Fairfax Education Board Takes Governor's Call To Heart

Fairfax ed. board takes governor's call to heart
Full-day kindergarten cut helps hold line
From The St. Albans Messenger - Wednesday, February 18, 2009
By LiSA M.BOUCHER
Messenger Correspondent

FAIRFAX—In January, Gov. Jim Douglas called on schools for level funding as a means of saving on education spending. This came at a time when many schools had already prepared their budgets for the coming year.

On a snowy, Jan. 28 evening a handful of people turned out for a special meeting of the Bellows Free Academy, Fairfax (BFA) School Board, a meeting held to address the governor's request. The board had sent the budget back to the administrators to wiggle out a few cuts to come as close to level spending as possible.

The original budget of $11,589, 883—a 3.8 percent increase over last year, was ultimately whittled down to $11,317,945, a 1.49 percent increase over last year.

Despite the governor's assertion of school enrollment decreasing while costs are increasing, enrollment at BFA, Fairfax has been relatively steady since 2001 with only minor fluctuations between 940 and 1,000 students in the K-12 school. A decrease at the elemenary level is usually offset by an increase in the high school.

High School Principal Scott Lang attributes this to the increasing number of tuition students who find the small school environment attractive and its ability to offer a myriad if programs and extra curricular activities. He also noted that the funds these students bring in are helpful to the school.

BFA already has a per-equalzed student cost of $10,058 for the 2009/2010 school year. This is about 11 percent less than the statewide average of $11,187. It is also lower than the other schools in Franklin West Supervisory Union and most of the schools in he surrounding area.

"Actually it's not a meeting school boards like to have to go through," said Board Chair Peg Stewart said of last month's session-. "But because of the mandates from Montpelier, with the governor advising that budgets be level funded, we have asked he administrators to go back through the budget."

The board then spent the next two hours discussing each item in the outline that had been drafted with items in order of priority, starting with those items that did lot directly affect students.

Items were categorized into four sub-groups;
A. Changes to the Budget to Reflect Most Recent Information;
B. Elimination Planned Program Expansions & Institute a Hiring Freeze;
C. Reductions in Non-Instructional Programs & Staff;
D. Reductions in Existing Instructional Support.

Among those items removed were everything hi group A and B which included health care premiums, Tech Ed Tuition based on actual accounts and restructuring of the supervisory union.
The much heralded and maligned full-day kindergarten, high school restructure stipends, and a vacant Industrial Arts (Tech Ed) teaching position were also removed.

All members of the board agreed that this was not the year to expand programs, although concerns lingered over the Tech Ed program. "So many people have come to me and said, 'Don't cut the Tech Ed position," said Bruce Chattman, superintendent, FWSU. "But the reality is, we don't have anyone to teach it." .Peg Stewart added that no one was applying. Possible future alternatives were briefly discussed.

"I came here intending to urge you to not take out the full-day kindergarten," said Clarice Street, a proponent of the proposal, with a child who will be starting kindergarten in the fall. "But after listening to you, I appreciate what you are going through—it's not fun. I just ask that you continue to consider it for the future."

As the discussion went down the list into group C, the board became more concerned, thoughtful and selective regarding its cuts, as these were now inching closer to program and staff cuts.

They trimmed $57,382 from a possible $115,595 by deferring painting of the second floor in the elementary wing, holding off purchasing a new tractor, freezing the salary of the new principal (replacing Scott Lang), reducing staff and administration raises, and eliminating funds for in-service food, principal conferences, and training for computer support staff.

Each of the five items in the last group, enrichment program, technology equipment and software, elementary teachers request for books/supplies, five percent reduction in co-curricular budget, and a summer driver's education teacher, directly affected students and garnered the lengthiest discussion.

The only item to be removed was $25,000 for technology equipment and software. This was for a second mobile lab. It was felt that since it wasn't already in place, there was no reason to fund it this year.

The revised budget includes an increase in the professional trainer contract, graduation tent expenses, special education out-of-district student placements (special education expenses were incurred starting this year), the cost of the Alert Now notification system, which had been covered by a grant. Capital projects include continued replacement of the heating ventilation units (five units have been replaced^ yearly for a number of years) and replacing carpeting in the elementary wing that is greater than 10 years old.

The percentage breakdown for spending in BFA's overall budget is: 69.27 for direct instruction; 14.58 for special education; 5.4 for instructional support; 6.53 for administration; 4.47 to the supervisory union; 2.81 to cover debt service; and 3.62 to transportation costs.

The estimated local tax rate is $1.118, based on a homestead rate of $0.86.

The common level of appraisal for the next school year has been calculated at 90.57 percent. Down from 94.02 percent this school year.

Approximately 70 percent of the nearly 1,300 homesteads in Fairfax receive about $900 in a tax rebate.