Arlington Public School Board Budget Advisory Council END

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Arlington Public School Board Budget Advisory Council

END OF YEAR REPORT

June 7, 2019 PURPOSE

The purpose of the Budget Advisory Council (BAC) is “to make recommendations on policies and practices related to the presentation and preparation of the operating budget and the financial management of the school system; to make recommendations to the School Board on budget priorities before the Board gives its annual budget direction to the Superintendent and at other times as appropriate; to advise on the degree to which the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget supports best fiscal practices and the School Board’s priorities; to assist in educating the community about the budgeting process and the contents of each year’s budget; and to provide, upon the Board’s request, study and recommendations on special topics or issues.” (Arlington Public School Policy B-3.6.33)

The BAC presents this annual written report on the BAC’s work during the 2018-2019 school year.

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES

The principal activities of the BAC in SY2018-2019 were focused on preparing for and responding to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget.

Regular Monthly Meetings. Prior to budget season, the BAC held regular monthly meetings to inform and update members on key issues in anticipation of a large budget gap, including:

Partnerships: The BAC is exploring partnership models that optimize the investments that the APS makes by leveraging civic, non-profit and private sector resources and assets present in the community. With growing enrollment comes growing need, and APS must find creative solutions to reaching all students with more diverse and personalized services than can be provided by the school system alone. To initiate the discussion, the BAC invited the Arlington representative of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) to discuss how it partners directly with other school districts. For example, NAMI partners with Fairfax County and Loudoun County schools for Family Support Partner Services, which provides free access to mental health and wellness services for child, youth, and young adults. The BAC also talked with representatives of NOVA and George Mason University to explore the potential for expanding cooperation beyond the dual-enrollment program. This is a discussion we would like to engage in more closely with members of the School Board.

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Transportation. The BAC invited Kristin Haldeman to present the status of her research, analysis and policy recommendations on multi-modal strategies with ART, optimizing routes and stops, and adjusting bell times. The BAC supported piloting the proposed solutions, as an example of both structural and creative change that can have a tangible impact on the budget in both the short and long terms, while maintaining the level of service for APS students.

Planning Factors. The BAC invited Dr. Tara Nattrass to present and discuss Planning Factors and their implications for budgets, providing a valuable opportunity for members to ask questions and clarify issues in advance of the budget presentation.

Enrollment Projections. Robert Ruiz presented an update to the BAC on improvements to the methodology for the enrollment projections, this year’s results and their implications, and the projected impact of Amazon.

Budget Meetings. The BAC held three meetings to review the Superintendent’s Proposed FY 2020 Budget, on March 6, March 20, and April 8. Given the large number of proposed tier reductions in the budget, the BAC was not able to have meaningful discussion of each one individually. Consequently, the BAC decided at the March 6 meeting to conduct online voting that would provide each member time, as possible, for more thoughtful consideration to agree or disagree with each cut. This mechanism allowed us to remove from further discussion those items with a clear two-thirds majority (in agreement or disagreement), and to focus on issues where there was less consensus and on bigger ticket items that would have a significant contribution to closing the budget gap. The initial results and recommendations were presented to the School Board on April 2. The outstanding items were considered in another round of on line voting and additional recommendations to the board were made at the April 8th meeting. The BAC memoranda documenting budget recommendations to the School Board are provided in an annex to this document.

BAC members dedicated a significant amount of time outside the formal meetings to allow for more thoughtful consideration. In assessing the proposed reductions, the BAC considered a range of factors, including cost/benefit, equity, choice, instructional impact, and the achievement of Strategic Plan objectives. The BAC understands that it is difficult to make tradeoffs between values (e.g., equity, choice) and dollars. But given the reality of the budget gap and the difficult decisions that needed to be made, we did the best we could with an unattractive set of choices to provide the Board with an indication of the tradeoffs we made as a citizen group charged with fiscal oversight. It was clear from the nature of many of the cuts that they were not simply efficiencies but that many would have a detrimental and unacceptable impact on equity and instruction, in particular.

HIGHLIGHTS

Presentation of 2018 Bond Referendum. Lida Anestidou and Laura Saul Edwards made a presentation to the BAC on the Bond Referendum to inform the group and encourage them to communicate with the community about the importance of supporting it.

Collaboration with Other Advisory Councils. This year the BAC made a concerted effort to collaborate more closely with the Advisory Council on Instruction (ACI), which added significant value to our discussions. Kevin Dezfulian served as ACI’s liaison to the BAC providing feedback

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on specific issues and keeping the members informed of ACI’s agenda and priorities. BAC also designated liaisons to the County Council of PTAs, the Advisory Committee on Transportation Choices (ACTC), and heard reports from a member of the Education Center Building Level Planning Committee (ECBLPC). This year we did not exchange liaisons with the Advisory Council on School Facilities and Capital Programs (FAC), however, we generally work more closely with the FAC during years when the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is updated.

Proposed Revisions to the BAC Charter. The BAC undertook this year to review School Board Policy B-3.6.33, Budget Advisory Council, which was approved on June 16, 2011. The BAC wishes to eliminate inconsistencies between the policy and actual practice and to rationalize membership and leadership appointments and terms. The BAC recommended the following changes to the policy:

1. A three-year progression for Vice-Chair/Chair/Chair-Emeritus, instead of a two-year term for Vice-Chair, followed (in practice) by a two-year term as Chair. The expectation that a member wishing to serve in a leadership role must commit to four years in leadership, and the need to commit relatively early in a potential six-year term on the BAC, is a challenge to maintaining consistent leadership and continuity.

2. Eliminating single-year terms that are intended to maintain a balance of new and old members each year. In practice, the changes in membership that occur over the course of a six-year term of service (e.g., resignations, midterm additions, lapsed membership, non-renewal of appointments) generally offset the intended effect.

3. Including a representative from the Arlington Education Association (AEA) as a formal, non-voting liaison to the BAC. The BAC highly values the teacher perspective that is brought by the AEA representative, but the lack of formal status limits participation to the public comment period at the beginning of the meeting as well as the potential benefit to the BAC.

4. Clarifying that the BAC generates two work products not one: budget advice memoranda during the budget season and a more reflective End of Year Report.

In addition, the current policy indicates that the BAC has a role in advising the School Board on budget priorities before it presents the annual budget direction to the Superintendent. This has not happened in practice; however, the BAC would welcome earlier engagement of the BAC by the Superintendent and the School Board in budget planning.

Community Education. In early April, the BAC was invited to participate in a budget panel at the Arlington County Civic Federation meeting. The panel included Arlington County, the Arlington Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee, Arlington Public Schools (APS) and the BAC. An overview of the Arlington County and APS budgets, respectively, were provided, with additional comments from the advisory committees. Jenn Wagener, current BAC member, and Michael Shea, former BAC Chair, participated on the panel on behalf of the BAC. The BAC provided information about our committee and our work this spring on the proposed APS budget, including the daunting task of reviewing and discussing the 100+ proposed budget reductions. Most of the discussion and questions from participants were around class size increases and their impacts, as well as concerns about long-term APS budget needs and county tax increases.

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ISSUES

This year the anticipated magnitude of the budget deficit drove both the presentation and the evaluation of the budget to focus on the large number of proposed tier reductions. This took attention away from the fact that we are in a growth phase and need to focus on investment and more structural changes that maximize the return on investment, manage cost per pupil and maintain high standards of instruction and student performance. It also reinforced short term decision making that leads to continued use of reserves without a long-term plan for replenishment and covering some recurring costs with one-time funds.

The unexpected revenue from a 3.5% increase in property assessments and the County Board’s proposed tax increase solved the short-term problem for funding the FY 2020 budget. This does not, however, address the need for further revenue growth in the coming years, especially given the projected deficits in later years. The BAC encourages seeking greater commitment from the County to increase the revenue share to drive down future deficits, especially given that the County anticipates more revenue from commercial property from a projected improvement in the occupancy rate over the next four years. 1 The BAC would like to see a more growth-oriented budget focused on strategic investments, structural changes and cost efficiencies. These must address costs per pupil without negatively impacting instructional quality or program equity across the school system.

