Thumbnail Facts: Enrollment/Teacher Loss Not Cause of $17 Million Bham Board of Ed Losses

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Birmingham schools are administratively overstaffed in the central office.  The following facts taken from the 2006 Staffing Audit of former school Superintendent Waymon Shiver confirms what Citizens for Better Schools has know all along - The real financial drain on City schools is an overstaffed central office:

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Thumbnail Facts: Enrollment/Teacher Loss Not Cause of $17 Million Bham Board of Ed Losses

Citizens For Better Schools: What's New? CFBS Letter Warns Mim's of "Faustian Deal" With ALSDE ** CORRECTION! -Bham City Schools' Bus Company Sold - British Company takes over; BHAM DOES NOT USE LAIDLAW. THE DISTRICT CHANGED TO THE STS FIRM FORM LAID LAW. SCHOOL DISTIRCTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO OUTSOURCED TRANSPORTATION COSTS AS THE INDUSTRY CONSOLIDATES *** JeffCo Ed's Gresham Elementary Parents Form First Citizens for Better Schools Chapter = Public Education & Black History Month, Learning from the Civil Rights Movement NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND REAUTHORIZATION ** NCLB Meets "Old South Defiance" Guidelines and Frame Work For Superintendent Stan Mims Lay Citizen Advisory Task Force (BOE Policy 6170) Evidence Based Consequences of Increased School Size CLASS SIZE REDUCTION Class Size Comparison Changes For Parents - The Classroom Effects of Closing & Consolidating Schools Thumbnail Facts: Enrollment/Teacher Loss Not Cause of $17 Million Bham Board of Ed Losses Despite Free Space in Some Schools, Many Packed Classrooms(How are Birmingham Classrooms?) Citizens for Better Schools favorite links about Birmingham City Schools Education Research on School Size: School Climate and Academic Achievement In Education: Big Is Not Better - Research Finds Small Schools Better for Poor and Black Students COMING SOON: ** Mims Piece Delayed ** The Choice - "Big Schools or Small Neighborhood Schools" - Is City Help Available? - "Education is Key to Closing Income Gap,” Nation’s Top Economist Says = Birmingham Lottery Starts Monday - Arthur Watts, City Schools' Money Man: "Will Words Become Deeds to Meet Needs" of Students?" Favorite Links: The Good Common School Journal Contact Us Guest Book Page: Guest Book Page: Favorite Links: Custom Layout4: Custom Layout: 

Birmingham Schools are "top heavy" (overstaffed) in the central office, not in our neighborhood schools.

The following facts, taken from the 2006 “Staffing Audit” of former school Superintendent Waymon Shiver, confirms what Citizens for Better Schools has know all along -  The real financial drain on City schools is an overstaffed central office.

Are "small" neighborhood schools costing City schools too much money?Keep reading - YOU WILL BE SURPRISED After You Read the Summary of the Shiver Audit Report: 

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SHIVER STAFFING AUDIT: May, 2006

GENERAL FUND PAID STAFF

AND EXPENSES CONTRIBUTING TO SCHOOL SYSTEM DEFICITS (MAY 2006)

ü      Transfer of “grant-employees” to General Fund Employees  (e.g., lost national Science Foundation Grant employees) 3,970 are full time; 1,00 are “regular substitute, teachers, supply workers, student workers, contract employees, and partite workers

ü      Of 3,970 fulltime employees, 3,423 work in local schools

ü      2,536 are certified teachers, curriculum support teachers, principals, assistant principals, counselors, and librarians

ü      Another 887 work in “classified” positions, secretaries, clerks, aides, custodians, and child nutrition (Lunchroom)

ü      547 employees work in the “Central Office,” 67 are assigned to positions as supervisors/administrators, and represent 2% of the workforce (“Administrators” manage a department or program that supervises and evaluates personnel)

ü      BBE employees 5,000 people on its monthly payroll

ü      Monthly Payroll is approximately %19.5 million

2003 RIF

Legal Fees

Legal Settlements

Long Term Equipment Contracts

Teacher Units:

BBE employees 2,300 classroom teachers. 

130 are paid form BBE General Funds

 Over 200 are paid from federal funds.

Teacher Allocation is based on SACS Standards:

K-3 = 1:18       4-6 = 1:26        6-8 = 1:29        9-12 =  1:29

(But see, and compare, ALSDE Grade Divisor Teacher Allocation Funding Formula)

ALSDE specifies the number of principals, assistant principals, counselors, and librarians for each school.  After all state funded units are filled; the state allotment can be supplemented through class size reduction units using federal funds

Career technical units and Special Education n Units are included in the basic formula (with “state weighted” formula measures)

Central Factors affecting Assignment of teachers

            Enrollment Forecast

            Actual Enrollment

            Transfer Law

            20 day window to transfer after school starts

School enrollment fluctuates, widely, form year to year

10/12 month contract conversation

15 month employees, automatic 3 weeks paid vacation

            Employees got better salary and benefits

CENTRAL OFFICE PERSONELL

SUP OFFICE                                                                                      5

CHIEF OF STAFF                                                                              2

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER                                                         2

LOCAL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION                                          12

ATTENDANCE DEPARTMENT                                                       23

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

 AND GRANTS                                                                                  13

CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION                                                   100

