SUPERINTENDENT S BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE Pasadena Unified School District Report to the Board of Trustees January 25, 2018 Coachman-Moore & Associates Inc.
Committee Composition The SBAC was comprised of: High school student council members Teachers Principals Staff Parent representatives from mandated district advisory committees Community members and PUSD division and department managers Members provided input representative of views across schools, grade level, constituent and geographic location and bargaining units. District staff including division chiefs, assistant superintendents and department and program directors attended meetings and provided expert information. An average of 25 SBAC members participated in each meeting. 2018-19 SBAC Recommendations 2
Board s Charge Purpose To provide community involvement in the budget planning process from a broad range of stakeholders. Charge To develop and offer recommendations for budget priorities to the Superintendent and the Board of Education. Support the Superintendent s goal of creating budgets and aligning resources using a Theory of Action approach and bottom-up process focused on the best interest of PUSD students. 2018-19 SBAC Recommendations 3
Approach to the Work SBAC aligned its decisions and budget priorities with District policies, goals and values so as to guide the work with attention to ensuring a commitment to high level service to PUSD students, families, and staff. The following principles were agreed upon to reflect the group s values: Impact to Students -Guarantee that decisions recognize and support the diverse student body and ensure that students receive a high-quality education and teachers are supported in their work. Equity and Access -All students deserve equal access to curriculum and the District will have the teachers and the training to deliver at a high level of quality Core Delivery Deliver core services in cost-effective ways Creativity Creative thinking to determine and carry out what can be done differently and better. District Focus and Strengths -Do a few things well. PUSD will focus on right-sizing and offer and deliver services and programs to students that are done well and aligned and with core values and goals of the District. 2018-19 SBAC Recommendations 4
Results and Recommendations Overarching Recommendations The SBAC urges the Superintendent, executive staff and Board to take courageous, strong and consequential actions to make the difficult decisions necessary so that instructional programs, operational processes and overall systems will be coordinated and aligned for optimal academic effectiveness and greater costefficiencies. Immediately focus efforts to right-size the budget. Commit to serving its current base of students with well-articulated programs that are carried out at a high level and maintain educational excellence for all students. 2018-19 SBAC Recommendations 5
Results and Recommendations Identified approximately $1.6 million in budget cuts over and above reductions recommended in Division reports reviewed by the committee. Recommendations will also result in additional reductions and costsavings (specific amounts to be determined by district staff as recommendations are finalized and implemented). In the event that additional cost-savings or reductions are necessary, the committee strongly recommends: Any additional changes or further reductions to be decided by site/division/department level leaders to maximize the district s ability to serve its students cost-effectively and efficiently with innovation and high-quality education and services. 2018-19 SBAC Recommendations 6
Recommendations 1. Finalize School Consolidation Plan Implement in FY 18-19 with thoughtful repurposing, so as to lessen the impact to student academic and support services. 2. Improve Attendance 1% increase would yield $1.2 million in revenue in ADA. 3. Reimagine Programs and Services Determine alternate, streamlined, cost-effective ways to deliver programs and services so as to maintain or increase positive impact and outcomes for students while minimizing any overstaffing or redundancy. Assure students and the district continue to receive the services offered by the affected programs and services in different ways (specific strategies outline in Recommendations Report). 4. Human Resources Division and Staffing Minimize overstaffing at both the site and district levels. Redesign, reduce, and consolidate staffing for maximum effectiveness. 2018-19 SBAC Recommendations 7
Recommendations 1. Special Education Implement recommended strategies to best identify, serve students in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). 2. Technology Centralize Information Technology budget for district-wide equipment procurement cost-efficiencies 3. Cost Saving Recommendations Include various proposed strategies for district cost-savings 4. Increase Revenue Recommendations Include various proposed strategies to increase district revenue such as the charging the true cost for use of district space by non-pusd entities. 5. Policy Recommendations Policy recommendations to strengthen districts ability to reduce costs and generate revenue 2018-19 SBAC Recommendations 8
Overview of SBAC Recommendations for Budget Priorities, 2018_0117 Overview of Report to the PUSD Board of Trustees re: Superintendent s Budget Advisory Committee January 17, 2018 Coachman Moore & Associates Inc. thanks the PUSD (District) Board, Superintendent and staff leadership for the opportunity to facilitate the Superintendent s Budget Advisory Committee (SBAC), a group of community and District stakeholders, to produce a set of recommendations for the budget priorities during this critical time of fiscal right-sizing. SBAC members were individually and collectively amazing in their dedication to carrying out their responsibility and charge. According to PUSD Board resolution #2414, the purpose of the SBAC is to provide for community involvement by a broad range of stakeholders in Pasadena Unified School District s (PUSD) budgeting and planning process. The committee is charged with developing and offering recommendations for budget priorities to the Superintendent and the