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

Proposed Compensation Study. The BAC commends the School Board for funding a study to bring the T-scale up to date and to identify and address unintended disparities in its structure to enhance competitiveness. As per APS policy, the BAC has a role in budget studies and proposes that a member of the BAC be designated to participate on the study committee or such body as is charged by the School Board and APS.

Estimating the future impact of planning factors on per pupil costs as enrollment grows. The BAC would benefit from analysis showing how the planning factors and SOQs contributed to budget growth over the last five years, in the absolute and relative to each other. Some planning factors may not be sustainable as currently defined. For example, APS uses the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) national standard ratio for psychologists to students of 1:500-700 and has completed its strategy to meet that ratio (at 700) in the FY 2020 budget with the funding of a final cohort of psychologists. Nevertheless, that ratio was established in 2010 and the NASP is currently in the process of updating it. That ratio is likely to be lowered, while enrollment is growing, resulting in an increasing numerator and decreasing denominator. The implication is that we will remain in catch up mode, with no other strategy for addressing the need than hiring more psychologists, which may be unsustainable while failing to meet the need. At the same time, we do not have data on the actual needs of our students, nor metrics that demonstrate that these investments are improving our student outcomes.

1 http://www.insidenova.com/news/arlington/arlington-officials-aim-for-lower-vacancy-rates-reduced-incentive-spending/article_2f12d638-5079-11e9-8dd2-ebb5e9aa8046.html

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Access to budget data and analysis. One of the continuing frustrations of the BAC each year is the lack of cost data and the difficulty relating it to student outcomes. This negatively impacts our ability to analyze tradeoffs should future cuts be warranted. With the addition of a financial analyst, the BAC looks forward to improved access to budget data and analysis. Nevertheless, access will remain constrained due to growing financial management complexity and the priority needs of the APS Budget & Finance Office for the added capacity. On the other hand, the increased complexity argues for a more robust data function at APS to guide decision making at all levels and to enable the establishment and measurement of metrics on student outcomes to inform investments and drive strategies.

New approach to Partnerships. Better data and clear metrics are also critical to more strategic partnering with the civic associations, private sector, and non-profit service organizations. The BAC has been exploring models for school partnerships that go beyond APS’ current focus on expanding the community volunteer base, developing internship and job placement opportunities with businesses and institutions, and referrals to services listed on the website. BAC is exploring a more strategic approach to partnerships that optimizes APS resources and improves student equity and excellence through collaboration with a network of local service organizations, institutions and universities collectively aligned around shared metrics so that every student has access to the services and support they need to succeed.

Addressing Equity. The BAC unequivocally supports services for minority and disadvantaged groups but is concerned that funding staff alone is not a strategy and does not address underlying issues that require an integrated approach, external partnerships and an ecosystem of services across departments. The hiring of a Chief Diversity Officer is an important step, but we should not consider that to be the solution to the APS’ equity challenges. We need to use data to pinpoint successful strategies and interventions at the school level and better metrics to identify what is working and not to improve student outcomes, to inform budget priorities and decision making.

Improve communications with the community on sensitive issues. More strategic outreach and community education should be designed to address some of the misperceptions in the community around certain issues, such as the relative cost of options school, increasing the planning factor for class size versus the allocation of students to classrooms, the increasing cost per pupil, and others that arise regularly or that emerge each budget season.

Improve the Budget Presentation. The BAC recommends that the Budget & Finance Office consider changes to the budget document that will improve its readability and ability to be evaluated, including providing more detailed information on the impacts of proposed changes; considering the use of surveys to gather input on the budget; providing alternative cost breakouts as part of the budget documentation; providing longer-term cost projections for new investments; and, including an index to facilitate the ability to find specific items in the document.

Planning with county. Strengthen efforts to collaborate on long term planning with the County based on a growth strategy and make better use of County data capabilities, especially for the Capital Improvement Plan. Leverage the investments in the Career Center and the arrival of Amazon to expand opportunities for high-tech education.

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Enhance the value added by the BAC. Each year the BAC struggles to provide valuable feedback to the board due to the limited amount of time available for review and decision making. In the past few years, we have adjusted our scheduling and added meetings to address this challenge. This year the BAC did not have time to consider the budget outside of the 100+ proposed reductions, given the short time available to provide input between the issuance of the budget on February 28th and the presentation to the Board on April 2nd. In addition, we did not have timely information about the content or sequence of the work sessions in order to plan our meeting agendas. We are concerned that our ability to provide meaningful input to the Board in the time available is limited, and request consideration of alternative ways for BAC to support and engage with the School Board, such as:

Provide more specific direction to the BAC to allow us to be more focused with our time and resources so that we can contribute the most value.

Explore ways to engage in budget planning prior to presentation of Superintendent’s Proposed Budget.

Define the BAC’s role in identifying, recommending, developing, and/or overseeing budget studies that allow for an analytical approach to specific key issues outside the intense, busy period of budget deliberations.

Avoid scheduling School Board work sessions at the same time as BAC meetings. Assist with recruiting new members to the BAC and encouraging school and civic groups (e.g.,

CCPTA, Civic Federation) to identify liaisons to attend BAC meetings and facilitate two-way information sharing on school budget issues. Fostering more two-way information sharing with community groups would enable the BAC to better assist in educating the community about the budgeting process and the contents of each year’s budget, per our charge.

Engage the BAC earlier in the process regarding budget priorities and potential “adds.”

SUMMARY

BAC appreciates the opportunity to work with the Board and the community on budget issues. The BAC enjoys and benefits from a close working relationship with the School Board, including the attendance and participation of this year’s School Board liaison, Tannia Talento, at many of our meetings. It is helpful to have a clear understanding of the Board’s priorities so that our time can be focused on the most relevant issues.

We are also very grateful for the support of the APS staff, especially Leslie Peterson, Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Management Services, Tameka Lovett-Miller, Director, School Board Staff, Melanie Elliott, and many others who gave up Wednesday evenings to present to the BAC, including Kristin Haldeman, Tara Nattrass, and Robert Ruiz.

Finally, we want to thank Dan Rosman, who is departing after a full and productive six years on the BAC. He has consistently advocated for balancing efficiency with equity and his insights and knowledge will be greatly missed. On behalf of the students and other constituents of APS, we extend our thanks.

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2018–2019 Budget Advisory Council Members

Members

Cecilia Ciepiela-Kaelin, Chair

Robert Ramsey, Vice Chair

Chuck Rush

Cristina Diaz-Torres

Daniel Rosman

David Rosenblatt

Gianmaria Vanzulli

Heather Jones

Jennifer Wagener

Juan Gordon, Sr.

Lars Florio

Lida Anestidou

Matt Hochstein

Melanie Bowen

Robert Ramsey

Sheila Leonard

Liaisons

Tannia Talento, APS School Board

Kevin Dezfulian, Arlington Council on Instruction

Staff

Leslie Peterson, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Management Services

