you have more people starting businesses (creating jobs), inventing new technologies (bringing money in from other countries, and creating jobs), less crime (save more money there), living healthier lifestyles (saving money), and developing new methods of… that’s right… saving and bringing in more money! I don’t argue against the fact that something has to be done. I argue that education shouldn’t be looked at as a money-sucker alone (even though, yes, I know, that is the majority of the current situation) but as a potential solution for problems across the board. Invest in science, math, etc now - big payoff later!
eagleproducer on November 21 at 11:11 a.m.
Most of the countries who are exceeding the U.S. in academic achievement do not have athletic programs. If students want to compete they join athletic clubs or are offered scholarships to athletic clubs.
The U.S. needs to get rid of sports in schools, extend the school year, cut administration and permit teachers to actually run the schools rather than elected school board members who often have zero experience in education. Getting rid of sports would weed out all the coaches who aren’t there to teach but to coach there sports in hopes of moving up that ladder. The majority of students don’t participate in athletics and are forced to not only subsidize school sports but to suffer from the drain athletics are on school budgets.
lewis: In the scenario you paint you’d replace educators with IT techs. If you have teenage kids, you know how quickly they can jack up a perfectly good computer. I’d just like to see some charter schools begin in Spokane that were purely academic in focus and to provide competition for District 81. They don’t have a real vested interest in improving their schools or making them more efficient unless another entity begins to drain away their enrollment and thus funding. I am working on a proposal for a charter school geared towards Native American youth with a rigorous curriculum that includes the Arts and a Salish language program. The drop out rate for Native American students in District 81 exceeds 60% so it is clear that community is being under-served by the current system. Some of the local tribes are flush with gambling revenues and have expressed great interest in my idea. All we need is some short time financing to get up and running. Once we get students enrolled their money goes towards our school and expansion would be entirely dependent upon increased enrollment which would be predicated upon producing results that are superior to District 81. I don’t see that being a huge challenge when one considers that only a single high school in the district is making adequate yearly progress as defined by No Child Left Behind.