BURLINGTON SCHOOL

DISTRICT
PROPOSED FY 16 BUDGET
12/22/2014

NOTE OF CAUTION
This presentation represents another step in the FY16 budget
development process. Board members, financial consultants, and our
auditors have identified systemic budget problems that complicate this
process. The following figures represent our best estimates, but are
subject to change.

SCHOOL DISTRICT MISSION & OVERALL GOAL

The mission of the Burlington School District is to ensure that all
students achieve their highest intellectual and personal potential, and
are prepared to contribute as global citizens in the 21st Century.
Our goal is to prepare all students to succeed in higher education,
careers and citizenship by providing challenging core academic
instruction, enriched arts, math, sciences and wellness experiences,
and 21st Century skill development opportunities

NOTE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT & SCHOOL BOARD

FROM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT
Pleeeeeeeeease dont cut stuff out of our schools! Dont cut the extra helping
teacher! Dont cut the preschool! And dont cut our music or the plays that we do!
If you cut that stuff we wont get smarter. We wont have a good job when we
grow up. We wont have a good time in college. And the part that we really need
is to have fun learning. So dont cut things from our school. You can save money
by if theres a very dumb idea and then that dumb idea became something, then
you can take money away from that. What if this had happened in your school
when you were a kid? Maybe you wouldnt even be a superintendent! That is how
we feel. Its like being Superman and then your job gets destroyed, and now youre
just a fiddle player on the street. Please think about us, please let us grow up to be
smart.
P.S. Look for a movie coming soon to you!

FACTORS RELATED TO STUDENT NEEDS

TOTAL ENROLLMENT APPROXIMATELY 4000

BURLINGTON

VERMONT

FREE/REDUCED LUNCH

50.6%

40.8%

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

13.1%

1.9%

HOME LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH

48

NA

SPECIAL NEEDS LEARNERS

13.4%

15.6%

GR. 3-8 NECAP READING BELOW PROFICIENT

34%

27%

GR. 11 NECAP READING BELOW PROFICIENT

29%

26%

GR. 5 NECAP WRITING BELOW PROFICIENT

49%

49%

Gr. 8 NECAP WRITING BELOW PROFICIENT

72%

34%

Gr. 11 NECAP WRITING BELOW PROFICIENT

51%

54%

Gr. 3-8 NECAP MATH BELOW PROFICIENT

40%

34%

Gr. 11 NECAP MATH BELOW PROFICIENT

38%

38%

PROPOSED FY16 BUDGET vs. ORIGINAL & ADJUSTED FY15 BUDGETS

Instructional
Special Education
CoCurricular
Student Supports
Instructional Supports
School Administration
Central Administration
Maintenance
Transportation
Debt Service
Operating Budget
Fund Balance Allocation
Grand Total

15 Original
29,536,968
12,363,786
1,031,850
4,300,745
2,751,714
3,033,027
3,587,506
6,217,183
976,424
2,416,166
66,215,369
1,200,000
67,415,369

15 Adjusted
29,928,096
12,135,732
956,153
4,212,120
2,881,936
2,776,389
4,402,806
7,080,228
1,025,945
3,073,153
68,472,558
302,596
68,775,154

16 Proposed
29,628,055
12,450,851
981,518
4,279,802
2,892,036
2,853,320
4,264,812
7,257,490
922,276
3,229,840
68,760,000
0
68,760,000

FY16 % BUDGET INCREASE vs. FY15 BASE BUDGET VARIATIONS

AMOUNT ($)

% INCREASE

PROPOSED FY16

68,760,000

OPERATING FY15

66,215,369

3.84

APPROVED FY15 W/ FUND BALANCE

67,415,369

1.00

ADJUSTED FY15

68,472,558

0.42

FY15 BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS

FY15 Original Operating Budget
Bond Interest
Health Insurance

$66,215,369
780,000
625,000

Sick Leave Buyout

Superintendent Buyout
Superintendent Vacancy Savings
Busing
Tuition Reimbursement

336,000
245,000
(46,000)
114,000
95,000

Superintendent Search
Munis position control
Interest on Line of Credit
Audit Expenses
Finance Support Contract
FY15 Adjusted Operating Budget

40,000
35,000
19,000
9,000
5,189
$68,472,558

ESTIMATED FY16 REVENUES vs. ORIGINAL & ADJUSTED FY15 REVENUES

PILOT
Interest
Rental
City Electrician
Sale of Murray St.
All other local revenues
Grants Indirect
Special Ed. State Grants
Transportation Aid
All other state revenue
Education Spending
Grand Total

15 Original
1,400,000
5,000
55,000
80,000
225,000
936,273
100,000
8,215,751
235,606
88,568
56,074,171
67,415,369

15 Adjusted
1,400,000
588,509
55,000
80,000
225,000
936,273
100,000
8,215,751
235,606
88,568
56,074,171
67,998,878

*FY15 Adjusted includes $583,509 of bond interest rebate revenue

16 Proposed
0
588,509
35,000
0
0
936,273
0
9,240,569
161,052
88,568
57,710,029
68,760,000

FY15 DEFICIT REDUCTION APPROACH

Amount ($)
FY15 Adjusted Operating Budget

68,775,154 (including fund balance allocation)

FY15 Voted Budget

67,415,369

FY15 Potential Deficit

1,359,785

DEFICIT REDUCTION PLAN

Amount ($)

UNBUDGETED REVENUES

583,509

POTENTIAL SPENDING REDUCTIONS (e.g., deferred maintenance)

