APS Teammates

I will be holding an open forum about the APS budget today at South Middle School at 4:00 PM. I hope you can make it.

In the event you cannot attend today, I would like to address some key points in this e-mail. As you know, this is an incredibly challenging year. If you read the Denver Post this Sunday, the front page clearly outlines the challenges other Metro districts are having as well as some we are experiencing in APS. The unique contributing factor for our budget challenges in APS is the significant decrease in student enrollment last year, this year and projected for next year–over 1700 fewer students for APS (364 last year, 750 this year and projected 600 less next year).

First, I want to reiterate, the $10 million dollar budget imbalance is due to the decline in enrollment and our commitment to pay for steps, PERA and insurance as outlined in a previous email. The budget imbalance is in recurring money which is affected by decreased enrollment and pay adjustments not to one-time money expended for our strategic plan VISTA 2010 (Note: pay increases cannot be paid from our one-time or “rainy day” money since it is just that, one-time).

Secondly, we are not cutting 60 teachers next year. We are reducing, because of decreased enrollment, our staffing allocation by 60 TE (this can be licensed or classified employees). In recent years we have hired 250 - 300 new teachers and classified employees each new school year. This coming year we will only hire about 190-240 personnel–that is how we get to 60 less TE.

At this time, we have a plan to balance the budget without declaring the need for a Reduction-in-Force (RIF).

It is true that we are getting more money from the State this year–over $6 million. However, as I will show today at the open forum, if you add this additional revenue with the decreased enrollment, we are still $5 million short. Add the commitment to having steps, PERA and insurance increases for our employees, we are an additional $5 million dollars short for a total of a $10 million fund imbalance.

We are cutting into all our divisions (i.e. Superintendent/Board, Support Services, Human Resources and Finance–we will cut into instruction only to keep it as far from the classroom as possible) by 5.6% in order to balance the books. When 85% of our budget is salaries, which we won’t touch, and only 15% is everything else, cutting into that 15% by over 5% is highly significant. We will all see it next year in service shortfalls/extensions/delays. The district is sharing the burden of our budget challenges, that I can assure you.

One thing you need to know about me: there is nothing I cherish more than my honor and integrity. I will always give you my honest judgment. The bottom line is we are sharing the pain and we are just able to balance the budget. Believe me, I know how hard everyone has been working this year. There is nothing that would please me more to see everyone get a pay raise we would all feel good about. I made a promise to the BOE that we would never be in a deficit while I am Superintendent. I intend to keep my word. I have given you my word that there will not be a RIF this year, and I intend to keep that promise.

Yes, we need to tighten our belts this year. However, I am convinced we made great strides with our strategic plan this year, VISTA 2010, thanks to all of your hard work. Our strategic plan is the roadmap to get our enrollment figures back up to where we want them to be. We need to stay true to our course.

On a promising note, I have directed staff to look at the possibility, ramifications, climate, etc. for a bond and a mill levy this November. The BOE will look at all sides at the end of the summer and make a decision. If the BOE approves an increase in the mill levy override and it passes in the November ballot, that will result in pay increases for all employees. I intend to burn the leather off my shoes in order to get the electorate to approve the mil levy override, and I will be enlisting your help when school starts again in August.

I will continue to keep you posted as developments occur.

JB

John L. Barry, Superintendent
Aurora Public Schools
15701 E. First Ave., Suite 206
Aurora, CO 80011
303-365-7800

“There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.”

John F. Kennedy

JLBARRY@aps.k12.co.us