Board of Education. Each member was asked to work cooperatively to develop and agree on a coherent set of recommendations for budget priorities, which would then be provided to the Superintendent and the Board of Education. Committee member roles were to: Uphold an inclusive approach to fulfilling the committee s purpose Attend and be prepared to participate fully in all committee meetings Represent and value the diversity of stakeholders interests across the school district Incorporate background materials, training and tools for a) collective decision-making, b) synthesis of data and information and c) integration of specific budget and program proposals from staff Agree on and finalize the list of recommendations for budget priorities by December 13, 2017 The Superintendent provided a framework for performance-based budgeting as defined by William Poston in his book, School Budgeting for Hard Times 1, as well as by the Harvard Coherence Framework 2, to assist staff in producing school site and departmental Theories of Action. The Harvard Coherence Framework in particular requires a District-wide, agreed upon and integrated focus on a) Instructional Core, b) Theory of Change, c) Stakeholders, d) Strategy, e) Culture, f) Structure, g) Systems and h) Resources. The Superintendent s goal was to strengthen the District s ability to create budgets and resources using a bottom-up process focused on the best interest of PUSD students. The District s Graduate Profile was the guiding rubric, supported by the District s Strategic Plan and LCAP Goals, as well as the Board and Staff s Theories of Actions. The SBAC was provided with an overview of group- and team-formation and decision-making processes, which included review of works by Lencioni 3 on team strengths. SBAC members agreed to make decisions by consensus where possible and conduct a majority vote otherwise. 1 Poston, William, School Budgeting for Hard Times, Corwin a Sage Company, 2011. 2 Coherence Framework. Public Education Leadership Project, https://pelp.fas.harvard.edu/book/coherence-framework 3 Lencioni, Patrick, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 2005. COACHMAN MOORE & ASSOCIATES INC. An organizational and community development consulting firm 1
Overview of SBAC Recommendations for Budget Priorities, 2018_0117 The SBAC presented its list of recommendations to the Superintendent on December 18, 2017. The committee s understanding is that the Superintendent will continue to work with leadership across the District to make final determinations of budget reductions to align revenues in 2018 and 2019. Budgeting Based on a Theory of Action Approach The Theories of Actions (TOA) developed by school sites were presented and integrated into an Instructional TOA at an Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) retreat on October 2, 2017. Departments also presented their respective TOAs. Root causes of matters affecting student achievement and District success were also explored. The themes that arose from that discussion included student connectedness, inconsistency in instructional rigor, accountability, employee morale, school climate, and the barriers and social determinants students encounter outside of school. The work of the staff ILT members was refined and presented to SBAC members in meetings #2 (Academics, Specialized Instructional Services and School Support Services) and #3 (Facilities, Business, ITS and Human Resources). Subsequent meetings focused on gaining clarity and synthesizing the presentations to reach a common definition of core and supplemental academic support and administrative services for District budgeting purposes. The figure below depicts the Superintendent and District s expectation for the overall process: Core and supplemental services were distinguished in a presentation to the Board on September 25, 2017, Developing Comprehensive Student-Centered Budget Planning Process. The primary aims of a Core and Supplemental budgeting rubric is based on: The delivery of the Core Instructional program, TK-12 for all students to graduate from high school Operating and governing effectively and safely while meeting the minimum mandated requirements of state and federal education code and laws applicable to all students Honoring collective bargaining agreements Supplemental is defined as: Increased, enhanced, or improved services and strategies to achieve student outcome COACHMAN MOORE & ASSOCIATES INC. An organizational and community development consulting firm 2
Overview of SBAC Recommendations for Budget Priorities, 2018_0117 goals Summary and Next Steps The attached recommendations summarize SBAC members agreements on priorities for budget considerations by the Superintendent, staff and the Board. The committee was unable to make specific recommendations in certain areas regarding right-sizing for staffing ratios and best practice for operational core due to a lack of available information from staff and the absence of the results of the McGuire report. Instead, these steps will be undertaken by the Superintendent and staff leadership. The committee maintained a high level of commitment to their charge and in the end coalesced and bonded under their mission. Inherent in their concerns and analysis is that the Superintendent and Board seize the present opportunity to make the shifts essential for PUSD to become the outstanding District it is capable of becoming. This is best expressed in their overarching recommendation found in the attached. COACHMAN MOORE & ASSOCIATES INC. An organizational and community development consulting firm 3