Tameka Lovett-Miller, Budget Director

Endia Holmes, Executive Administrative Specialist

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ATTACHMENTS

Memorandum April 2 and attachments, budget recommendations

Memorandum April 8 and attachments, additional budget recommendations

Memorandum May 9 and attachments, proposed changes to the BAC policy

Memorandum May 30, member status and recommendations

ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUDGET ADVISORY COUNCIL

MEMORANDUM

DATE: April 2, 2019

TO: APS School Board Members

FROM: Chair of the APS Budget Advisory Council, Cecilia Ciepiela-Kaelin

Vice Chair of the APS Budget Advisory Council, Robert Ramsey

RE: Superintendent’s Proposed FY2020 Budget

The Budget Advisory Council (BAC) for Arlington Public Schools (APS), comprising 15 Arlington residents appointed by the APS School Board, provides advice and insight to the Board on budget priorities and financial management. The BAC meets monthly starting in September to review and discuss key budget related issues, including enrollment, planning factors, per pupil costs, growth initiatives, instruction, transportation, facilities, and partnerships in preparation for the fiscal year budget process. The BAC met on March 6th and March 20th to review and discuss the Superintendent’s FY2020 Proposed Budget, released on February 28, 2019. The BAC considered the current budget scenario, which includes the $10 million in Tier 1 reductions, a 1¢ proposed tax increment from the County, and an $8.9 million budget gap, but considered both Tier 2 and Tier 3 proposed reductions. Given the large number of proposed reductions (104), the BAC was not able to hold meaningful discussion of each one. Instead, the BAC conducted two rounds of online voting to agree or disagree with each cut, removing from further discussion those with a clear two-thirds majority (in agreement or disagreement), and focusing on issues where there was less consensus and on bigger ticket items that would have a significant contribution to closing the budget gap. The BAC has begun to discuss but has not voted on re-ranking and moving items between Tiers; we hope to address this and other outstanding issues at our next meeting on April 8th. Therefore, the results at this time are presented in the order in which they appear in the budget, reflecting the ranking by the principals. The proposed reductions are numbered to facilitate review. The results of the discussions and voting are provided in an Annex to this memorandum and key issues are highlighted in the discussion below. In assessing the proposed reductions, the BAC considered a range of factors, including cost/benefit, equity, choice, instructional impact, and the achievement of Strategic Plan objectives. We also benefitted from close cooperation and valuable input from the Advisory Council on Instruction (ACI). The BAC understands that it is difficult to make tradeoffs between values (e.g., equity, choice) and dollars. But given the reality of the budget gap and the difficult decisions that

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need to be made, we did the best we could with an unattractive set of choices to provide the Board with an indication of the tradeoffs we made as a citizen group charged with fiscal oversight. SUMMARY OF RESULTS [Note that the dollar amounts reported below do not match the budget due to rounding.] Supported Percent No. Dollars Tier 1 100% 8 $10.1 million $10.1 million Tier 2 68% 52 $6.0 million Tier 3 26% 9 $5.0 million $11.0 million Not Supported Percent No. Dollars Tier 2 32% 17 $2.9 million Tier 3 74% 19 $5.5 million $8.4 million TIER ONE The BAC supports the Tier 1 proposed reductions totaling $10.1 million with small but strong dissent (9-2-0) regarding class size increases based on concerns about potentially uneven distribution of impact across schools and the potential impact on the quality of instruction, teacher morale and the competitiveness of APS as an attractive school system based on smaller class sizes. The BAC understands, however, that the planning factor is a ratio of students per class used for distributing budget resources equitably across schools in the budgeting process, not a directive for allocating students to classrooms, which is done by the principals each year based on actual enrollment and other school-based factors. In addition, the BAC would like to highlight its concern with the continued use of reserves for one-time funding of Minor Construction/Major Maintenance. 1.1 Reduce Workers’ Compensation Budget (11-0-0) $400,000 1.2 Eliminate Employer-Paid Injury Compensation for 7 Calendar Days (5 working days) of Workers' Compensation Claim (11-0-0) $160,000 1.3 Adjust Contract Days for Library Media Assistants (Year 2 of 2) (11-0-0) $120,000 1.4 Eliminate a Department of Teaching and Learning Administrative Assistant Position (11-0-0) $70,000 1.5 Revise Elementary Summer School Model (10-1-0) $500,000 1.6 Eliminate Additional Funding for Technology Lease Payments $1,500,000 1.7 Fund Minor Construction/Major Maintenance (MC/MM) with One-Time Funds (9-0-0) $5,280,000 1.8 Increase Class Size (9-2-0) $2,100,000

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TIER TWO With a two-thirds majority the BAC supports 46 of the Tier 2 proposed reductions totaling $5.6 million. The following items were supported with qualifications: 2.6 Eliminate Elementary School Library Assistants (11-0-1) $612,000

The BAC supports cutting this proposed reduction by 50%. The BAC does not support the full reduction because the Library Assistants play an instructional role and because of the potential for inequitable impacts across schools. Since this proposed reduction is based on a planning factor, we may consider the reduction of the planning factor of 1.0 assistants per 1-749 students to 0.50, and 1.50 assistants per 750-999 students to 1.00, as per the scenarios presented in the March 14, 2019 memorandum to the School Board from Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Management Leslie Peterson. This calculation represents 48% of the proposed reduction. The balance of the reduction, $688,000, is included in the list of items presented in the Annex that the BAC does not support.

2.30 Reduce 1.00 FTE at Each Middle School (8-4-0) $660,000

BAC members voted to support this reduction on the condition that the additional reduction in Tier 3 is not invoked. Concern was expressed about equity impacts, however, the flexibility provided to principals in how they achieve this savings was considered a mitigating factor.

The BAC supports proposed reductions related to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, Equity and Excellence, and Transportation, but believes that APS has a responsibility to consider more strategic ways to address the equity and instruction challenges they pose. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology. The BAC would prefer not to have to eliminate this funding, due to the rich and unique opportunity that attending this school offers and its contribution to more school choice for Arlington students. Nevertheless, the grandfathering of the current students, the fact that only 74 of the 100 TJ seats allocated to Arlington are currently filled, and that the utilization rate of the two buses is significantly lower than capacity (about half of the 74 students use the bus) justifies reconsideration. If this cut is exercised, a short-term alternative and a long-term strategy for providing high tech education at the TJ level should be developed, perhaps at the proposed new high school at the Career Center and in light of the arrival of Amazon and related high-tech education investments. 2.9 No Longer Provide Free Bus Service for Arlington Students Attending

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (7-2-1) $140,000 2.17 Eliminate Funding for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science

and Technology Tuition (7-2-1) $290,000 Equity and Excellence. If necessary, the BAC supports the elimination of the central office position, with less support for eliminating the coordinators at the High Schools. The BAC unequivocally supports services for minority and disadvantaged groups and understands that the coordinators provide essential support to individual students. The concern is that funding staff is

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not a strategy and does not address underlying issues that require an integrated approach, external partnerships and an ecosystem of services across departments. The BAC has neither discussed nor voted on the proposed Chief Diversity Officer; however, the proposal represents only one element of what is needed for a more results-oriented approach. 2.25 Eliminate the Equity and Excellence Coordinator Position in the

Department of Teaching and Learning (10-1-0) $90,000 2.59 Eliminate Equity and Excellence Coordinators at the High

Schools (7-3-1) $240,000 Transportation. The BAC supported many of the transportation reductions due to the potential contribution to closing the budget gap and often low bus ridership. Concerns, however, were expressed about equity and choice impacts. The BAC did not support the elimination of transportation for Middle and High School practices and games. None of these votes was unanimous. In addition, the BAC reviewed and discussed the analysis and proposals prepared by APS transportation planner, Kristin Haldeman, and though we have not taken a formal vote, there is significant sentiment among the members in support of policy changes that will improve the efficiency of transportation services, including changing bell times and consolidating stops. The BAC would likely support a pilot to test these ideas, but also suggests that the cost of such an effort could be lowered by partnering with local academic and transportation organizations and expertise. Supported: 2.21 Eliminate Summer Sports Practice Transportation Services (8-2-0) $30,000 2.49 Eliminate the Assistant Director of Transportation Position (7-3-0) $120,000 3.27 Eliminate Transportation for General Education Students Attending Summer School (7-3-0) $480,000 3.17 Eliminate Late Activity Bus Services (7-4-0) $810,000 Not supported: 3.12 Eliminate Transportation for Middle and High School Games and

Practices (3-8-0) $420,000 Six Tier 2 items totaling $460,000 were supported by a simple majority with narrow margins reflecting lack of consensus. 2.35 Eliminate HILTEX Teacher Transition Positions (6-5-0) $190,000 Strong concern for equity impact of this proposed cut was expressed 2.37 Eliminate Diversity Peer Training Coordinators (7-4-0) $60,000

While diversity and inclusion are fundamental values of APS, the BAC questions the return on investment of the current training.

