The winter break is over, and it's time to focus on your health. I've been committed this year to focusing on being a healthier Superintendent through setting my own personal goals of losing weight, making healthier eating choices, and managing stress. Boy, do I need stress management right now!
This will be a stressful year for everyone, so I’m asking you to join me in the district-wide "tons of fun health challenge.” I'm going to increase my physical activity by participating in A+ Teacher Fitness. I'm also going to pay close attention to my diet by focusing on healthy foods. Every staff member who participates will receive an REI bag with coupons, goodies, and health tips to help you identify personal health goals for yourself. Along with the goodie bags, every staff member who participates has the opportunity to win cash prizes based on the highest percent of body weight lost.
Join me and 400 other AISD staff members (as of January 31st) by signing up today. Click on the link:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AqsihY6uqNN-dDBWVm1pVE1OZ2xaV0FaSGRtWThiblE&hl=en&authkey=COqFh9cE
The Get Fit! Tons of Fun Health Challenge is your opportunity to set a health goal to work toward over the next 12 weeks from February 14th through May 3rd.
1. The first step is to make the decision to Get Fit!
2. Second, by yourself or with a team on your campus sign up on the Google doc link above.
a. If you haven’t already, start breaking up your campus or department into teams of 3-10. If you do not have a team, just ask to join one!
b. Enter your height in INCHES and complete your baseline measures on the Google Docs. Your school nurse can measure your blood pressure.
c. For those campuses who have not already done so, please designate a Fit Leader and inform Tracy Lunoff or Ian Kahn in her office who that person is (via email).
d. If you don’t want everyone to know your weight, your Fit Leader can enter you with an anonymous number.
3. Third, set a health goal for yourself.
4. Finally, make a plan to reach your goals in the next 12 weeks. Along the way, to keep you from dropping out, we will have a raffle every couple of weeks for a big prize for everyone participating, entering their data, and tracking on their activity log.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas offers its free Weight Management Coaching, Personal Health Manager, and Don’t Weight to Feel Great email program offering weekly tips on how to stay on track. You can access the Personal Health Manager through Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas at www.bcbstx.com/austinisd.
The best part about the Challenge is that by May we will have created a whole new healthy lifestyle for ourselves.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Preliminary Reduction Proposal to Balance the Budget--Section 1
Confronted with a budget shortfall of at least $94.4 million for the 2011-12 school year, we are developing a draft preliminary budget proposal for the Board of Trustees that will bring us close to our target. The Board will discuss these proposals at its board meetings on February 14 and February 24. We are calling this "Option 4," after crafting three previous options designed to address earlier shortfall estimates. Option 4 represents our current best thinking and addresses the shortfall that is currently projected for AISD. The projected shortfall and our draft preliminary proposal to address it could change as the Legislature continues its deliberations.
Please see the District website at www.austinisd.org/inside/board/meetings.phtml for all materials shared with the Board regarding the budget development process.
The first section of this draft proposal is our base reduction, consisting of items recommended by a majority of our district leaders, campus principals, teachers, parents, and community members through meetings and surveys. This section totals $20,172,00 in reductions.
Section 1--The items in the base reduction are included throughout all options proposed to the Board.
Item Total
Implement a 4 day/10 hr work week in July
$470,000
Implement an aggressive Energy Saving Program
$500,000
Reduce centrally funded food
$320,000
Obtain fixed pricing for fuel
$400,000
Central Office hiring freeze and impose a 30 day wait to fill vacancy
$1,500,000
Reduce centrally funded travel
$600,000
Reduce portable usage
$600,000
Reduce Summer program to mandatory only
$800,000
Shift the Tactical Compensation program to the
Strategic Compensation program as a component of the TIF grant
$1,000,000
Implement across-the-board cuts and reduce central departments by at least 2%.
$1,500,000
Postpone/Cancel the opening of a Multiple Pathways School
$1,450,000
Provide standard plan for health insurance coverage at 100%
and offer an optional 'buy-up' plan that employees can elect
to participate in with an employee contribution
$8,800,000
Reduce Athletics Program by 2%
$232,000
Close and relocate Central headquarters (CAC).
NOTE: This actual reduction, savings, and relocation would not be
realized until 2014, according to Master Facility Plan Task Force analysis
Eliminate the Transition Fund program
$270,000
Eliminate the Quality of Life program which supports various community
partnerships who work to provide enrichment experiences for children of color
$170,000
Reduce district contribution to Austin Partners in Education (APIE) by 2%.