Superintendent Budget Advisory Committee RECOMMENDATIONS TO SUPERINTENDENT Version 2017_1218 (updated 2018_0119) The Superintendent s Budget Advisory Committee (SBAC) puts forward the following recommendations with the hope that they will be strongly considered as proposed and treated with great seriousness by Pasadena Unified School District staff and Board. Overview Background With significant budget reductions to be made in the next two years, PUSD focused its planning and budget development process to concentrate on the instructional core - the essential interaction between teacher, student, and content that creates the basis of learning. A Superintendent s Budget Advisory Committee (SBAC) was formed by the School Board and Superintendent with the purpose of providing community involvement in the budget planning process from a broad range of stakeholders in Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD). The committee was charged with developing and offering recommendations for budget priorities to the Superintendent and the Board of Education. Committee Composition In fall 2017, the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) sought applicants to serve on the SBAC to review budget and program plans and make recommendations on prioritization for the 2018-2019 district budget to the Superintendent and the Governing Board. The committee met eight times from November 1 -December 13, 2017. A special meeting of the group was held on January 17, 2018. The SBAC was comprised of high school student council members, teachers, principals, staff, parent representatives from mandated district advisory committees, community members and PUSD division and department managers. The selected members provided input representative of views across schools, grade level, constituent and geographic location and bargaining units. Committee members were selected from a pool of applicants or were appointed to represent their constituent group. Balance was sought in the number of representatives from each group type. An average of 25 SBAC members participated in each meeting. District staff at the level of division chiefs, assistant superintendents and department and program directors attended meetings and provided expert information as members of SBAC. Values and Approach SBAC aligned its decisions and budget priorities with agreed upon District policies, goals and values so as to guide the work with attention to ensuring a commitment to high level service to PUSD students, families, and staff. The PUSD Graduate Profile anchored the process and was reflected in the overarching question, what instructional and programmatic services should every student at every PUSD school expect? SBAC Report 2017_1218, updated 2018_0117 1
At its initial meeting, a foundation was laid to help the committee bond and function as a cohesive group. Foremost, SBAC applied an equity lens to its work, and upheld the belief that all PUSD students deserve equal access to curriculum and resources provided by the school District and that the District should provide training for teachers and staff to heighten the organization s capacity to deliver equitable instruction and programs. The following principles were ultimately agreed upon to reflect the group s values: Impact to Students -Guarantee that decisions recognize and support the diverse student body, ensure that students receive a high-quality education and support teachers in their work. Equity and Access -All students deserve equal access to curriculum, and the District will have the teachers and the training to deliver the curriculum at a high level of quality. Core Delivery Deliver core services in cost-effective ways. Creativity Creative thinking to determine and carry out what can be done differently and better. District Focus and Strengths -Do a few things well. PUSD will focus on right-sizing and offer and deliver services and programs that are well done and aligned with core values and goals of the District. Criteria for finalizing recommendations for services, in addition to those that are mandated, includes the following: 1. Service is critical to success of the following PUSD 2016-2010 Strategic Plan priorities: Dynamic instruction Outstanding staff Quality learning environment Meaningful, collaborative partnership/parent engagement High performing and accountable organization 2. Supports one or more of the following areas: LCAP Goals Student Engagement Emotional Support Health and well-being Instruction Instructional materials Professional development Recommendations Overarching Recommendations The Superintendent s Budget Advisory Committee (SBAC) urges the Superintendent, executive staff and the School Board to take courageous, strong and consequential actions to make the difficult decisions necessary so that instructional programs, operational processes and overall systems will be coordinated and aligned for optimal academic effectiveness and greater costefficiencies. SBAC Report 2017_1218, updated 2018_0117 2
The SBAC recommends that PUSD immediately focus its efforts to right-size the budget and assure the district is fiscally solvent and has a plan committed to serving its current base of students with well-articulated programs that are carried out at a high level and maintain educational excellence for all students. The committee envisions the development of a continuum of education approach that consolidates special programs for continuity and coherence. The SBAC identified approximately $1.6 million in budget cuts over and above reductions recommended in Division reports reviewed by the committee. Guidance for SBAC s reductions is found in the list of recommendations below. Furthermore, in the event that additional costsavings or reductions are necessary beyond what is outlined in this document, the committee strongly recommends: Any additional changes or further reductions to be decided by site/division/department level leaders to maximize the district s ability to serve its students cost-effectively and efficiently with innovation and high-quality education and services. Needs at the school site level should drive each fiscal decision to be made. Specific Recommendations In addition to the above, the SBAC recommends that PUSD focus attention on right-sizing the district and its programs with a commitment to serving the students we have with programs that are done well and maintain educational excellence. 1. Finalize School Consolidation Plan Finalize the PUSD School Consolidation Plan and implement, with thoughtful repurposing, in FY 18-19 so as to lessen the impact to student academic and support services. 