Final Budget Commission Recommendations
May
25
Written by:
Michael MacNaughton
5/25/2011 9:39 AM
It has been a privilege and an honor to work with the DISD administration and fellow commission members to create and present a rather remarkable document detailing recommendations for current budget cuts, short-term goals and long-term strategies and projects.
I think you will discover a plan that thoroughly uses the public input gathered through the DISD web site, the Dallas Friends of Public Education web site, public meetings, emails and phone calls.
A few highlights:
- Allow greater empowerment of principals.
- Reduce the number of excused absences for all district employees from 10 days to the state mandated level of 5 days.
- Eliminate the Alternative Certification Department.
- Reduce, restructure or consolidate the Learning Communities; Communications services; Parent Services; and Curriculum Development.
- Reduce non-contract employee compensation by some average to be agreed upon by the Trustees.
- Fund Full Day Pre-K.
- Return middle school and high school student/teacher ratios to 25:1
- Eliminate cuts to hall monitors, ISS, custodial services, etc.
As the Commission asked questions of the administration, requested documents or asked staff to appear, the District has complied fully and with amazing speed. Often, we saw the Administration alter their next proposed budget version based on Commission questions or recommendations. I want to personally thank all participating administration members but especially CFO Alan King and Financial Services Executive Director Steve Korby who helped the Commission (and Trustees) understand the complicated world of Title Funding, Comparability, Charts of Accounts, and both campus and non-campus budgets.
So what does this mean for the district? I believe that under proposed budget version 4.0 (upon which these recommendations were based) the district can retain campus staff and teachers; fully fund full-day Pre-K with two positions for each classroom; reduce student/teacher ratios to 25:1 and still have a balanced budget that saves $120M for the fiscal year 2011-2012. Now the changes are in the hands of the Trustees. My sincere hope is that they take a sharp knife to the budget and implement the recommendations of the Commission.
View the CBRC Recommendations Document - PDF
Copyright ©2011
2 comment(s) so far...
Re: Final Budget Commission Recommendations
Thanks, Mike. You and the rest of the commission members did a great job.
We appreciate your hard work.
By Eric Cowan, DISD Board of Trustees on
5/26/2011 10:22 PM
|
Re: Final Budget Commission Recommendations
Please pass on my heartfelt thanks to all the CBAC members. The hours and hours everyone spent pouring over massive documents, asking questions, debating, and thoughtfully crafting suggestions will not go to waste. The Citizen's Budget Advisory Committee has found our more practical information about how DISD runs than any other citizen group in Dallas. Questions that have been asked for years by DISD parents are finally being answered.
DISD has a budget larger than most cities in the USA. The Citizen's Budget Advisory Committee took their charge seriously, working on behalf of the children. You have set a solid foundation for effective community oversight of a critically important institution. Best of all, you have shown the rest of Dallas - it really CAN be all about the kids.
By redjacketlady on
5/27/2011 8:41 AM
|