The Crisis in Funding for Public Education: Your Child’s Future Is at Stake

The Crisis in Fundingfor Public Education:Your Child’s Future Is at Stake A presentation by Washington State PTA May 2008 www.wastatepta.org

Table of Contents The Crisis in Funding for Public Education • Headlines • Background on Funding for K-12 Education • The Challenge of a 21st Century Education • Decreasing Funds • Increasing Costs • Districts Make Budget Cuts • Budget Cuts Affect All Students • Budget Cuts Affect Everyone • What’s Wrong with State School Funding Formulas? • What is the State Doing About the Funding Crisis? • What Can You Do About the Funding Crisis? Click on a to go directly to the chapter.

Last updated June 8, 2007 Math scores still lag in WASL Preliminary test results released By JESSICA BLANCHARDP-I REPORTER Published: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 1 in 4 first-year students earn F's More than 1 in 4 Snohomish County high school freshmen failed … By Eric Stevick, Herald Writer Friday, September 1, 2006 248 schools in state fail U.S. goalsIn Seattle, students at 28 sites 'need improvement' By JESSICA BLANCHARDP-I REPORTER “A total of 15,921 high school students dropped out of school during the 2004–05 school year.” Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Job Forecast Over the next five to seven years,Washington State employers will need more workers with some form of postsecondary vocational trainingthan any other educational level. Post Secondary Career and Technical Education Works 2006 Board Update April 2007 Inadequate numbers of students are being prepared to fill the state’s critical workforce needs, especially students with bachelor’s and advanced degrees in high-demand fields.

Published: Monday, December 4, 2006Bus funds fall short Schools pay when state doesn't, study says By Melissa Slager / Herald Writer Published: Saturday, May 5, 2007 Marysville schools consider cuts District officials will prioritize $3 million in suggested cutbacks to save $900,000 next year By Eric Stevick / Herald Writer School cuts outlined Sports, libraries, cleaning could all be slashed Local News: Sunday, April 22, 2007 Renton schools face budget crunch Sara Leaming Staff writerMarch 8, 2007 By Karen Johnson Times Southeast Bureau Local News: Saturday, February 10, 2007 Issaquah district seeks ideas on budget woes Local News: Friday, March 23, 2007 Seattle schools to find way to balance budget By Alex Fryer Seattle Times staff reporter By Rachel Tuinstra Seattle Times Eastside bureau Tuesday, October 31, 2006 Districts challenge special-ed financing By DAVID AMMONSTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS OLYMPIA Coalition suing Washington state over school funding January 11, 2007 Sunday, July 29, 2007 Southeast Opinion It's time to solve state's education-funding crisis By Skip Priest Special to The Times

#2. Background on Funding for K-12 Education The State Constitution “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders…” Table of Contents

2. Background K-12 Ed is 25% of State’s Total Operating Budget

2. Background K-12 Ed is 41% of State’s General Fund Budget

2. Background State has Biggest Piece of K-12 Ed Funding Pie Source: Based on OSPI data for General Fund revenues for school year 2006-07.

3. The Challenge of a 21st Century Education “Young People Urgently Need New Skills to Succeed in the Global Economy”

3. The Challenge of a 21st Century Education Do our students know how to deal with massive amounts of information? Do our students know how to communicate globally? Do our students understand how to be self-directed and how to organize their own learning? Have we changed our teaching methods to reflect the new technology? Do our schools have the new technology? Table of Contents

3. Challenge of 21st Cent. Per-Pupil Funding Comparisons WA

4. Decreasing Funds for Schools Washington State’s per-pupil funding ranks 44th in the nation • U.S. Average per pupil- $8,973 • WA State per pupil - $7,432 Source: Education Week, Quality Counts 2008, based on per-pupil expenditures adjusted for regional differences in education costs (2005).

4. Decreasing Funds Washington State’s per-pupil funding has lagged behind the US national average since 1995. Table of Contents Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, Digest of Education Statistics 2005, Table 167.

4. Decreasing Funds The State’s student funding has not kept up with inflation since ’92. $2,103 Source: OSPI’s Education Reform and Implications for School Finance, Jan. 11 2008 Presentation before the Basic Education Finance Joint Task Force

4. Decreasing Funds Seventeen districts have very low per-pupil funding

4. Decreasing Funds Rank of the 65 Districts* that were below the avg. $6,906 per-pupil funding

5. Increasing Costs for Schools More Students with Greater Needs Source: OSPI Report Card Table of Contents

4. Increasing Costs Certain federal and state laws require that all children must meet State Academic Standards + Federal No Child Left Behind Act WASL State Law These laws ADDED big costs, BUT have notbeen accompanied by any significant increase in State or Federal funding.

6. Many Districts Have Cut Their Budgets Decreasing Funds and Increasing Costs Districts can’t initiate new programs or expand existing ones. Districts cut budgets. Districts cut administrative programs. Districts cut support services, maintenance. Districts cut instructional programs. Balanced budget, but inadequate services. Table of Contents

6. District Budget Cuts Classified Staff Custodians Office Staff Bus Drivers Maintenance Workers Security Guards

6. District Budget Cuts Enrichment Programs Sports Arts Band Music Programs

6. District Budget Cuts Certificated Support Staff Nurses Librarians Instructional Coaches Counselors

6. District Budget Cuts Instructional Supplies & Equipment Lab Equipment Computers Paper Classroom Technology Textbooks and Student Materials

6. District Budget Cuts Specialized or Advanced Courses Advanced Placement World Languages Career and Technical Education

