A message from your Chief Financial Officer . . . continued
Jeffco is not alone in facing these budget challenges; this is a statewide/national issue. Fortunately, because of our strong financial management and reserve balances, the district is strategically positioned to endure/survive the next 18-24 months of budget turbulence.
The district is facing $18-20 million in reductions per year for at least the next two years. That is if we spend down reserves more than $25 million per year and that is also assuming no additional compensation increases are included in the 2010-2011 Budget. Without spending down reserves, the district will face closer to $50 million in reductions in the 2010-2011 Budget alone. Because of the level of reductions required to balance the budget, we will look different. Following are some likely changes that will be a part of the 2010-2011 adopted budget.
- Fewer positions
- Larger class sizes
- Less choice for electives and secondary credits
- Less classroom support
- Less office and building support
- Transportation – fewer routes
- Less technology
The Board of Education makes final decisions in adopting the budget and Board budget discussions will continue over the next several weeks with final adoption of the budget by June 20, 2010. Please stay tuned, learn and participate as we continue through this challenging and public process.
Process Overview
Over the past several months, we have enlisted the help of parents, community, associations, staff, and students to provide input and make reduction recommendations for the 2010-2011 school year budget. The process was designed specifically to seek community input, gage community values and to promote community awareness. To communicate the work of various committees and to present the path leading to budgetary recommendations, we have posted the results of the committee work. You can click on each phase of the process to review the work product from each phase.
School and Department Budget Committees – The process began with individual meetings hosted by each school and department. All meetings consisted of staff, parents and community members. Attendees received an informative presentation and perspective on the district’s budget and provided survey responses regarding a variety of potential reduction options.
Budget Workgroups – The second phase of the process was reconvening of prior year Budget Workgroups. Each general area of the district was represented by a Budget Workgroup (BWG): District Leadership and Communications, Division of Instruction, Business Services, Support Services, Other Programs, Elementary, Middle, and High School levels. Participation in each group included staff, parents and community members. Budget workgroups took the information (perspective and values) from the School and Department Budget committees and developed prioritized reduction lists for each group. This work was done somewhat in silos as each group could only make recommendations for the BWG. The intent was to provide a focused and indepth look at each area. BWGs developed reduction lists of approximately 8 percent for each group.
Budget Advisory Committee – The third phase of the 2010-2011 budget development process was to weave the thinking of budget workgroups and look at proposed reductions from the district-wide view. Representation from each BWG came forward, along with representation from parents, staff, community, the Financial Oversight Committee and Strategic Planning Advisory Council. This group was further educated on the district-wide budget and provided their thinking district-wide budget savings options.
Cabinet – Throughout the process, district leadership has provided input on district-wide impacts fine-tuning recommendations and prioritization to insure the reductions would be manageable and implementable going forward.
Stakeholder Meeting – The Stakeholder Meeting has been postponed and will either be rescheduled or conducted via on-line participation.
Board of Education – The Board will discuss the 2010-2011 Budget and provide additional direction for the development of the Proposed 2010-2011 Budget in March. The district will continue to communicate and solicit input throughout the process. Public Hearings on the Proposed 2010-2011 Budget are scheduled for May 13 and June 3, 2010. Dates are subject to change. Please check dates and other communications.