Plan seeks to protect student instruction and increase efficiency during tight year
DOWNLOAD the FY2010-11 Proposed Operating Budget
The administration of Metro Nashville Public Schools today presented its first draft of the district’s proposed 2010-2011 operating budget to the Board of Education’s Budget and Finance Committee. The $633.3 million plan seeks to protect student instruction and preserve as many jobs as possible, while making several significant changes necessary to reduce costs and increase efficiency in operation.
“The budget we are presenting this morning will require additional Metro Council funding,” said Director of Schools Dr. Jesse Register. “We cannot ask for an increase from the Council in good faith without first making every effort to further tighten our belts while protecting our instructional programs. We have made some hard decisions that were very difficult because they affect many of our friends and colleagues who serve this district well.”
The proposed budget includes significant changes in three areas:
- Reduce the Central Office staff size by eliminating 24 positions, which will result in $1.5 million in savings. Administration will continue reviewing this area through the summer and this number may increase. This reduction is in addition to the 281 positions that were part of the reorganization this year.
- Contract with an outside provider for custodial and grounds-keeping services. This plan will save the district more than $5 million next year. The district will request that current employees continue to work with the new provider.
- Adjust bus drivers’ work schedules to reduce transportation costs by $2.5 million next year. In 2009-2010, drivers are paid for 199 days and drive for 174 days. The remainder of their time is paid for vacation, training and administrative functions. In addition, drivers are currently paid for an 8-hour day, which is more than the time spent on routes. Under the proposed budget, drivers will be paid for 193 days and for 7 hours per work day. This proposed budget allows the district to preserve all bus driver positions and maintain the same service to students.
School district officials have publicly stated that the 2010-2011 budget year would be particularly difficult as local sales tax revenues, a major source of district funding, have continued to lag. Adding difficulty is last year’s use of approximately $12 million from the district’s rainy day fund to supplement the 2009-2010 budget. The fund balance is now near the required minimum levels of funding meaning that fund cannot be tapped for help with this year’s budget. Metro Schools’ current budget is $620.7 million and the district has more than $23 million in additional costs required next year in employee compensation, such as increases in pension and insurance contributions, and in other areas such as adding grades to Big Picture and Diploma Plus High Schools, allocations for students attending charter schools and contractual agreements for health services and the New Teacher Project.
While there are many programs the district would like to add, only a few have been identified as essential to help close the gap on graduation rates and better serve students. The budget proposal does include funding to:
- Develop and open a new virtual high school;
- Develop a transition program for incarcerated youth that will allow the district to evaluate academic, social and psychological needs of these students and plan a program so they can be successful when they return to a regular school;
- Expand the district’s Academies at Old Cockrill and Opry Mills, as well as Middle College High to accommodate increased demand. All of these programs are proven tools to increase graduation rates.
The Board of Education has planned a special meeting and public hearing on the budget that will be held Thursday, March 11, beginning at 5 p.m. in the Board Room, located at the Central Administrative Building at 2601 Bransford Avenue. Anyone wishing to address the Board at this public hearing should email board.administrator@mnps.org and include the speaker’s name and topic. Speakers may also sign up the day of the meeting from 3:30-4:45 p.m. |
