Madison Schools Budget Change Information/Links

The Madison School District's Administration announced a series of 2005/2006 budget changes (eliminate some programs, reduce the increase in others, eliminate some positions). The overall budget will increase by about 10M+, from 316.8M in 2004/2005 to 327.7M in 2005/2006 (via Roger Price's recent budget presentation. [slides pdf]).

• Barb Schrank looks at where the money went last year (.xls file) and finds that the instructional budget took the biggest cut while Building Services, Student Services, Human Resources and Education Services grew by 18M+
• Lee Sensenbrenner
• Ruth Robarts on the annual Spring Budget Four Act Play (a version of this also appeared here)
• Sandy Cullen
• The Madison School District's Summary [pdf]

Read the District's introduction to the discussion items by clicking on the link below. This intro summarizes the priorities the Administration used to create the proposed budget changes (page 1 of the pdf link).

After 10 years of continually reducing services to our children and community, putting this budget together has been a difficult and heart wrenching experience for the Administration. We are long past the time that we can solve our revenue cap problems by being more efficient or eliminating things that are �nice but not necessary.�

This year�s budget cuts include things that all of us value, believe in and which make our District one of the best in the country. Placing these services on the reduction list has been the most difficult decision that the Management Team members have ever faced. The Team has been guided throughout the process by the Board of Education�s directive to utilize the District�s strategic plan in making its decisions. In addition to using the Strategic Priorities delineated in the Strategic Plan we utilized the Board of Education�s three goals in determining its priorities for making the service reductions:

• All students complete 3rd grade reading at grade level or beyond.
  
• All students complete Algebra by the end of 9th grade and Geometry by the end of 10th grade.
  
• The district-wide attendance rate is at least 94%.

In keeping with these goals, we have sought first to protect the reading and mathematics instruction in our primary grades. Every effort has been made to keep small class sizes and to keep reading interventions, mathematics instruction and staff development focused on these first critical grades.

Research shows that children who are successful at this early stage of their education are successful learners throughout their K-12 experience.

Our next priority was to protect classroom instruction and safety in our middle and high schools. Although it was necessary to make some reductions in staff in these schools, we have protected the fundamental instructional needs and supported the measures necessary to maintain safety at each level.

Our decision to place the highest priority on these programs meets the Board of Education�s direction to follow the Board�s priorities and goals in making our recommendations. By prioritizing our limited resources to assure that children can successfully meet the Board�s goals, many other very important things must be reduced or eliminated. We recognize their importance and value but realize we can no longer keep them a reality in our district.

Every year, all of our staff are called on to give more to keep our children�s education sound. This year will be no different. The Board of Education will weigh our recommendations and make the final decisions that it feels are in the best interest of our students and our community. We wish the situation were different, but it is our reality.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at March 4, 2005 10:44 AM
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