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Important Dates
Feb. 5: WA PTA Region 6 Training -
Ingraham High School from 12:30-4 p.m.
Feb. 7: Next General SCPTSA Meeting: Monday, Feb. 7 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 8: Community Information Session on proposed Transportation Plan at Chief Sealth International HS Feb. 10: Town Hall meeting on SPS Feb. 16: School Board votes on Transportation Plan Feb. 21: WSPTA Focus Day in Olympia. Rally to save K-12 budgets on the steps of the Capitol.
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Dear Seattle PTA and PTSA Members,
The big topic at district headquarters this week is the SPS operational budget. The State Legislature is still determining education funding levels but the district is working now on a budget to close a projected $36.6M funding gap so that budgets can get out to schools by the end of the month. The proposal to close the gap created by a decrease in state funding includes cutting central administration by $6-12M (approximately 80 to 160 positions); passing through an expected State cut to K-4 funding ($5.2-6.8M or 61 to 80 positions); changing transportation; eliminating summer and evening school programs; and a number of others. Initiatives that are part of the Strategic Plan will be slowing down as well.
In other district news, SPS and the principals' union PASS reached an agreement. The School Board approved the contract this week. In the next few weeks, the district will begin looking at capacity management.
Please join us Monday, Feb. 7 for the SCPTSA General Meeting at the John Stanford Center. Snacks and socializing start at 6:30 p.m., and we will begin the conversation about the school budget allocation process at 7:00 p.m.. Sincerely,
Lauren McGuire
Acting President, Seattle Council PTSA
president@seattlecouncilptsa.org
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SPS Budget Update: Closing the $36.6M Gap SPS and the School Board are continuing to work on closing the projected $36.6M operational budget shortfall. The staff will be presenting their final recommendations to the School Board at the Budget Work Session on Wednesday, February 9 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at the John Stanford Center. While SPS's budget won't be officially approved by the School Board until after the legislature finalizes the state budget in the spring, SPS uses this budget plan when allocating funds to schools. Budgets for each school will be announced approximately two weeks after Feb. 9. For more information on the SPS budget, click here.
In addition to the $36.6M budget gap, the district will be scaling back investments in the Strategic Plan from $17M to $5.4M. (Grant funding for these projects is going down from $14.1M to $6.7M.) These projects are designed to improve the educational foundation for many of our schools, and to save costs, the district plans to scale back improvements to programs for English Language Learners (ELL), College and Career Readiness, Academic Assurances and Family Engagement, among others. To see a list of items in the Strategic Plan that potentially will not be funded next year, click here. The district and the School Board have classified items to be cut in the budget into green and yellow categories, where green items are highly recommended to be cut and yellow are items that are still under discussion. For each item, there is a low and high proposed cut. |
Item: Green
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Low
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High
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Central Administration Reductions (est. 80 to 160 positions)
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$6,000,000
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$12,000,000
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Transportation Changes
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$3,000,000
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$4,000,000
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Use of Unreserved Fund Balance to 3.25%
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$2,500,000
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$2,500,000
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Reduce Budget Development Contingency
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$1,000,000
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$2,200,000
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Reduce Spec. Ed. ARRA exp. To only ICS revised model
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$1,000,000
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$2,000,000
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Eliminate 1 full day Kindengarten class from school budgets
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$1,900,000
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$1,900,000
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Central Mid Year Reductions
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$700,000
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$1,400,000
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No Backfill for loss of National Board Cert. (NBC) Funding -- $5K extra annual pay for teachers with NBC
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$1,300,000
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$1,300,000
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Eliminate Summer School
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$200,000
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$400,000
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Freeze Non-represented (non-union) employee step increase
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$300,000
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$300,000
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Eliminate Evening School
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$265,000
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$265,000
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Eliminate dual Principal at Rainier Beach
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$150,000
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$150,000
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Charge for full or partial loss of childcare orgs
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$-TBD
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$-TBD
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Additional reductions in Strategic Plan and Budget Review
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$500,000
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$1,000,000
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Total
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$18,815,000
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$29,415,000
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Projected Gap
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$36,600,000
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$36,600,000
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Remaining Gap
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$17,785,000
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$7,185,000