$10,000
Reduce local funding for the Turnaround Initiative which supports
local school reform efforts for struggling schools
$400,000
Eliminate central support for the Read 180 program
$300,000
Eliminate Hardship Leave for employees that
experience extreme health challenges, after Extended Leave has been exhausted
$400,000
Implement hub pick-up for Magnet student transportation.
$200,000
Hold custodial Supply allocation flat
$250,000
Subtotal Base/Survey Items $20,172,000
Please see the District website at www.austinisd.org/inside/board/meetings.phtml for all materials shared with the Board regarding the budget development process.
The first section of this draft proposal is our base reduction, consisting of items recommended by a majority of our district leaders, campus principals, teachers, parents, and community members through meetings and surveys. This section totals $20,172,00 in reductions.
Section 1--The items in the base reduction are included throughout all options proposed to the Board.
Item Total
Implement a 4 day/10 hr work week in July
$470,000
Implement an aggressive Energy Saving Program
$500,000
Reduce centrally funded food
$320,000
Obtain fixed pricing for fuel
$400,000
Central Office hiring freeze and impose a 30 day wait to fill vacancy
$1,500,000
Reduce centrally funded travel
$600,000
Reduce portable usage
$600,000
Reduce Summer program to mandatory only
$800,000
Shift the Tactical Compensation program to the
Strategic Compensation program as a component of the TIF grant
$1,000,000
Implement across-the-board cuts and reduce central departments by at least 2%.
$1,500,000
Postpone/Cancel the opening of a Multiple Pathways School
$1,450,000
Provide standard plan for health insurance coverage at 100%
and offer an optional 'buy-up' plan that employees can elect
to participate in with an employee contribution
$8,800,000
Reduce Athletics Program by 2%
$232,000
Close and relocate Central headquarters (CAC).
NOTE: This actual reduction, savings, and relocation would not be
realized until 2014, according to Master Facility Plan Task Force analysis
Eliminate the Transition Fund program
$270,000
Eliminate the Quality of Life program which supports various community
partnerships who work to provide enrichment experiences for children of color
$170,000
Reduce district contribution to Austin Partners in Education (APIE) by 2%.
$10,000
Reduce local funding for the Turnaround Initiative which supports
local school reform efforts for struggling schools
$400,000
Eliminate central support for the Read 180 program
$300,000
Eliminate Hardship Leave for employees that
experience extreme health challenges, after Extended Leave has been exhausted
$400,000
Implement hub pick-up for Magnet student transportation.
$200,000
Hold custodial Supply allocation flat
$250,000
Subtotal Base/Survey Items $20,172,000
Preliminary Reduction Proposal to Balance the Budget--Section 2
A second section of Option 4, the Administration's current draft preliminary proposal to reduce the budget for next year, consists of a set of draft proposals addressing budgets across the district. It also includes the utilization of the district's fund balance to cover some district expenses, while maintaining a strong fund balance that continues to meet Board and State guidelines.
Section 2--Additional Draft Preliminary Proposed Budget Reductions
Item Total
Reduce substitute pay for professional development $1,100,000
Leave accrual reduction (2 days)-policy change required $750,000
Utilization of Fund Balance $15,000,000
Two days furloughs- require statute change $4,200,000
Reduce Strategic Compensation $400,000
Middle school standard bell time for transportations savings $250,000
Eliminate performance based incentive-Superintendent $25,000
Eliminate performance based incentives-Principals (Tactical Comp) $300,000
Reduce encumbrance carryover $2,500,000
Redesign up to five schools and two vertical teams,
accelerate closures (up to 3), consolidations and boundary
adjustments to improve quality of educational programs $3,000,000
Reduce the Athletic budget additional 3% for a total of 5% $367,173
Eliminate Dell Tech-know program $64,000
Subtotal Additional Reductions $27,956,173
Section 2--Additional Draft Preliminary Proposed Budget Reductions
Item Total
Reduce substitute pay for professional development $1,100,000
Leave accrual reduction (2 days)-policy change required $750,000
Utilization of Fund Balance $15,000,000
Two days furloughs- require statute change $4,200,000
Reduce Strategic Compensation $400,000
Middle school standard bell time for transportations savings $250,000
Eliminate performance based incentive-Superintendent $25,000
Eliminate performance based incentives-Principals (Tactical Comp) $300,000
Reduce encumbrance carryover $2,500,000
Redesign up to five schools and two vertical teams,
accelerate closures (up to 3), consolidations and boundary
adjustments to improve quality of educational programs $3,000,000
Reduce the Athletic budget additional 3% for a total of 5% $367,173
Eliminate Dell Tech-know program $64,000
Subtotal Additional Reductions $27,956,173
Preliminary Reduction Proposal to Balance the Budget--Section 3
The third section of Option 4, the current draft preliminary proposal to balance the budget for School Year 2011-12, consists of changes in staffing. Because staffing represents 88 percent of the district's budget, it is impossible to reduce our budget adequately without reducing staff positions. Below you will find the new staffing levels approved by the Board of Trustees at its January 24, 2011 meeting. These new staffing ratios are now being used by our schools and our Human Resources Department to determine the staffs on individual campuses for the coming school year. The changes in our staffing formulas will amount to a savings of approximately $30 million for the coming year.