2. Improve Attendance Improve student attendance and increase ADA (average daily attendance) from its current level of 96 percent (December 2017) to 97 percent (an increase of 1%. It is estimated that a 1% increase would yield $1.2 million in revenue. Potential Strategies: A. Develop Incentive strategies to increase student daily attendance such as giving a percentage of funds to schools with best attendance rates. B. Conduct Saturday schools for students for attendance recovery. C. Determine alternate methods (i.e. scanning devices) for accurate ADA. D. Examine truancy policies and procedures to reduce attendance issues. 3. Reimagine Programs and Services Determine alternate, streamlined, cost-effective ways to deliver programs and services so as to maintain or increase positive impact and outcomes for students while minimizing any overstaffing or redundancy. Assure students and the district continue to receive the services offered by the affected programs and services in different ways. A. Develop a continuum of education approach that consolidates specialized academic programs for continuity and coherence. Competition between schools will be decreased and the District can market a pathways approach rather than individual school and program offerings. For example: SBAC Report 2017_1218, updated 2018_0117 3
i. Consolidate and group successful academic special programs (i.e. Dual- Language, Math Academy, STEAM) in regions so as to create pathways from elementary middle - high school (K-12). ii. Have pathways available regionally (rather than at only one school) and market throughout the district thereby reducing competition between schools and increase broad interest. B. Maintain Equity and Access as a priority for the PUSD. Reassign Equity and Access accountability to the district sites and eliminate 1.0 FTE Equity and Access Coordinator. Charge district sites with holding quarterly meetings with site based- Access and Equity committees to verify implementation and maintenance as specified in district plan. C. Invest in 21 st century languages for business and communication such as Spanish and Mandarin. Only maintain Dual-Language Immersion Programs (DLIP) if staffneutral over time. SBAC recommends elimination of the French DLIP. D. Consolidate and reimagine Health and Wellness services for sufficient and/or greater impact in cost effective ways. i. Eliminate the Supplemental Parent Education ($20,000 consultant) ii. Increase capacity of site-based counselors to provide academic intervention support and eliminate 1.0 FTE Academic Intervention Specialist. iii. Consolidate and reimagine Healthy Start program in sustainable impactful ways. E. Move GATE oversight and implementation to district sites and eliminate 1.0 FTE GATE TOSA II. F. Decentralize athletic oversight to school sites and eliminate 1.0 FTE District Athletic Director. G. Build capacity of site teachers to deliver required sex education curriculum and eliminate 0.8 FTE Health position. H. Consider other options to address concerns of students, employees and community members and eliminate the 1.0 FTE Ombuds position. 4. Human Resources Division and Staffing A. Fill vacancies in ways that benefit students and are cost-effective. B. Hold professional development on pre-service pupil-free days to reduce substitute usage. C. Create a task force to assess the root causes of use of substitutes and make additional recommendations assessment is completed. D. Minimize overstaffing at both the site and district levels. E. Redesign, reduce, and consolidate district central office for maximum effectiveness. F. Reduce use of consultants to carry out district staff work; utilize internal expertise. G. Encourage the use of direct deposit for district employees. Eliminate check stubs by using electronic view. 5. Special Education A. Explore ways to serve students in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). B. Implement Responsive to Intervention (Rtl) and Multiple Tiers of Support (MTSS) to prevent over-identification of students. SBAC Report 2017_1218, updated 2018_0117 4
C. Continue to develop research-based programs for specific eligibilities served in separate classes. 6. Technology Centralize Information Technology budget for district-wide equipment procurement costefficiencies using a prioritized tiered approach across multiple years (not to be done at expense of site discretionary budgets). 7. Cost Saving Recommendations A. Increase electronic communication with families to reduce paper and mailing costs. B. Utilize online report cards and/or progress reports and reduce the number of progress reports distributed to parents. C. Reduce the number of public and employee information events that have a negative budget impact. D. Expand on the use of solar energy across the district. E. Negotiate with the City of Pasadena for lower rates for power and water and/or explore other possibilities. 8. Increase Revenue Recommendations A. Charge private athletic programs (i.e. Little League, youth soccer, etc.) for the true cost of facility use and consider requesting investment for facility upgrades. B. Increase facilities rental fees for all non-pusd entities (such as private and charter schools) C. Implement crowd funding capability for the district and sites for online fundraising (i.e. a Donate Here tab or button each school s website) D. Sell advertisements in the Parent Handbook. E. Pursue other revenue generation projects to bring resources to the District immediately and long term. Additional Recommendations The following are policy recommendations generated by the Superintendent s Budget Advisory Committee (SBAC). Although beyond the scope of the committee s charge, they were recorded so as to help provide additional information, ideas, and support to district budget efforts going forward. Policy Recommendations 1. Change/amend district policy/memorandum(s) of Understanding to charge non-pusd entities that use district sites for the true cost of facility use. 2. Realign existing policy regarding use of consultants including how many, when, and for what purpose. 3. Create/Strengthen district policy regarding sustainability planning and/or conclusion planning for the end of grant/contract term for grant services, programs, and staff. a. Policy to include protocols for determining which, if any, grant-funded staff are sustained and absorbed into the district budget. SBAC Report 2017_1218, updated 2018_0117 5