2.41 Eliminate Funding for Police Record Transcripts (6-5-0) $70,000 Eliminating funding for police record transcripts for new hires was questioned

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due to the message it might send, but the impact would be minimal given that it costs $10 for an individual to get fingerprinted by the Arlington Police.

2.45 Discontinue Printing of Report Cards (6-5-0) $30,000 This reduction could impact populations with limited access to technology. 2.47 Eliminate Service Awards (6-5-0) $20,000 The savings from this reduction are minimal, when compared to the value of recognizing employees. 2.53 Eliminate STEM Specialist Position at Kenmore Middle School (6-5-0) $90,000 The investment in STEM at Kenmore would not be completely lost. With a two-thirds majority, the BAC does not support five of the Tier 2 proposed reductions totaling $2.5 million. 2.6 Eliminate Elementary School Library Assistants (0-11-1) $688,000

As discussed above, the BAC supported only half of the proposed reduction; the balance of the cut is not supported

2.28 Eliminate the Vocational Teachers at the High School (1-10-0) $190,000

Concern about equity and choice was expressed 2.43 Eliminate Adobe Creative Suite (3-7-1) $80,000

Concern that the savings do not justifying the disruption to staff work, CTE and Arts

2.51 Postpone Additional Psychologists and Social Workers (1-9-0) $870,000

There was some support for shifting this to Tier 3 2.54 Eliminate Activities at the Outdoor Lab (0-11-0) $700,000

This vote was unanimous. Four additional Tier 2 items totaling $400,000 were not supported by the BAC, but only with a simple majority and narrow margins reflecting lack of consensus. 2.10 Eliminate a Financial Analyst Position (5-6-0) $80,000

Concern was expressed regarding the complexity of budget development, growing demands on financial management services and the need for more data and cost/benefit analysis

2.29 Eliminate the HILT Supplement Positions (5-6-0) $280,000 This reduces supplemental positions but does not eliminate the service that is provided by 30+ HILT staff

2.42 Eliminate the Use of SMART Notebook (4-6-0) 30,000

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The small savings gained from this proposed reduction does not seem to justify eliminating technology in which APS has invested. Alignment of technology and software investments with teacher and students needs should be better assessed and planned.

2.44 Elimination for Service Awards and Special Events (4-6-0) $10,000 The following Tier 2 items for which there was unanimous agreement should be considered regardless of whether the budget is fully funded, totaling $210,000 2.7 Reduce FLES at Key School $90,000 2.8 No Longer Permit APS Employees Residing Outside Arlington County $90,000

to Use APS Vehicles for Commuting 2.31 Increase Fees for Student Parking at the High Schools $30,000

Should be accompanied by a policy for students with internships and jobs TIER THREE The results of voting on Tier 3 proposed reductions are provided in an Annex to this memorandum. The BAC did not have time to fully discuss these items and the results reflect primarily the online up and down voting. None of the votes on Tier 3 proposed reductions was unanimous. Should it become necessary, the BAC supports 11 of Tier 3 proposed reductions totaling $2.6 million with a two-thirds majority. An additional six Tier 3 reductions totaling $2.4 million were supported by a simple majority with narrow margins reflecting lack of consensus. The BAC did not support 19 of the Tier 3 proposed reductions, totaling $5.5 million. CONCERNS Parent/Teacher Associations. The BAC would like to express its concern with the suggestion that the Parent/Teacher Associations (PTA) as potential recourse for several of the eliminated or reduced services. The disparity in fundraising capacity across PTAs is already a problem that needs addressing, and the suggestion may exacerbate lack of clarity around the appropriate (and legal) role of PTAs and what they can and cannot fund vis a vis the APS budget. BAC budget feedback. The BAC did not have time to consider the budget outside of the proposed reductions, given the short time available to provide input between the issuance of the budget on February 28th and the presentation to the Board on April 2nd. In addition, we did not have timely information about the content or sequence of the work sessions in order to plan our approach. The BAC will meet on April 8th to discuss and vote on outstanding issues of interest to the Board. We are concerned that our ability to provide meaningful input to the Board in the time available is limited, and request consideration of alternative ways for BAC to support and engage with the School Board during the limited time provided.

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FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS New approach to Partnerships. The BAC has been exploring models for school partnerships that go beyond APS’ current approach, which is focused on expanding the community volunteer base and developing internship and job placement opportunities with businesses and institutions. BAC is exploring a more strategic approach to partnerships that optimizes APS resources and expands student equity and excellence through collaboration with local organizations, institutions and universities to achieve specific, shared results from early childhood through post graduation.

Agree (2/3 majority or more) Total No.(red = simple majority) $21,203,275 77

Tier 1 Reduction Abstn N=1.1 Reduce Workers’Compensation Budget ($0.40) $400,000 11 100% 0 0% 111.2 Eliminate Employer-Paid Injury Compensation for 7 Calendar Days (5 working days) of Workers' Compensation Claim ($0.16)

$160,00011 100% 0 0%

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1.3 Adjust Contract Days for Library Media Assistants (Year 2 of 2) ($0.12) $120,000 11 100% 0 0% 111.4 Eliminate a Department of Teaching and Learning Administrative Assistant Position ($0.07) $70,000 11 100% 0 0% 111.5 Revise Elementary Summer School Model ($0.50) $500,000 10 91% 1 9% 111.6 Eliminate Additional Funding for Technology Lease Payments ($1.50) $1,500,000 11 100% 0 0% 111.7 Fund Minor Construction/Major Maintenance (MC/MM) with One-Time Funds ($5.28) $5,280,000 9 82% 0 0% 111.8 Increase Class Size $2,100,000 9 82% 2 18% 11

Total/No. $10,130,000 8Tier 2 Reduction Abstn N=2.1 Reduce Funding for Budget Software Updates ($0.01) $10,000 10 100% 0 0% 102.2 Reduce Funding for Postage ($0.02) $20,000 9 90% 1 10% 102.3 Reduce an AETV Producer Position ($0.08) $80,000 8 89% 1 11% 92.4 Reduce Evaluation Costs ($0.05) $50,000 10 100% 0 0% 102.5 Reduce Human Resources Membership Fees ($0.01) $10,000 10 100% 0 0% 102.6 Eliminate Elementary School Library Assistants ($1.28) (modified recommendation) $612,000 11 100% 0 0% 1 112.7 Reduce FLES at Key School ($0.09) $90,000 10 100% 0 0% 102.8 No Longer Permit APS Employees Residing Outside Arlington County to Use APS Vehicles for Commuting ($0.09)

$90,000 10 100% 00%

10

2.9 No Longer Provide Free Bus Service for Arlington Students Attending Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology ($0.14)

$140,000 7 78% 222%

9

2.11 Discontinue Onsite Gradebook Training and Support - Technology Support Specialist (1 of 2) ($0.10) $100,000 8 80% 2 20% 102.12 Eliminate Funding for Substitutes - Clerical (Non-School) $0.00 $1,275 10 100% 0 0% 102.13 Reduce Funding Support to the Superintendent's Office ($0.11) $110,000 9 90% 1 10% 102.14 Reduce the Special Projects Clerical Positions $30,000 $30,000 10 91% 1 9% 112.15 Reduce Contract Services in Planning and Evaluation ($0.04) $40,000 10 100% 0 0% 102.16 Incorporate the Middle School Pathways Program into New Directions ($0.25) $250,000 8 89% 1 11% 92.17 Eliminate Funding for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Tuition ($0.29) $290,000 7 78% 2 22% 92.18 Reduce Central Funding for Replacement Classroom Furniture and Supplies ($0.05) $50,000 9 82% 2 18% 112.19 Eliminate District Funding of Crew ($0.12) $120,000 9 90% 1 10% 102.20 Eliminate a Secondary Teacher Specialist Position in the Department of Teaching and Learning ($0.09) $90,000 9 100% 0 0% 92.21 Eliminate Summer Sports Practice Transportation Services ($0.03) $30,000 8 80% 2 20% 102.22 Implement an Activity Fee for Middle and High School ($0.05) $50,000 7 70% 3 30% 10