Section 3--Staffing Formula Changes
Item Total
Increase class size for Pre-K from 18:1 to 20:1 $1,275,000
Increase class size at elementary by 2 pupil (1:23, k-4) (TASB) $9,810,000
Special Ed Teacher case load of 15:1 for Resource and Inclusion (TASB) $1,110,000
Staffing formula: increase teacher workload to 174
and class size to 29 at secondary level $8,800,000
Addl' Teacher Scheduling Inefficiencies (TASB) $2,200,000
Librarian Model Change @ secondary (TASB) $1,300,000
Reduce one AP Reagan $81,720
Reduce one AP LBJ $81,720
Reduce .5 Administrative Supervisor at Homebound
$45,000
Reduce one AP at Int'l HS
$81,720
Reduce one Clerk at Int'l Hs
$32,000
Reduce one Teaching Asst at Int'l HS
$31,000
Reduce one Career Training Specialist at Garza $70,000
Fine Arts reduction (revised) $235,000
Implement Shared services model for Account for Learning $1,350,000
Eliminate central office positions that assist
the Positive Behavior Support Program (6 FTEs) $480,000
Change the work schedule for newly hired
custodial staff from 12 months to 10 months
$200,000
Warehouse personnel reduction (8 FTEs) $340,000
Reduce non-campus professionals (18 FTEs) (TASB) $1,086,300
Reduce non-campus clerks (25 FTEs) (TASB) $1,111,900
Subtotal Staffing $29,721,360
Section 3--Staffing Formula Changes
Item Total
Increase class size for Pre-K from 18:1 to 20:1 $1,275,000
Increase class size at elementary by 2 pupil (1:23, k-4) (TASB) $9,810,000
Special Ed Teacher case load of 15:1 for Resource and Inclusion (TASB) $1,110,000
Staffing formula: increase teacher workload to 174
and class size to 29 at secondary level $8,800,000
Addl' Teacher Scheduling Inefficiencies (TASB) $2,200,000
Librarian Model Change @ secondary (TASB) $1,300,000
Reduce one AP Reagan $81,720
Reduce one AP LBJ $81,720
Reduce .5 Administrative Supervisor at Homebound
$45,000
Reduce one AP at Int'l HS
$81,720
Reduce one Clerk at Int'l Hs
$32,000
Reduce one Teaching Asst at Int'l HS
$31,000
Reduce one Career Training Specialist at Garza $70,000
Fine Arts reduction (revised) $235,000
Implement Shared services model for Account for Learning $1,350,000
Eliminate central office positions that assist
the Positive Behavior Support Program (6 FTEs) $480,000
Change the work schedule for newly hired
custodial staff from 12 months to 10 months
$200,000
Warehouse personnel reduction (8 FTEs) $340,000
Reduce non-campus professionals (18 FTEs) (TASB) $1,086,300
Reduce non-campus clerks (25 FTEs) (TASB) $1,111,900
Subtotal Staffing $29,721,360
Preliminary Reduction Proposal to Balance the Budget--Reduction Totals
The three sections outlined in the previous blogs totaled $77,849,533 in proposed preliminary reductions. This remains $16,522,481 short of our projected shortfall. The Board will have to consider among several options to make up this amount prior to passing its final budget in the summer. Thus far, the Board has committed to keeping full-day pre-Kindergarten, retaining staffing levels for Elementary librarians, and maintaining the second planning period for our secondary teachers.
Other options for reductions may be considered, and the projected shortfall amount may change over the next few months as the Legislature considers the amount it will reduce public education funding.
Please continue reading our website and my blogs for the most up-to-date information.
Other options for reductions may be considered, and the projected shortfall amount may change over the next few months as the Legislature considers the amount it will reduce public education funding.
Please continue reading our website and my blogs for the most up-to-date information.
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