Highlights of the 2015-­‐16 Board of Education Budget

Highlights of the 2015-­‐16 Board of Education Budget

• The 2015-­‐16 BOE budget request of $258,348,153 , a 3.93% increase from prior year, is fiscally responsible, and calls for no NEW major programs. The increase is necessary to meet the demands of an ever increasing student enrollment, while trying to provide a quality education for ALL children in Stamford.

• 98% of the budget is fixed cost such as utilities, transportation costs, including 81% in salaries and benefits.
• The cost per pupil adjusted for inflation has remained relatively constant $13,239 (9 year average is $13,327) while the BOE portion of the city budget continues to decrease.

SPS Challenges for 2015-­‐16

• Implementation of newly added state mandates
• Universal Reading Screening and assessment for all students in K-­‐3
• Social Studies Standards in K-­‐12

• Continue to meet the demands of increased enrollment

• Even though 60 new positions were added in 2014-­‐15, that was not enough to meet the increased enrollment, and the 14 additional positions proposed for next year will do little to alleviate overcrowding in our schools.
• 737 new elementary students since 2007.
• On average, our 12 elementary schools house 652 students, compared with the other schools in our DRG, which have 488
• The district would need an additional 41 classrooms in our elementary schools in order for all students to have an equitable educational experience (ie dedicated space for music, art, media center, classroom space).

•      Addressing Mental Health and Initiatives

• Implement year 1 recommendations from the Mental Health Audit completed in 2014
• If SPS were to implement the number of social workers recommended by the National Association of Social Workers of 1 social worker per 250 students, SPS would need to hire 32 additional social workers.

• Unfunded or underfunded State and federal mandates (131 – approximately $30,000,000)
• Federal (Common Core State Standards (CCSS); Grant Reporting i.e. Title I, Title III, IDEA, Carl D. Perkins, OCR)
• State (Public School Information School Reporting (PSIS); New teacher and administrator evaluation work; Alliance grant reporting; Transportation to 12,480 public and private school students)
• Local (Labor contracts; Health benefits; Pension costs; OPEB contributions)

•      Current Proposed State budget recommends

• A reduction in state grants that cover transportation, adult education,
• The elimination of grants that fund summer school and afterschool programs.
• Flat funding for Education Cost Sharing (ECS) no increases for inflation or contractual obligations.

And despite all the challenges faced by SPS our students continue to thrive, and SPS continue making progress in closing the achievement gap.

SPS Achievements

• College readiness
• Increase in AP participation from 38% to 51% from 2009-­‐2014
• Doubled AP participation by Black and Hispanic Students from 2009 to 2014.
• Increase in SAT participation from 67% to 74% from 2009-­‐2014
• Increase in students eligible for college credit from 37% to 47% from 2009-­‐2014
• Overall graduation rate improving from 83% in 2010 to 89% in 2014, (79% to 88% for black students and from 71% to 81% for Hispanic students).

https://docs.google.com/document/d/117ASxrl1wATnn6pYkHAJ1eM-Vht_lkak6Ejr_PHLlcE/edit

The Dash - By Linda Ellis (4 years on)

It has become my tradition to post this poem today and ask the question, what are you doing with your dash?

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth
and spoke the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile,
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read,
with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent YOUR dash?

Copyright 1996 Linda Ellis
http://www.linda-ellis.com/the-dash-the-dash-poem-by-linda-ellis-.html