Agree Disagree

Agree Disagree

2.23 Reduce Planning and Evaluation Consultant Fees ($0.02) $20,000 10 100% 0 0% 102.24 Eliminate the Assistant Director of Assessment Position ($0.14) $140,000 9 90% 1 10% 102.25 Eliminate the Equity and Excellence Coordinator Position in the Department of Teaching and Learning $90,000 10 91% 1 9% 112.26 Eliminate the Library Services Records and School Liaison Position ($0.07) $70,000 10 100% 0 0% 102.27 Eliminate Funding for Local Travel Reimbursement $90,000 $90,000 9 82% 2 18% 112.30 Reduce 1.00 FTE at Each Middle School ($0.66) (qualified recommendation $660,000 8 67% 4 33% 122.31 Increase Fees for Student Parking at the High Schools ($0.03) $30,000 10 100% 0 0% 102.32 Elimination of Meltwater Services ($0.01) $10,000 7 88% 1 13% 82.33 Reduce Exemplary Project Coordinators to 0.50 FTE at All Elementary Schools ($0.65) $650,000 9 100% 0 0% 92.34 Eliminate Funding for Discretionary Field Trips $200,000 $200,000 8 73% 3 27% 112.36 Eliminate the Lab/Animal Technician Position at the Career Center ($0.09) $90,000 9 100% 0 0% 92.39 Implement a Cap on the Number of AP and IB Assessments Funded by APS $100,000 $100,000 9 82% 2 18% 112.46 Eliminate School Testing Coordinators from Non-Title I Elementary Schools ($0.15) $150,000 8 89% 1 11% 92.48 Eliminate Human Resources Front Desk Staff ($0.09) $90,000 9 90% 1 10% 102.50 Eliminate Funding for Substitutes - Clerical (School) ($0.07) $70,000 10 100% 0 0% 102.38 Eliminate the Enrollment Reserve $30,000 7 70% 3 30% 102.40 Reduce Cost of Providing Uniforms to Custodians ($0.02) $20,000 7 70% 3 30% 102.49 Eliminate the Assistant Direction of Transportation Position ($0.12) $120,000 7 70% 3 30% 102.52 Eliminate Teachers College Summit at Wakefield ($0.02) $20,000 9 90% 1 10% 102.55 Reduce Special Events Provided by the Department of Teaching and Learning ($0.04) $40,000 9 100% 0 0% 92.56 Reduce Administrative Services Printing & Duplication ($0.02) $20,000 8 89% 1 11% 92.57 Eliminate the PDS Coordinator Position (Teacher Mentor) ($0.04) $40,000 8 80% 2 20% 102.58 Eliminate Human Resources Scholarships for A, E, G, M, P, and T scales ($0.22) $220,000 7 70% 3 30% 102.59 Eliminate Equity and Excellence Coordinators at the High Schools $240,000 $240,000 7 70% 3 30% 1 102.60 Discontinue Onsite Gradebook Training and Support - Technology Support Specialist (2 of 2) ($0.10) $100,000 8 89% 1 11% 9

2.35 Eliminate HILTEX Teacher Transition Positions $190,000 $190,000 6 55% 5 45% 112.37 Eliminate Diversity Peer Training Coordinators $60,000 $60,000 7 64% 4 36% 112.41 Eliminate Funding for Police Record Transcripts $70,000 $70,000 6 55% 5 45% 112.45 Discontinue Printing of Report Cards $30,000 $30,000 6 55% 5 45% 112.47 Eliminate Service Awards (HR) $20,000 $20,000 6 55% 5 45% 112.53 Eliminate STEM Specialist Position at Kenmore Middle School $90,000 $90,000 6 55% 5 45% 11

Total/No. $6,033,275 52Tier 3 Reduction Abstn N=3.2 Move Instructional Technology Coordinators (ITC) from 12-month Contracts to 11-month Contracts ($0.60) $600,000 9 90% 1 10% 103.4 Eliminate Administrative Conference ($0.02) $20,000 9 90% 1 10% 103.6 Eliminate Replacement Computer Equipment (HR) ($0.01) $10,000 8 89% 1 11% 93.8 Reduce Instructional Clerical Positions at the High Schools ($0.21) $210,000 9 90% 1 10% 10

Agree Disagree

3.10 Eliminate Human Resources In-service Cost - Administrative $20,000 $20,000 9 82% 2 18% 113.11 Eliminate Middle School Testing Coordinators $280,000 $280,000 10 91% 1 9% 113.13 Change to the In-School Alternative Teacher Positions $280,000 $280,000 10 91% 1 9% 113.16 Reduction of E-Days in the Department of Teaching and Learning ($0.01) $10,000 7 78% 2 22% 1 93.26 Eliminate the Humanities Coordinator Position $120,000 $120,000 8 73% 3 27% 113.27 Eliminate Transportation for General Education Students Attending Summer School $480,000 $480,000 7 70% 3 30% 103.32 Increase Custodial Square Footage Calculation from 21,000 to 22,000 Square Feet per Custodian $620,000 9 90% 1 10% 1 10

3.17 Eliminate Late and Activity Bus Services $810,000 $810,000 7 64% 4 36% 113.29 Eliminate Funding for Substitutes - P&E Scale $30,000 $30,000 6 60% 4 40% 1 103.3 One Day Furlough for 12 Month Employees $310,000 $310,000 7 64% 4 36% 113.30 Eliminate Additional Funding for Computer Equipment and Software at Schools $510,000 $510,000 6 55% 5 45% 113.31 Eliminate Instructional Lead Teacher Stipends $130,000 $130,000 6 55% 5 45% 113.9 Reduce Funding in the Advanced Classes Staff Contingency $600,000 $600,000 6 55% 5 45% 11

Total/No. $5,040,000 17

Disagree (2/3 majority or more) Total No.(red = simple majority) $8,414,000 28

Tier 2 Reduction Abst N=2.6 Eliminate Elementary School Library Assistants ($1.28) modified recommendation $688,000 0 0% 11 100% 1 112.28 Eliminate the Vocational Teachers at the High School $190,000 $190,000 1 9% 10 91% 112.43 Eliminate Adobe Creative Suite $80,000 $80,000 3 30% 7 70% 1 102.51 Postpone Additional Psychologists and Social Workers ($0.87) $870,000 1 14% 6 86% 72.54 Eliminate Activities at the Outdoor Lab ($0.70) $700,000 1 8% 11 92% 12

2.10 Eliminate a Financial Analyst Position $80,000 $80,000 5 45% 6 55% 112.29 Eliminate the HILT Supplement Positions $280,000 $280,000 5 45% 6 55% 112.42 Eliminate the Use of SMART Notebook $30,000 $30,000 4 40% 6 60% 102.44 Elimination for Service Awards and Special Events (SCR) $10,000 $10,000 4 40% 6 60% 1 10

$2,928,000 9Tier 3 Reduction Abst N=3.5 Eliminate Funding for Non-Discretionary Field Trips ($0.24) $240,000 2 20% 8 80% 103.7 Eliminate Summer School in Middle School with the Exception of Extended School Year Service

$330,000 2 20% 880%

1 10

3.12 Eliminate Transportation for Middle and High School Games and Practices $420,000 $420,000 3 27% 8 73% 113.19 Reduce Resource Teachers for the Gifted at All Elementary Schools by 0.50 FTE ($1.13) $1,130,000 3 30% 7 70% 103.21 Eliminate the Assistant to Teacher Program $320,000 $320,000 1 9% 10 91% 113.22 Reduce Guidance Counselors at the High Schools ($0.38) $380,000 3 30% 7 70% 103.23 Reduce the Science Program Initiative Teacher Positions $280,000 $280,000 3 27% 8 73% 113.24 Eliminate Instructional Technology Coordinators at the High Schools $470,000 $470,000 2 18% 9 82% 113.33 Eliminate Microsoft Outlook and Office Suite $180,000 $180,000 3 27% 8 73% 113.34 Eliminate Resource Teachers for the Gifted at the High Schools $330,000 $330,000 3 27% 8 73% 113.35 Eliminate the Career College Counselor Position $280,000 $280,000 1 9% 10 91% 113.36 Eliminate Planned Cyber Security Improvements ($0.20) $200,000 2 20% 8 80% 10

