Education Finacne, Economics, & Budget Monitoring

Welcome to Citizens for Better Schools WHAT'S NEW: Ala Ed Budget Crisis - State Takes Fed Stimulus Funds Then Cuts State Funding REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: Brown Past 50 SympoSIUM and Education Workshops SCHOOL TAKEOVER CORNER: BIRMINGHAM * DETROIT * SAINT LOUIS School Size and Grade Structure Contact Citizens for Better Schools Education Statistics & Thumbnail Facts: School size not saving Detroit schools form chopping blocks - Economies of scale B'ham Superintendent Search: Edgecombe County - Birmingham City Schools NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND REAUTHORIZATION UPDATE PAGE - NOW OPEN BIRMINGHAM SCHOOL CLOSING WATCH: MORE SECRET MEETINGS 2007-2008 BIRMINGHAM SCHOOL CLOSINGS (HERE WE GO AGAIN - "DOWN SIZING, RIGHT SIZING, or CAPSIZING" ) Alabama School Districts Without One Month Reserve Fund More Busing in Birmingham With School Consolidations ALA'S #1 PROBLEM: TEACHER SEXUAL MISCONDUCT Blog Ala's Biggest Problem - Teacher Sexual Misconduct BIG SPENDERS - MOST COSTLY SCHOOLS NOT SMALL SCHOOLS The late Henry Sparks made Birmingham the financial envy of the state's education system Education Finance, Economics, & Budget Monitoring Despite Free Space in SomeSchools, Many Packed Classrooms(How are Birmingham Classrooms?) Class Size Comparison Changes For Parents - The Classroom Effects of Closing & Consolidating Schools COMING SOON: ** THE CHOICE: SCHOOL ZONING, BIG SCHOOLS - SMALL SCHOOLS (WHICH EDUCATES THE POOR BEST?) CLASS SIZE REDUCTION Education Research on School Size: School Climate and Academic Achievement Evidence Based Consequences of Increased School Size Curriculum and Instruction BIRMINGHAM CITY SCHOOLS DECLINE: THEFT IN SCHOLS - INTERNAL CONTROLS LACKING Worhtless BOE Guidelines and Frame Work For Superintendent Stan Mims, Lay Citizen Advisory Task Force (BOE Policy 6170) Sabotaged In Education: Big Is Not Better - Research Finds Small Schools Better for Poor and Black Students Links About Birmingham City Schools The Good Common School Journal Thumbnail Facts: Birmingham Enrollment/ Teacher Loss Not Cause of $22 Million Bham BOE Losses Anniston Citizens for Better Schools FAIRFIELD CITIZENS FOR BETTER SCHOOLS Jefferson County (Alabama) School System: Sylacauga Citizens for Better Schools Citizens For Better Schools: Education Management and Leadership Special, Exceptional, and Gifted and Talented Education GOLD FACULTY - BROWN PAST 50 WORKSHOP: BEYOND NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND - FULFILLING THE PROMISE OF BROWN Contact Your School, State, and Federal Representation Here! Favorite Links: Legal Resources - College Funding Opportunity ALL SPORTS Birmingham - ALL THE TIME GENDER EQUITY: Public Schools, Segregated Schools? Phillips Academy - Crisis in Student School Bus Transportation WE ARE "HOKIES" TOO! Topic Index: BREAKING SCHOOL CLOSING NEWS ** Citizens for Better Schools Guest Book

B'ham is Not the Only School District Short on Reserve Funds ** In Education - Money Matters and How You Spend It Matters Most - California is making It easer for its citizens to know and understand school budgets and finance; see the "Getting Down to (School Finance) Facts" Press Conference video on this page.

"Why's Everybody Always Picking on Me?"

That's the main line in the 19060's pop hit song "Charlie Brown – He’s a Clown." Faced with state take over for the third time since 1998, Birmingham school officials are probably asking why the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) is “always picking on” them. Many people are asking the same thing - Why is the ALSDE insisting on closing Birmingham schools? Is it treating other Alabama school districts the same?

Birmingham is not alone,however, when it comes up short on operating reserve funds. Here are city and county school districts in Alabama without one months operating reserve funds as required by Alabama’s school accountability law.