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Item: Yellow
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Low
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High
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Reduce WSS by K-4 revenue loss amount (61 to 80 positions)
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$5,200,000
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$6,800,000
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Across the Board Non-Instructional Furlough (Reduce teacher time for non-instructional work)*
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$1,300,000
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$4,000,000
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Eliminate Medical Retiree Subsidy*
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$3,800,000
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$3,800,000
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Maximize Title I Carry Forward
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$700,000
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$2,000,000
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Reduce Custodial Support and look at outsourcing*
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$1,000,000
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$1,500,000
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Transfer from Capital - Technology
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$400,000
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$1,100,000
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Charge 1 day TRI to Capital*
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$800,000
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$1,000,000
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Shift BTA levy interest to General Fund
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$45,000
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$45,000
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Total
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$13,245,000
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$20,245,000
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* Items would require conversation with SPS labor partners
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Reminder: SCPTSA General Meeting: Mon., Feb. 7
School Budget Nuts and Bolts
John Stanford Center Auditorium from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
2445 3rd Avenue South, Seattle WA 98134
6:30 p.m. -- Snacks and socializing
7:00 p.m. -- School Budget Allocation conversation
8:15 p.m. -- SCPTSA Business
Join us at our next Seattle Council PTSA General Meeting where we will discuss the nuts and bolts of school budget allocations. While individual school budgets will not be ready until after the meeting, this is a great opportunity for PTSA Presidents, Treasurers, PTA Budget Committee members, BLT (Building Leadership Team) reps and other interested members of the community to learn how SPS allocates funds to schools. Been through school budgets lots of times before? Come share your experiences with PTSA leaders who are new to the process. While some district staff will be available to answer questions, it is not our intention to go over proposed budgets in detail at this meeting.
SCPTSA Board member Andrea Baumgarten will facilitate this discussion. District officials will be there to help answer your questions. |
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Washington State PTA - Focus Day In Olympia -February 21, 2011 (President's Day)
Rally for K-12 education and let our Legislators know just how important it is for Seattle's kids to receive an education that meets 21st Century standards. We need to speak out against cut that are profoundly cutting K-12 education - cuts that might be retroactive to Fall 2010!
Come down to Olympia for Focus Day, 2/21, march and rally on the Capitol steps. Meet with legislators and staff, leave notes, receive updates from policy-makers on key issues and network with other PTA advocates.
PTA members do make a difference when they come to the Capitol in large numbers, this is a kid-friendly event so bring them and your neighbors.
Register TODAY and for more info go to www.wastatepta.org. Registration is free. Lunch is available for pre-order. Contact Heidi@bennettdirect.net if you need help setting up legislator appointments.
Sign up for PTA Action Alerts so you'll know first-hand when we need PTA Members to speak up either for or against bills. Click here to download a sign-up form and advocate for education - easier from your computer and phone.
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| Intensive School and Community Partnerships Survey
The Alliance for Education and Seattle Public Schools are seeking public feedback on school and community partnerships. These partnerships include relationships schools have with community organizations that provide services to students such as after school activities, social services, tutoring, and health services, among others. The goal is to use your input to inform the planning process for developing a model for Intensive School and Community Partnerships across our school district. This process includes:
- 12 Focus Groups (including school and district staff, community based organizations, students, and families) - started in December 2010
- Online Survey (links below) - February 2011
- Phone Survey - late February 2011
Links to the online surveys:
Adults Only (i.e., parents, school staff, community partners): http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/school_community_partnerships
Students Only: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/school_community_partnerships_studentsurvey
Please complete the surveys and/or email the links to your community and students. All survey responses are due no later than Friday, February 18th !
If you have questions, please contact Solynn McCurdy, Community Engagement Manager at the Alliance for Education, at 206-205-0329 or Solynn@alliance4ed.org.
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Let's Move! Campaign at Your PTA Meeting
From the Mayor's Office
One year ago, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the National Let's Move! Campaign to end childhood obesity within one generation. Since 1980, the percentage of obese children in this country has tripled. In Seattle, health indicators give us a clear picture of alarmingly high obesity rates, with unacceptable disparities based on income and race. For example, according to the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey, 22.9% of Seattle youths in grades 8, 10 and 12 are overweight including 32.3% of Hispanic/Latino youth and 31.8% of African American youth. This is a social justice problem that the entire community must understand and address.
Locally, the Mayor's Office has teamed up with Public Health- Seattle & King County to bring the campaign to you. Please let us know if your PTA would be interested in bringing the Let's Move Campaign to your meetings to learn about ways you can help fight childhood obesity.
Please contact:
Ainsley Close & Tania Maria Rosario
letsmoveseattle@gmail.com or
(206) 462-5116
Let's Move Seattle!
letsmoveseattle.blogspot.com
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