3.1 Reduce the Exemplary Projects Teachers at Yorktown and Wakefield High Schools $240,000 5 45% 6 55% 113.14 Reduce Campus Safety/School Resource Assistants $160,000 $160,000 4 36% 7 64% 113.15 Eliminate Department Chairs at the High Schools $280,000 $280,000 4 36% 7 64% 113.18 Reduce an Additional 1.00 FTE at Each Middle School ($0.66) $66,000 3 38% 5 63% 83.20 Reduce Special Education Coordination Time $60,000 $60,000 4 40% 6 60% 1 103.25 Reduce Funding for the Second Chance Program $50,000 $50,000 4 36% 7 64% 113.28 Discontinue use of the IQ System for Engage $70,000 $70,000 4 40% 6 60% 1 10

$5,486,000 19

Agree Disagree

Agree Disagree

Budget Advisory Council

Superintendent’s FY 2020

Proposed Budget

Cecilia Ciepiela-Kaelin, ChairRobert Ramsey, Vice Chair

April 2, 2019

• Monthly meetings to review and discuss key budget issues

• Partnership with ACI to benefit from expertise on instructional impact

• Two meetings in March to review the Superintendent’s FY2020 Proposed Budget

• Considered both Tier 2 and Tier 3 proposed reductions

• Conducted two rounds of voting on each proposed reductions • 2/3 majority taken off table for discussion

• Focus on big ticket items or items lacking consensus

• BAC did not vote on re-ranking or moving items between Tiers

• Range of factors, including cost/benefit, equity, choice, instructional impact, and the achievement of Strategic Plan objectives, especially Student Well-Being

BAC Process

Summary

Supported Percent No. Dollars

Tier 1 100% 8 $10.1 million

$10.1 million



$11.0 million

Not Supported Percent No. Dollars



$8.4 million

Tier 1

• The BAC supports the Tier 1 proposed reductions totaling $10.1 million (11-0-0)

• Small but strong dissent (9-2-0) regarding class size increases

• Concern with the continued used of reserves for one-time funding of MC/MM

• With a two-thirds majority the BAC supports 46 of the Tier 2 proposed reductions totaling $5.57 million, however, several were only supported with qualifications:

• 2.6 Eliminate Elementary School Library Assistants (11-0-1) $612,000

• 2.30 Reduce 1.00 FTE at Each Middle School (8-4-0) $660,000

• Issues• Thomas Jefferson

• Equity and Excellence

• Transportation

Tier 2

Tier 2 Cont’d

• Six Tier 2 items were supported by a simple majority with narrow margins reflecting lack of consensus, totaling $460,000.

• 2.35 Eliminate HILTEX Teacher Transition Positions (6-5-0) $190,000

• 2.37 Eliminate Diversity Peer Training Coordinators (7-4-0) $60,000

• 2.41 Eliminate Funding for Police Record Transcripts (6-5-0) $70,000

• 2.45 Discontinue Printing of Report Cards (6-5-0) $30,000

• 2.47 Eliminate Service Awards (6-5-0) $20,000

• 2.53 Eliminate STEM Specialist Position at Kenmore MS (6-5-0) $90,000

• Reductions that should be considered regardless of the budget gap• 2.7 Reduce FLES at Key School (10-0-0) $90,000

• 2.8 No Longer Permit APS Employees Residing Outside Arlington $90,000

County to Use APS Vehicles for Commuting (10-0-0)

• 2.31 Increase Fees for Student Parking at the High Schools (10-0-0) $30,000

Tier 2 Cont’d

• The BAC does not support five of the Tier 2 proposed reductions totaling $2.5 million.

• 2.6 Eliminate Elementary School Library Assistants (11-0-1) $612,000• 2.28 Eliminate the Vocational Teachers at the High School (1-10-0) $190,000• 2.43 Eliminate Adobe Creative Suite (3-7-1) $80,000• 2.51 Postpone Additional Psychologists and Social Workers (1-9-0) $870,000• 2.54 Eliminate Activities at the Outdoor Lab (11-0-0) $70,000

• By a small margin, the BAC does not support:• 2.10 Eliminate a Financial Analyst Position $80,000• 2.29 Eliminate the HILT Supplement Positions $280,000• 2.42 Eliminate the Use of SMART Notebook $30,000• 2.44 Elimination for Service Awards and Special Events $10,000

Tier 2 Cont’d

• The BAC supports 11 of Tier 3 proposed reductions totaling $2.65 million, should it become necessary.

• An additional six Tier 3 reductions were supported but by narrow margins, totaling $2.4 million

• The BAC does not support 19 of the Tier 3 proposed reductions, totaling $5.5 million.

Tier 3

• PTAs

• BAC feedback • BAC Meeting on Monday, April 8th

• New approach to Partnerships

Concerns & Future Considerations

Thank you!

Superintendent’s FY 2020

Proposed Budget

Cecilia Ciepiela-Kaelin, ChairRobert Ramsey, Vice Chair

April 2, 2019


MEMORANDUM

DATE: April 12, 2019




RE: Support for Transportation Pilot

In April 8, 2019, the BAC voted on two proposals for consideration by the School Board for the FY2020 Budget. Line Item Swaps to Move Class Size into Tier 2 proposed by Bob Ramsey. By the narrowest of margins (6-5-0), the BAC recommends the School Board move the proposed Class Size Increase ($2.10M) from Tier 1 into Tier 2 and replace it with an equivalent dollar amount of proposed reductions from Tier 2. The BAC has identified 18 Tier 2 proposed reductions that received strong support from the BAC that total $2.1 million. The proposed swap of Tier 1 Increase Class Size for 18 Tier 2 reductions is presented in the attached spreadsheets. This should be understood as a recommendation to prioritize efficiencies and “better idea” cuts (as we were able to understand them) that rose to the top of our Tier 2 Rankings (also attached), and suggest that the School Board direct the school administration to harvest these (and/or perhaps others) FIRST, before taking a cut that so obviously impacts a quality of education metric for the school district. Note that the BAC also supported the item 1.8 Increase Class Size (9-2-0), and it should now appear at the top of Tier 2. Our debate about this proposal raised some very good arguments for raising class size now—as we expect it will remain necessary to fund budget additions that have been mentioned of late, and unless only the more generous tax allocations are directed toward the school district. It was noted that future budget deficits are foreseen and maintaining the current class size will only deepen the projected deficits. Maintaining the current class size will also tend to maintain a higher average-cost-per-student metric. Several BAC members commented that their position on the matter alternated during the debate, and others were very close to the line with their vote. We have no doubt that the School Board members have their own priorities to apply to the list of 18 line items swapped; attractive alternatives can be found near the top of the Tier 2 Ranked spreadsheet. In summary our emphasis is on the sentiment to prioritize taking the hard-found and

2

many efficiencies and preserve where possible the quality investments that yield bang-for-the buck. Addition to the FY2020 budget of the proposed Transportation Pilot presented to the School Board by Kristin Haldeman. The BAC wishes to share its support for adding to the FY2020 budget the proposed transportation pilot and partnership with Arlington Rapid Transit. (ART). Although the Career Center is the proposed pilot location, we understand that HB Woodlawn is another potential candidate for a pilot to reduce the number of buses, given the constraints of the site and access to MetroRail. The BAC voted unanimously to support adding $75,000 to $100,000 to the FY2020 budget to support a pilot. This amount is higher than the preliminary budget estimated of $56,000 and should therefore include both the Career Center and HB Woodlawn.