City and County school districts with expenditures over revenue and less tha one month's reserve funds on hand:

Anniston

$(554,148) 0.7

Birmingham

$(6,667,811) 0.6

Huntsville

$1,100,834 0.5

Lanett

$ 39,000 0.3

Leeds

$ 125,098 0.7

Linden

$ 121,340 0.2

Piedmont

$ 14,150 0.7

Sheffield

$ 235,122 0.1

Tuscumbia

$ 179,225 0.3

COUNTY SYSTEMS

School System Expenditures Months of

Over revenue Reserves on

Hand

Barbour $268,778 0.7

Bullock $149,921 0.1

Chilton $65,110 0.9

Choctaw $1,180,596 0.3

Cleburne $71,028 0.6

Coosa $70,515 0.3

Dallas $222,051 0.5

DeKalb $285,330 0.9

Etowa $112,528 0.3

Franklin $380,738 0.2

Hale County $277,298 0.9

Jackson $330,896 0.7

Lamar $37,314 0.0

Marion $16,696 0.5

Marshall $(1,726,251) 0.3

Morgan $(1,93,384) 0.4

Pickens $(116,886) 0.5

Talladega $956,767 0.9

Wilcox $174,076 0.4

B'ham Finance Plans Based On Un-audited Fiscal Years

Public Audits on Birmingham City Schools 3 years Behind

Forensic Audit Needed - Details tomorrow

GRADE DIVISORS: HOW ALABAMA PAYS FOR TEACHER UNITS

WITHOUT LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVING TO USE THEIR FUNDS:

AGuidetoAllocationsFY2007.pdf (975 KB) http://www.alsde.edu/html/sections/documents.asp?section=68&sort=5&footer=sections

This is how the state pays for teachers in your child's school, including Florala High School (with only 162 students) in Covington County

Education Finance Litigation, School Funding Policy and ......

With consistent optimism and a keen understanding of political challenges, Bob
Sexton has authored a new book, Mobilizing Citizens for Better Schools,...

www.schoolfunding.info/news/advocacy/7-27-04adv_BookReview.php3

Do you know what's in your school's budget?

Did you help write your school's budget? Have you attended budget hearings? Will you attend and participate in the next budget writing session for your school and school district?

"Getting Down to (School Finance) Facts" video" http://msmedia.dot.ca.gov/governor/20070314_capitol.asf

To read their budgets, you have to know their language. Learn "the budget language" in Alabama right here, click on this link now: http://www.alsde.edu/html/sections/documents.asp?section=59&footer=sections (Then scroll down to BudgetHearing5_GlossaryOfTerms.rtf (39 KB)
FY 2007 Budget Hearing Glossary of Terms)

How Alabama Financially Supports Classrooms

http://www.alsde.edu/html/sections/documents.asp?section=68&sort=9&footer=sections

Alabama Finance Accountability Publications:

http://www.alsde.edu/html/sections/documents.asp?section=59&sort=9&footer=sectons

http://www.alsde.edu/html/sections/documents.asp?section=59&sort=5&footer=sections

http://www.alsde.edu/html/sections/documents.asp?section=68&sort=5&footer=sections

Hh How to get Titl I Funds for Your School

http://www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/wdag.doc

Example:
A school with grades K thru 3 has an ADM total of 225.50.
225.50 / 13.80 = 16.34

(Tchr. Units Earned)

Arthur Watts, pectured below, is Birmingham's money man. How he writes budgets determine how spending is, or is not, linked to academic achievement in Birmingham Schools

The Alabama State Department of Education provided Birmingham City Schools $30 million for operation and maintenance (O&M) for our schools in 2005-2006. Mr. Watts budgeted $18 million of OCE money for operation of all 66 Birmingham schools. Our O&M budget had a an average 6.% cost over run in 2005-206 for all schools, spending $19.3 million, leaving a $12 milliion state funded OCE budget balance. How did Mr. Watts spend this fund balance? Which city schools had cost over runs above nine percent; were they our small schools or big schools? Which cost the district disproportionately more, big schools or small schools?

HOW BIRMINGHAM SPEANT STATE FUNDED OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE COSTS IN 2005-2006:

Total Operating Revenue form State OCE $30 Million

Total Birmingham Operating Expense $19.3 Million

OCE State Funded Balance for Birmingham $12 Million (How and where was it spent)?