Superintendent Johnson presents preliminary budget for Boston schools

BOSTON – Dr. Carol R. Johnson last night presented the Boston School Committee with a preliminary budget proposal for the 2009-2010 school year, totaling nearly $787 million. The budget represents a 5.5% decrease from the current year appropriation of $833 million.

Superintendent Johnson emphasized the enormous challenges in the development of the proposal, given the troubling economic environment across the country. At the same time, she affirmed her commitment to maintaining a focus on providing Boston families with a first-rate public education.

“There is no question that today’s economic realities require us to make difficult choices,” said Dr. Johnson. “The challenge before us is to prioritize the investments that have the greatest impact on our core mission of ensuring academic excellence for all students.”

With federal, state and private resources declining, and costs rising, the school district has had to identify major reductions in order to close a significant gap between revenue and expenses. The Superintendent explained that the estimated $107 million shortfall is the result of substantial increases in the school district’s major expenses – particularly staff salaries and benefits, food services, special education tuitions, utilities, bus transportation, and other costs – coupled with a sharp decline in funding from the state and federal governments. To close the gap, the Superintendent’s budget includes reductions to school and central office budgets, as well as other strategies.

In order to minimize the impact on classroom teaching, Dr. Johnson prioritized reductions to central offices and services, with central cuts totaling more than $46 million. All central departments are proposed for significant decreases, with some departments exceeding 30% reductions from their current budgets. Schools also sustained budget reductions, varying by school size, level, and educational programs, totaling more than $36.5 million. Taking into account the increased cost of doing business, school allocations for next year average about 8% lower than current budgets.

The proposed reductions would result in a reduction of the district’s workforce by approximately 917 positions, some of which are currently vacant. About 218 of these positions are in central offices, with the remaining 699 in schools, including 372 teaching positions.

To help address the fiscal challenges, the School Committee and Superintendent Johnson reiterated Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s call for all City employees to accept a one-year wage freeze, in order to protect valuable City services for residents. Salary increases for City employees represent more than $55 million next year, of which nearly $30 million are scheduled for members of the twelve labor unions in the Boston Public Schools.

Members of Dr. Johnson’s executive cabinet received no pay increase this year, and she announced that all managerial employees in the school district would receive no pay increase next year given the financial situation, with an estimated savings of nearly $1 million. At last night’s meeting, members of the Boston High School Headmasters Association (high school principals) affirmed their willingness to accept the one-year wage freeze, and said they would consider a 3% salary reduction for most of their members, and challenged other BPS employees to accept the wage freeze in order to preserve jobs for effective new teachers. The Superintendent also highlighted proposals in Mayor Menino’s legislative package designed to generate revenue for cities and towns, such as a small meals tax.

Superintendent Johnson described particular investments designed to address some of the district’s most pressing educational challenges. Dr. Johnson’s “Acceleration Agenda” is designed to ensure that every student graduates from high school with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in college and career. It includes several key strategies and priorities, each with annual goals and targets between now and 2012.

The academic investments in the “Acceleration Agenda” include:

· A consistent new citywide approach to K-12 literacy instruction, to ensure that every child learns to read and write well;

· Expansion of challenging learning opportunities, especially Advanced Placement courses in all high schools, and increasing access to algebra in every middle school;

· Dropout prevention and recovery initiatives, such as a new Transition Center to welcome back students who have dropped out, as well as credit recovery programs;

· A Newcomers Academy for students with little or no English who arrive in the country during the school year;

· Investment in arts and music programs;

· Expansion of K-8 schools and high-performing pilot schools, in response to the needs of families; and

· Expansion of early childhood education, with new pre-kindergarten (K1) classrooms for four-year-olds.

Last fall, the School Committee approved the Superintendent’s “Pathways to Excellence” plan, which included the expansion, consolidation and closing of schools to address changing demographics and academic priorities. Together, the measures will save nearly $2.6 million next year, and more than $25 million over the next five years.

The proposed budget also includes a number of innovative cost-saving measures. For example, the district plans to replace all of the lightbulbs in every Boston school and central office with longer lasting, more energy-efficient bulbs. The new bulbs will reduce the district’s electrical bills by nearly $3 million each year.

Dr. Johnson noted that the preliminary budget she presented still includes a gap of more than $24.6 million between anticipated revenue and expenses. Therefore, she and the School Committee now must identify additional means of reducing costs, which may include closing additional schools.

The Superintendent also emphasized the need to revisit the student assignment policy that drives the district’s transportation budget. She presented for consideration a shift to a five-zone student assignment plan that would preserve choice while reducing costs associated with the current three-zone model.

“We can no longer afford to spend more than $70 million on yellow bus transportation, particularly when those costs require us to lay off good teachers,” said Dr. Johnson. “The Mayor, the School Committee and I are committed to addressing the transportation budget head-on and to proposing bold solutions on behalf of the children of Boston.”

Dr. Johnson noted that a new approach to student assignment would seek to achieve several objectives, including:
· Create walkable communities;
· Provide continuity of educational experience;
· Preserve a range of school choice; and
· Reduce transportation costs.

Rev. Gregory G. Groover, Sr., Chairperson of the Boston School Committee, expressed the Committee’s commitment to re-examining assignment and transportation policies, particularly given the current economic conditions, through a public process that engages families and the community.

“First and foremost, we know that every parent in this city wants a high-quality school for their child,” said Rev. Groover. “As we look for ways to spend less money on buses and fuel, and more money in the classroom, we must ensure that families in every neighborhood have access to high-performing schools.”

The presentation of the preliminary budget marks the beginning of six-week public engagement process to gather feedback and ideas from parents, students, staff and others. Dr. Johnson and School Committee members encouraged the public to review and comment on the proposed budget in a variety of ways:

· Public hearings about the proposed FY2010 Budget:

Thursday, February 5
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Blackstone Elementary School
380 Shawmut Ave., South End

Tuesday, February 10
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
McCormack Middle School
315 Mt. Vernon St., Dorchester

Tuesday, March 10
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
The English High School
144 McBride St., Jamaica Plain

Wednesday, March 11
5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
(prior to School Committee meeting)
26 Court St., Downtown

· By e-mail (feedback@bostonpublicschools.org) or letter (Boston School Committee, 26 Court St., Boston, MA 02108);

· The school district is also developing an on-line community survey about the budget. A link will be posted on the BPS website, along with updated information about the budget development process: www.bostonpublicschools.org/budget.

The Superintendent is required by statute to present a budget recommendation to the School Committee by the first Wednesday in February, and the Committee is likewise required to vote on a final budget by the fourth Wednesday in March (this year, March 25). The Committee’s recommendation is then submitted to Mayor Menino to include in the total City of Boston budget proposal to the Boston City Council.

“Despite these tremendously challenging fiscal circumstances, we cannot and will not retreat on our commitment to educating the children of Boston,” said Dr. Johnson. “Our goals – closing the achievement gaps, ensuring graduation for all, and expanding opportunities for excellence – do not change. We must work harder and smarter, even as resources are more scarce, to serve students and families well every day.”

Superintendent's memo to School Committee: FY10 Preliminary Budget Proposal

Web page: More information about the FY2010 budget development

Graphic: FY2010 preliminary budget overview

FY2010 preliminary budget by account

Take the budget survey!

Superintendent Carol R. Johnson and the Boston School Committee invite members of the BPS community (parents, students, staff, and others) to provide feedback on the proposed FY2010 budget.  Take a short online survey to submit comments and concerns, or to make suggestions about additional strategies to close the budget gap.