MEMORANDUM

DATE: May 9, 2019




RE: Proposed Revisions to Budget Advisory Council (BAC) Charter (Attachment 1)

The Budget Advisory Council (BAC) is currently chartered under a School Board Policy B-3.6.33, Budget Advisory Council that was approved June 16, 2011 (Attachment 2). Having some concerns and discomforts with the current charter, the BAC undertook in the fall of 2018 to propose a revision, which coincided with an independent and coincidental plan by the School Board to have this portion of its policies revised by a consulting group in 2019. Our attached Proposed Revision may have been delivered to the group within the past two weeks, and this memorandum formalizes the BAC’s endorsement of the proposal. EXPLANATION OF CHANGES Membership, Terms, and Leadership. The major part of the rework is a rationalization of the member and leader appointments and terms, better stated to align with actual practice and easier accounting for uniformity of two-year terms. Single-year terms are not needed to balance departures at the distant end of six years of service—by that time enough changes in membership has occurred to thwart any intended smoothing of departure numbers. A three-year progression for Vice-Chair/Chair/Chair-Emeritus leadership is proposed, instead of a two-year term for Vice-Chair, followed (in practice—but not in writing) by a two-year term as Chair. This expectation of four years in leadership (and relatively early identification within a six-year career on the BAC in order to achieve it) is not the best way to groom and care for a volunteer’s leadership. This three-year progression is modeled after one practiced by the VA State Bar whereby they select a President-Elect, who becomes the President. Calculating that the Chair may often have a year remaining in a term appointment, a role as Chair-Emeritus with light (but significant) duty will be valuable to the Council in preservation and continuity of the experience. The current Charter enumerates non-voting representation from other Councils, and we propose to add the Arlington Education Association (AEA) to the list. The AEA has provided valuable, steady input as a public commentator at nearly every meeting for the past many years, and standing non-voting representation is appropriate.

2

Work Products. A better articulation was needed for the two major work products generated by the BAC each year: budget advice during the budget season and a more reflective End of Year Report. The existing Charter mentions only one product and confuses the two purposes. Otherwise: the proposed Charter reorganizes paragraphs and sentences, collecting related topics under broader section headings without meaningful change. It is important to note that few meeting mechanics are addressed. Notice of Meeting, Quorum, and Public Comment (and perhaps other important) provisions are absent from both the existing and new Proposed Charter. The BAC requests the School Board consider these new features for continuation in the new Charter for the BAC; they may indeed be useful concepts for the other standing committees of the School Board. Attachments

1. Proposed Revisions to Budget Advisory Council (BAC) Charter (may be viewed with tracked changes selected)

2. Existing BAC Charter, School Board Policy B-3.6.33, Budget Advisory Council, June 16, 2011

ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS Policy B-3.6.33 Budget Advisory Council

Page 1 of 3

The Arlington School Board seeks the advice and insight from members of the community regarding the Arlington Public Schools budget. Purpose The Budget Advisory Council:

1. Makes recommendations on policies and practices related to the presentation and preparation of the operating budget and the financial management of the school system;

2. Makes recommendations to the School Board on budget priorities before the Board gives its annual budget direction to the Superintendent and at other times as appropriate;

3. Advises on the degree to which the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget supports best fiscal practices and the School Board’s priorities;

4. Assists in educating the community about the budgeting process and the contents of each year’s budget;

5. Provides, upon the Board’s request, study and recommendations on special topics or issues;

6. Presents an annual written report of the Council’s work as part of the School Board’s annual budget process. The report may raise issues and concerns that the Council has related to the budget, and

7. Collaborates as appropriate with ACI and the Facilities Council. Membership The Council shall be comprised of 15 Arlington citizens who are not Arlington Public Schools employees and who exhibit a broad range of interests, including knowledge and interest in budget matters. Membership shall be for two years. Terms are staggered so that approximately one-half of the members are appointed each year, creating over time a durable committee with school budget background and expertise. The School Board appoints all members in the spring each year. The School Board also appoints members from the Council to serve as the Chair and Vice Chair of the Budget Advisory Council. Appointments of these positions are for a two-year term effective May 1 of that year, and are based upon the recommendation of the outgoing Budget Advisory Council Chair and the Superintendent or his or her designee. Advisory Council members may not serve more than six years on the Council. The School Board may invite various civic organizations to suggest persons for membership on the Council. The following organizations may name a representative to the Advisory Council for a period of one year:

1. County Council of PTA’s (CCPTA) 2. Advisory Council on Instruction (ACI) 3. Civic Federation


Page 2 of 3

Operations and Procedures General The Assistant Superintendent, Finance and Management Services is the staff liaison to the Advisory Council and provides the staff support necessary for the Council’s mission. Guidelines for Meetings

1. All meetings of the Council shall be open to the public. 2. Advisory council members are expected to attend all meetings. Upon recommendation of

the Chair, a member may be removed from the Council by the School Board for failure to attend three meetings in one year, in which case the School Board shall appoint a new member.

3. Copies of the approved minutes from all advisory council meetings shall be forwarded from the staff liaison to the School Board.

Guidelines for Communications Within the School System The Advisory Council shall communicate with school communities through the Advisory Council’s designated liaison to the County Council of PTA’s. Guidelines for Working with School System Staff While the Advisory Council may do independent study and research, it coordinates its work with staff and does not duplicate or overlap staff work. Committee members communicate with school system staff members through the staff liaison. All notices and announcements from the Advisory Council to the public shall be routed through the staff liaison for approval and dissemination. Guidelines for Communication Outside the School System The School Board encourages the free flow of ideas and opinions within and among citizen advisory groups. However, members of the advisory councils or committees shall not represent their personal actions, views, statements, etc. as those of the committee. In communicating with the media, members of the general public, other individuals or institutions, members must exercise caution to ensure that, unless authorized by the committee, they specifically indicate that any expressed opinions or views are, in fact, their own. Also, careful management of information requests is desirable to prevent overburdening other institutions, parents, or the general public with data requests. Any official communication or request for information to the Advisory Council from the media or other institutions shall be routed through the Staff Liaison to the Chair. Evaluation The Budget Advisory Council will present an annual written report of the Council's work to the School Board as part of the School Board's annual budget process. The report may raise issues and concerns that the Council has related to the budget. Exceptions The School Board may make exceptions to these procedures, as it deems appropriate.


Page 3 of 3

References School Board Policy B-3.6.30, School Board Advisory Committees Policy Adoption and Revision History Approved June 16, 2011, Effective June 16, 2011 Renumbered (former Policy 10-6.3) effective July 1, 2018

DRAFT REVISED BAC CHARTER 9/25/20185/9/2019

The Arlington School Board seeks the advice and insight from members of the community regarding the Arlington Public Schools budget.

Formation and Purpose

The Arlington School Board seeks the advice and insight from members of the community regarding the Arlington Public Schools (APS) budget. A The Budget Advisory Council (BAC) is formed for the following purposes:

Makes recommendations on policies and practices related to the presentation and preparation of the operating budget and the financial management of the school system;

Makes recommendations to the School Board on budget priorities before the Board gives its annual budget direction to the Superintendent and at other times as appropriate;

Advises on the degree to which the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget supports best fiscal practices, and the School Board’s priorities, and community sentiment;

Upon the School Board’s request, provide study and recommendations on special topics or issues related to the budget;

Assists in educating the community about the budgeting process and the contents of each year’s budget; and

Provides, upon the Board’s request, study and recommendations on special topics or issues;

Collaborate as appropriate with other APS and Arlington County Advisory Councils and Committees.

Presents an annual written report of the Council’s work as part of the School Board’s annual budget process. The report may raise issues and concerns that the Council has related to the budget, and

Collaborates as appropriate with ACI and the Facilities Council.

Membership, Terms, and Leadership

The Council BAC membership shall be comprised of 15 Arlington citizens who are not APS employees and who exhibit a broad range of interestscompetencies, including knowledge and interest in budget matters. The School Board may advertise openings for membership and invite various civic organizations to suggest persons for membership on the BACCouncil.