FED PROGRAMS (ADMIN Bldg & SCHOOLS)                              10

CHILD HEALTH                                                                                15

FAMILY NINVOLVEMENT                                                             6

TESTING                                                                                            3

HUMAN RESOURCES                                                                     16

ADULT ED                                                                                         5

COMMUNITY AFFAIRS                                                                  4

SCHOOL SAFETY & DROPUT PREVENTION                               32

COMMUNITY EDUCATION                                                            14

TRANPORTATION/BUS TERMINAL                                              15

BUS DRIVERS                                                                                   96

FACILITIES, ASSESSMENT & OPERATIONS                               7

MAINTENANCE/SERVICE CENTER                                              130

Child Nutrition/Davis Center                                                                 13

Technology/Admin Bldg/East Lake                                                       41

SCHOOL SECURITY/PATROL/DAVIS CENTER                            18

PHYSICAL BUILDING SECURITY AND SAFETY/

   ADMIN BUILDING                                                                        18

TEXTBOOKS SOUTH EAST LAKE                                                   7

FINANCE BUSINESS & ADMINISTRATION

    ADMINN BUILDING                                                                    36

GRAND TOTAL                                                                               547

SUMMARY – STATISTICAL DATA of LOCAL SCHOOLS

Position

#Staff               

Teachers & Curriculum Support

2,264

Librarians

65

Principals

67

Assistant Principals

62

Support Personnel (secretaries, clerical, aide)

 

Counselors

78

Total

3,423

SUMMARY OF ANALYSIS OF PERSONNEL IN

SELECTED DEPARTMENTSR

Department

#of Staff

Proposed Number of Staff Reductions for 2007-2008 SFY

Proposed  2007-2008General Fund Budget Projection

Adult Ed

5

5

245,554.00

Attendance

23

4

331,3300

Community Affairs

4

1

83,205.00

Community Schools

14

14

800,000.00@

Curriculum

100

13

732,000.00

Even Start

7

3

104,000.00

Facilities & Assessment

8

3

176,038.00

Finance

36

3

147,729.00

GED

1

1

93,000.00

Patrol Security

18

2

100,000

Physical Bldg. Security

18

2

171,000,000

Psychometrist

130

16

679,245.00

Technology

41

7

363,000.000

 

 

 

 

Total  Cuts

(“Costs Savings)

 

76

4,156,101.00*

Projected 5 year savings =  $20,780,505

Data Source, Dr. Waymon Shiver, Former Superintendent, Birmingham City Schools

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Former superintendent Wayman Shiver calculated eliminating of 76 "unnecessary" administrative posts would save $4,156,101.00 in otherwise recurring costs.  @ CFBS recommends that Community schools not be cut; reduce savings by $4,000,000.  Community schools are income producing and can add back to the general fund revenues for equated cost savings from Community Schools revenue generating activities.

Media and BOE claims blame small schools for driving up operating costs. Judge for yourself.  Hear is "An Inconvenient Truth" about operating costs in Birmingham City Schools:

Birmingham City Public Schools: Journal Summary Budget Analysis Report 1/22/07

Big Schools – Big Costs Over Runs

School & ADM*

Enrollment

2005-2006 Budget

Budget

Actual

2005-2006

Percent (%) Over/Under (+/-)

2005-2006 Budget

School Dollar Amount Over/Under

Budget

Avondale

$333.608

375,250.98

+11.09%

$379,953

Banks**

349,345

441,328

+20.47%

379,953

Center St

194,082

221,207

+12.26%

276,134

Glen Iris

336,552

433,375

+22.34%

389,216

Hudson

303,119

366,373.32

+17.26%

307,609

Huffman H

663,481

742,395.43

+10.62%

805,805

Inglenook

205,420

237,986

+13.68%

343110

Minor

274,482

328,560

+16.45%

319,369

Parker

512,582

655,936.04

+21.85%

617,338

Putnam M

229,430

255,858.73

+10.32%

273,656

Robinson

274,797

324,123.67

+15.21%

327,117

Riggins**

66,800

116,325.90

+42.57%

145,033

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Small, neighborhood schools controlled costs better than large schools, even among some of our newest and recently renovated schools such as Glen Iris and Avondale, the latter schools posting double digit cost overruns respectively.

Birmingham City Public Schools: Journal Summary Budget Analysis Report 1/22/07

Costs Comparison of Small Neighborhood Schools (Proposed for Closing)

School & ADM*

Enrollment

2005-2006 Budget

Budget

Actual

2005-2006

Percent (%) Over/Under (+/-)

2005-2006 Budget

School Dollar Amount Over/Under

Budget

Operation & Maintenance

(O&M) of School Per Student in Dollars

Price

$137,082

$135,753.00

 -0.96%

- $1,329.00

 

Curry

$179,923

 

+7.955%

+$15,539.00

 

Going

$188,746

$186,964.00

+6.90%

+$12,711.00

 

N. Roebuck

$237,874

$247,998.66

+4.08%

+$10,124.66

 

Wilson

$199,473

$213,266.00

+6.46%

+$13,793.00

 

Powderly

$117,067

$201,881.00

+42.01%

$84,000.00

 

Wright

$173,253

$183,964.27

+5.82%

$10,711.27

 

 

 

 

Stan Mims, the Alabama State Department of Education and Birmingham Boar of Education tap dance around the Alabama Sunshine and Open Meetings Law, as they close your schools!