776,276

BURLINGTON ELECTRIC REIMBURSEMENT CONTINGENCY

748,304

SYSTEMIC UNBUDGETED/UNDERBUDGETED AREAS IMPACTING FY16 BUDGET

Amount ($)
Health Insurance

650,000

Sick Leave Buyout

120,000

Tuition Reimbursement

95,000

Bond Interest

55,000

Interest on Line of Credit

20,000

Total

$940,000

FY16 BUDGET IMPACT OF PROGRAM & SERVICE RESOURCE REDESIGN

FY16 Expenditure Estimate

70,760,000 (before redesign)

Redesign & Retirement Savings

(2,000,000)

FY16 Proposed Budget

68,760,000

NEEDSNEEDS-BASED BUDGET DRIVER QUESTIONS

What are the needs of students and staff that should be addressed
via a school budget?
What kinds of resources are required to effectively promote student
and staff success?
What kinds of organizational structures are required to operate more
efficiently?

RESOURCE ALLOCATION REDESIGN APPROACHES

An efficiency-oriented approach to allocating central office and
district level staffing
A productivity-oriented effort to consolidate (and in a few cases
eliminate) smaller classes, resulting in some larger class sizes not to
exceed 25 on average above grade 3
An effort to maximize academic contact time for teachers with
students at the middle school
Reallocation of some special education and student support staffing
for more flexible use in addressing the broad spectrum of student
needs

ADMINISTRATIVE/NONADMINISTRATIVE/NON-INSTRUCTIONAL POSITIONS
-1 Magnet School Coordinator
-1 Grants Director & Specialist
-1 District Office Clerical
-.5 District Truancy Clerical
-.5 HS Adm. Assist.
- 2 Maintenance Staff
+ 1 Business Office Staff
-5 Net Reduction

Responsibilities redistributed
Consolidation of roles
Consolidation of roles
Responsibilities redistributed
Consolidation of roles
Consolidation of roles
Currently under-resourced

CONSOLIDATION/ELIMINATION OF UNDERUNDER-ENROLLED CLASSES

-2 Elem. Teacher Positions
-1 High School Math
-.8 Social Studies
-.4 Business
-.4 Art
-.4 Music
-5 Net Reduction

Larger Gr. 4-5 classes in 2 schools

Class sizes < avg of 25
Class sizes < avg of 25
Consolidation/elimination
Consolidation/elimination
Consolidation/elimination

PROGRAM ELIMINATION/INCREASE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL ACADEMIC TIME

-1 HS Latin
-2 Middle School Healthy Living
-2 Middle School Phys. Ed.
+1 Middle School Health Ed.
-.5 Grade 6 Foreign Language
-4.5 Net Reduction

4 HS foreign languages offered

Less common middle schl. program
2 PE classes per week
Offered in place of Healthy Living
Foreign language begins in Gr. 7

SPECIALIZED TEACHER POSITIONS

-11.7 Special Education Positions
-1 ONTOP Spec. Education Position
+1 ONTOP Employ. Spec. Position
-1 Speech/Language Position
+ 6 Literacy Specialists
+4 Math Specialists
-2.7 Net Reduction

Reduced to state avg. density

Student:teacher ratio increased
Currently underserved need
Staffing consolidation
One specialist/building K-12
.5 specialists/building K-8

TEACHER SUPPORT POSITIONS

+1.5 Literacy Coach Positions
- .2 Math Coach Positions
+ .4 STEM Coach Position
+1.7 Net Increase

2 coaches assigned K-8

2 coaches assigned K-8
1 STEM coach at Flynn Elem.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICE POSITIONS

+ .1 School Nurse
- .8 Guid. Counselor Positions
- 4.7 Soc. Wk. Positions (Howard Ctr.)
+ 4.5 School Psych. Positions
- 1 PBIS Coord. Position
- 1.9 Net Reduction

1/bldg. K-8, 2 HS
1/building K-8, existing 9-12
.4/building K-5, 1/bldg. MS & HS
1/building K-8, .5/high school
Redistributed to new schl. psych.

PARAPROFESSIONAL ROLE REDESIGN

-31
- .5
+8
+9
+6
+ .2
-8.3

Special Education Paraprof.

HS Music Paraprof.
K-8 Literacy Paraprof.
K-8 Math Paraprof.
K-5 ELL Paraprof.
STEM Paraprof.
Net Change

Reduced to state avg. density

Accompanist
1/building K-5, 2/bldg. middle sch.
1/building K-5, 2/bldg. middle sch.
1 per building K-5
Flynn

NOTES ON OTHER BUDGET CATEGORIES

Materials, supplies, equipment, textbooks frozen at this years level

Some reduction in contracted services expense
Co-curricular budget frozen at this years level
Extended Learning Program budget frozen at this years level (reduced from
FY14 level)
Summer program funding reduced to support only the academic component
of the program. (Alternative sources of funding will need to be identified for
the more recreational components)
Possible redesign of Family-School Partnerships Coordinator role to include
the function of volunteer recruitment for kindergarten classroom
management support
No transportation expense to students living beyond the walking distances
established by district policy

THE WORK CONTINUES

Work is continuing on both the FY15 and FY16 estimates, with priority
being given to accurately capturing all likely FY16 expenditures.
Tax rate implications will be calculated when the updated CLA figure is
received from the Vermont Department of Taxes.
Staffing and other resources for all departments continue to be under
review. The process for exploring further restructuring, budget
reallocations and related staffing implications requires more time and
thought than was possible prior to proposing the fy16 school budget.