The School Board appoints all Members (preferably in the spring and summer each year) for terms commencing withduring a first and ending with a second the Academic Year calendar. A Member’s term shall be for two years, and is renewable for two additional terms; Members

may not serve more than six years without interruption of service. The BAC thus over time becomes an enduring committee with school budget background and expertise.

The School Board also appoints a Vice Chair and Chair from among the experienced Members of the BAC. The term for these positions is one year,year; however, appointment as the Vice Chair is contemplated to be service as both an assistant to the Chair and the Chair-elect with expectation of service the following year as Chair. Appointment as the Chair is contemplated to be service as the primary leader of the BAC with expectation of continued service the following year in Chair-emeritus status, provided Mmembership term limits allow. The BAC thus enjoys a continuity of leadership with experience without exhaustion from lengthy responsibility.

The following organizations may name a non-voting representative to the BACAdvisory Council for a period of one year:

Advisory Council on Instruction (ACI)

Facilities Advisory Council (FAC)

County Council of PTA’s (CCPTA)

Arlington Education Association (AEA)


Arlington County Civic Federation

The School Board appoints all members in the spring each year.

Membership shall be for two years. Terms are staggered so that approximately one-half of the members are appointed each year, creating over time a durable committee with school budget background and expertise.

The School Board appoints all members in the spring each year. The School Board also appoints members from the Council to serve as the Chair and Vice Chair of the Budget Advisory Council.

Appointments of these positions are for a two-year term effective May 1 of that year, and are based upon the recommendation of the outgoing Budget Advisory Council Chair and the Superintendent or his or her designee.

Advisory Council members may not serve more than six years on the Council. The School Board may invite various civic organizations to suggest persons for membership on the Council.

The following organizations may name a representative to the Advisory Council for a period of one year:

County Council of PTA’s (CCPTA)


Civic Federation

GeneralStaff Liaison and Communications

The Assistant Superintendent, Finance and Management Services is the staff Staff Lliaison to the Advisory CouncilBAC and provides the staff support necessary for the Council’s missionto achieve its Purposes.

While the Advisory CouncilBAC may do independent study and research, it coordinates its work with APS staff and does not duplicate or overlap staff work. Committee mMembers communicate with school system staff members through the Sstaff Lliaison. All notices and announcements from the Advisory CouncilBAC to the public shall be routed through the Sstaff Lliaison for approval and dissemination. The BAC shall communicate with school communities through the representative from the County Council of PTA’s.

Also, careful management of information requests is desirable to prevent overburdening other institutions, parents, or the general public with data requests. Any official communication or request for information to the BAC from the media or other institutions shall be routed through the Staff Liaison to the Chair.

Guidelines for Meetings and Conduct of Members

All meetings of the Council BAC shall be open to the public. The BAC shall keep minutes of its meetings; cCopies of the approved minutes from all advisory council meetings shall be forwarded from the sStaff lLiaison to the School Board.

Advisory council mMembers are expected to attend all meetings. Upon recommendation of the Chair, a Mmember may be removed from the Council by the School Board for failure to attend three meetings in one Academic Yyear, in which case the School Board shall may appoint a new Mmember.

Copies of the approved minutes from all advisory council meetings shall be forwarded from the staff liaison to the School Board.

Guidelines for Communications Within the School System

The Advisory Council shall communicate with school communities through the Advisory Council’s designated liaison to the County Council of PTA’s.

Guidelines for Working with School System Staff

While the Advisory Council may do independent study and research, it coordinates its work with staff and does not duplicate or overlap staff work. Committee members communicate with school system staff members through the staff liaison. All notices and announcements from the Advisory Council to the public shall be routed through the staff liaison for approval and dissemination.

Guidelines for Communication Outside the School System

The School Board encourages the free flow of ideas and opinions within and among citizen advisory groups. However, members Members of the advisory councils or committeesBAC shall not represent their personal actions, views, statements, etc., as those of the committeeBAC. In communicating with the media, members of the general public, other individuals or institutions, members Members must exercise caution to ensure that, unless authorized by the committee, they specifically indicate that any expressed opinions or views are, in fact, their own.

Also, careful management of information requests is desirable to prevent overburdening other institutions, parents, or the general public with data requests. Any official communication or request for information to the Advisory CouncilBAC from the media or other institutions shall be routed through the Staff Liaison to the Chair.Budget Evaluations

The BAC will evaluate the school district’s proposed budget and present written memoranda regarding its considerations, priorities, and advice in time to inform the School Board during its deliberations on the budget.

Annual EvaluationEnd of Year Report

The Budget Advisory CouncilBAC will present an annual written report of the Council'sits work to the School Board as part of the School Board's annual budget process. The report may raise issues and concerns that the Council has related to the budget, the budget process, and other financial management matters that came to light during the course of the BAC’s work. This End of Year Report is first delivered to the Staff Liaison, who adds staff comments and further delivers the Report to the School Board.

Exceptions

The School Board may make exceptions to these procedures, as it deems appropriate.

References

SBP 10-6 School Board Advisory Committees


MEMORANDUM

DATE: May 30, 2019




RE: Membership Status and Recommendations for SY2019-2020

The BAC leadership met with School Board members Tannia Talento and Monique O-Grady to review resumes of applicants to the BAC, discuss the current status of members, and make recommendations for next year’s BAC. This includes individuals who have reached their six-year limit; those who will continue and their term limits; and those whom the Chair and Vice Chair recommend not be renewed. The recommendations are pending final changes to the policy as approved by the School Board. Departing Members Dan Rosman, appointed for his first term in May 2013, completes six years of service this year. We would like the School Board to recognize his contribution and commitment to the success of Arlington schools and students. Continuing Members Three members are recommended for reappointment for 2-year terms. Two were originally appointed only for one year.

Name Current

Term Expires

Years Served As of 6/2019

Board Action Requested

Lida Anestidou 2020 5 No action Heather Jones 2020 5 No action Robert Ramsey 2019 4 Reappoint for final 2-year term

Appoint as Chair SY2020 Cecilia Ciepiela-Kaelin 2020 3 No action Jennifer Wagener 2020 3 No action David Rosenblatt 2020 2 No action Cristina Diaz-Torres 2020 2 No action

2

Name Current

Term Expires

Years Served As of 6/2019

Board Action Requested

Juan Gordan Sr. 2020 1 No action Sheila Leonard 2020 1 No action Melanie Bowen 2019 1 Reappoint for 2-year term

Appoint as Vice Chair SY2020 Anthony “Chuck” Rush 2020 1 No action

Members Who are Not Recommended for Renewal The members listed below have each missed six or more meetings this year; the BAC policy allows a maximum of three. Aside from lack of attendance, their frequent absence created challenges for the rest of the members in reaching a quorum based on 15 members, when in effect we had 12 members. Rather than renewing their terms, we propose to recommend new members be appointed.

Name Current Term

Expires

Years Served

As of 5/2019 Board Action Requested

Lars Florio 2019 2 No action Matthew Hochstein 2019 2 No action Gianmaria Vanzulli 2019 2 No action

New Members Recommended for Appointment With the departure of Dan Rosman and three members whose terms will not be renewed, the BAC has four vacancies to fill. We continue to seek candidates that demonstrate a commitment to the schools, bring unique skills and perspectives, and add diversity, including balanced representation from both North and South Arlington, men and women, and ethnic groups. After reviewing the resumes submitted in response to the recruitment announcement, the BAC recommends the following individuals to be appointed to the BAC. Each has been contacted to inform them that they have been selected and to confirm their commitment to serve for a 2-year term.

Name New Term Board Action Requested Lisa Blackwell 2020-2022 Appoint to 2-year term Wei Chien 2020-2022 Appoint to 2-year term Katherine Christensen 2020-2022 Appoint to 2-year term Erik Sullivan 2020-2022 Appoint to 2-year term

With the recommend actions, the BAC will have 15 members. Based on current terms and appointments, we will need to replace 2 members at the end of SY2020 and only 1 at the end of the SY2021.

Documents

Arlington Public School Board Budget Advisory Council END