Frequently Asked Questions From Budget Forums
Explanation: The goal of sharing and posting these FAQ’s is to provide factual and accurate information about the budget challenges facing the school district and plans to provide for a prosperous future. The questions below have emerged from the first two forums (entitled Kyrene 2010 and Beyond) that were recently held.
1. Why are some Kyrene teachers being told that they may not have a job next year?
Due to the current economic climate, The Arizona Legislature passed an 8 percent cut to education funding. Governor Brewer proposed a temporary sales tax increase to close the current budget shortfalls. This measure will be on the ballot May 18, 2010.
Arizona State law requires that teachers must be notified if they are not receiving a contract by April 15th. Not knowing the outcome of the temporary one cent sales tax vote, school districts across the state, including Kyrene, have had to prepare for the worst, which is a 12 million dollar deficit in our budget.
If, during the May 18th election, voters approve the one cent sales tax, most of the teachers laid off in April will be offered jobs in May because the cost saving measures to balance the worst case budget scenario will not be needed.
3. What kind of cost-cutting measures can teachers and parents expect?
We have developed two budget plans (A and B) for what will happen with or without the sales tax passage. Plan A calls for increased efficiencies and minor changes that along with past conservative budgeting will allow the district to manage the 6 million dollar deficit called for. Plan B calls for increased class sizes and compensation reductions for all employee groups, in addition to the above to manage the 12 million dollar deficit that would result from decreased educational funding without the sales tax passage.
Kyrene deliberately implemented conservative fiscal management over a number of years by pre-paying allowable expenses and saving as much money as the law allows. This is the same idea as a family budget plan where debt is kept to a minimum and expenses are not allowed to exceed income. The good news is that Kyrene is at the top in the State when it comes to putting money into the classroom and is at the bottom of the state with how much money it spends on administration.
5. Are cuts to programs like art, music, physical education, library and other special areas planned?
No. These programs are considered to be an integral part of the educational program provided for all students.
6. Will any other programs be cut?
State funding for programs like Middle School Resource Officers has been cut and the State will only be funding 20% of what they normally provide for Soft Capital, which is how we buy our supplies and books. There may be other reductions from the State that will force additional changes to programs.
7. If the temporary one cent sales tax doesn’t pass, will teachers be the only ones affected?
No. With a 12 million dollar deficit in the Kyrene budget, the district will have to make unprecedented changes. Parents will most notice a change in class size. It’s anticipated that the average increase will be 3 more students per classroom. This impacts teachers and students in many ways. Additionally, overall compensation for administration, teachers, and support staff will be reduced.
This decision is for the 2010-2011 school year. The learning needs and welfare of students is the primary consideration in any decision that gets made in the Kyrene School District and offering the program is clearly in their best interests. In addition, the future of the entire district is at stake as we are funded by enrollment numbers and surrounding districts offering the program would likely see an influx of kindergarten students who reside in Kyrene boundaries.
9. What new programs are planned and why?
Three innovative programs are planned because of their appeal to families and because they are nearly cost neutral to implement. As a district located in mostly built-out neighborhoods, we have gradually declining enrollment, so with the additions of the Dual Language Program, Leadership Academy and Accelerated College Preparatory Academy we hope to encourage more students to stay in or to choose Kyrene schools. More specific information about locations and timelines will be shared in the near future.
As a public school district, we are governed by certain laws that prohibit us from using public resources to influence the outcome of an election. However, we can provide factual information regarding the impact on schools should the vote pass or not pass (below).
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Why will there be a temporary one cent sales tax increase on the May 18th ballot?
It is to raise revenue for public safety, health and human services, and public education (K-12 and colleges and universities).
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How long will the sales tax increase be in effect?
The increase will be in effect for three years, expiring May 31, 2013.
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How will the monies raised from the increase be distributed?
Two-thirds of the revenues raised will be allocated to Public Education; one-third of the revenues raised will be allocated to Public Safety and Health & Human Services.
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Of the monies allocated to public education, how much goes to
K-12 the first year?
Approximately $429 million will go to K-12 public education for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2010.
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Is this $429 million for K-12 public education considered to be new money for schools?
No. These monies will help cover the state’s budget shortfall. Without it, we will see further cuts to education funding.
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What is the impact to school districts if the one cent sales tax increase ballot measure does not pass?
If the ballot measure does not pass, there will be a significant impact on funding for education. This lack of additional revenue from the State would almost double the Kyrene budget deficit to $11.8M. At that point, Kyrene would have to implement more drastic measures like increased class sizes, employee pay reductions, and changes to programs.
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Why is it that school districts don’t advocate for the community to vote one way or another? What are the rules that govern elections and determine appropriate and inappropriate uses of district resources and staff?
1) Employees can engage in political activities, including campaigning during off hours, as private citizens (during non-duty time, while off of school district property). Employees must not represent that they are acting on behalf of the school district while engaged in activities to influence the outcome of an election.
2) Employees may express their opinions or preference on elections while off of school district property and outside of work role.
3) Employees may have bumper stickers, etc. on their private vehicles while the vehicle is parked in a parking lot owned by the district.
4) The use of district equipment, supplies, materials, buildings, or other resources to influence the outcome of any election is not permitted. This includes the use of district e-mail, district public address system, etc.
5) The collection of campaign funds, the solicitation of campaign workers, and/or the solicitation of signatures may not be done during work time or on school district property.
*All information was taken directly from Kyrene’s Website:
http://www.kyrene.org/budget/ForumQ&As.htm
The next Community & Employee Forum:
WEDNESDAY, April 21st 6:30pm @ Brisas Elementary
777 N Desert Breeze Blvd E #1, Chandler
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