6. District Budget Cuts Certificated Teaching Staff ELL Teachers Core Classroom Teachers Tutors Math & Science Teachers Special Ed Teachers

7. Budget Cuts Affect All Students without extra staff, the burden falls on classroom teacher. 9 students who require extra attention…. Lack of funding for student needs affects all students. Table of Contents

Lack of Resources Linked to Low Math WASL Scores 7. Cuts Affect All Students Source: OSPI data from State Report Card

Schools struggle to prepare students for the workforce and postsecondary education. 7. Cuts Affect All Students School Work

7. Cuts Affect Students Students Not Prepared for Work Although about 34% of Washington’s 60,000 high school graduates go straight to work after graduation, only about 20% of all graduates have completed a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program in high school. Which is too bad, because: • Businesses are more likely to hire CTE students • Workers with CTE credits earnmore than workers without • Workers with CTE credits are more likely to continue their education Source: Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, 2004 Report

7. Cuts Affect All Students Most Students Not Ready for College

7. Cuts Affect All Students Many high schools have low rankings in UW admit decisions

7. Cuts Affect All Students College Remediation Ratesare High and Costly • 42% of the students who graduated from public high schools in 2004 and attended a WA State technical college, community college, or university enrolled in at least one remedial course • Families pay double; students need more time to earn their degree • Leading predictor of college dropouts is the need for remedial reading

7. Cuts Affect All Students Washington’s Leaky Education Pipeline

7. Cuts Affect All Students Our Children’s Opportunities and Financial Security Are at Stake Source: U.S. Census 2004. Cited by Edfund. Learn and Earn Chart 2005

8. School Budget Cuts Affect Everyone • Without an investment in education, • we face a future labor force less skilled than the present one, • our potential tax revenues will be reduced, • public expenditures for crime, health care and public • assistance will increase, and • our youth will be less able to care for our elderly. Source: Belfield, C. and Levin, H. The Price We Pay: Economic and Social Consequences of Inadequate Education, The Brookings Institution, 2007. Table of Contents

8. Cuts Affect Everyone in WA Source: Belfield, C. and Levin, H. The Price We Pay: Economic and Social Consequences of Inadequate Education, The Brookings Institution, 2007.

9. What’s Wrong with State School Funding Formulas? Not Enough Funding for • General Student Needs • Special Student Needs • Staff • Operating Facilities Table of Contents

9. What’s Wrong with Funding Formulas? Basic Education Programs WA State is Legally Required to Fund the Six Legally Defined Programs = Basic Education • General Apportionment • Special Education • Vocational Education • Learning Assistance Program • Some Pupil Transportation • Juvenile Detention Center & State Institution Ed

9. What’s Wrong with Funding Formulas? General Apportionment Formulas • Certified Instructional Staff • Certified Administrative Staff • Classified Staff • Facility Needs & Instructional Supplies

9. What’s Wrong with Funding Formulas? Let’s follow a simple but vital funding formula ….

9. What’s Wrong with Funding Formulas? For example …. How does the State Funding Formula allot Certified Instructional Staff (teachers, instructors, librarians, counselors, nurses, etc) in Grades 5-12 to the Renton School District? x 8,000 students = 368certified instructional staff 368c. i. staff x base salary x staff mix factor =$ staff salary allotted

9. What’s Wrong with State School Funding Formulas? How much funding does The State allot to Renton S.D. for C.I. Staffin Grades 5-12? x 8,000 students = 368certified instructional staff 368c. i. staff x base salary x staff mix factor =$ staff salary allotted 368c. i. staff x$31,386x1.47707 =$17,060,229

9. What’s Wrong with State School Funding Formulas? How much funding does The State allot to Renton S.D. for C.I. Staffin Grades 5-12? x 8,000 students = 368certified instructional staff 368c. i. staff x base salary x staff mix factor =$ staff salary allotted $31,386 368c. i. staff x $31,386x1.47707 =$17,060,229

9. What’s Wrong with State School Funding Formulas? How much funding does The State allot to Renton S.D. for C.I. Staffin Grades 5-12? x 8,000 students = 368certified instructional staff 368c. i. staff x base salary x staff mix factor =$ staff salary allotted 1.47707 368c. i. staff x $31,386x 1.47707 =$17,060,229

9. What’s Wrong with Funding Formulas? Part 1 - The C. I. Staff-to-Student Ratio Traditional = 1 to 5 ? Modern WA = 1 to 21.7

9. What’s Wrong with Funding Formulas? Part 1 - The C. I. Staff-to-Student Ratio in Grades 5-12 – As Recommended by Experts Based on the Picus model developed for WLC. This excludes CIS for extended learning, summer school, certified tutors and special education.

9. What’s Wrong with Funding Formulas? Part 1 - The C. I. Staff-to-Student Ratio • Recommended by Experts = 71 / 1,000 • Allocated by State Formula = 46 / 1,000 So, over 1/3 fewer staff than shown effective…..

9. What’s Wrong with Funding Formulas? Part 1 - The C. I. Staff-to-Student Ratio To Get the Job Done, Districts Do Hire More Certified Staff Than the State Allocates* *Data is from 2006-07. Certified Staff include instructional and administrative staff for all grades.

9. What’s Wrong with Funding Formulas? Part 2 - Staff Base Salaries Vary Across Districts Source: LEAP Document 12E Salary Allocations for the 2006-07 School Year http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/budget/leapdocs/k12docs.asp

The Crisis in Funding for Public Education: Your Child’s Future Is at Stake