PAC Meeting 7/20/04

Minutes

The meeting opened with a recap by Cathie Kosel on the expected budget savings accrued from school closures.  Cathie stated that it would not be possible to provide the committee the exact figures for each school under discussion for closure as they had requested.  Given the complexities of teacher bumping rights (the biggest variable) the best figure the committee could use was the generic one of $257,000 provided by Bryan Richards. This figure represents the least amount of savings realized in one school closure and represents the following items:

Sample School

Closing the first school generates the least savings in each position:

- Principal $84,142 (.5FTE) =     $42, 071

- Secretary  =                             $40,970

- Clerk =                                    $8,883

- Head Custodian =                    $50,000

- Custodian (0.5 FTE)                 $21,356

- RSP (0.5 FTE) =                      $27,000

- RSP aide (0,47 FTE)                $10,365

- Teacher (1 FTE)                       $54,000

- Utilities = $12,000

Total savings = $257,715

( Taken from handout provided by staff 6/28/04)

The matter of using this sample savings figure was debated for the first hour of the meeting. Some committee members were not satisfied with this option and wanted the staff to provide them with the specific budget savings expected from closing the schools under discussion, namely Seaview and Fairmont and potentially several others. Cathie stated that this figure was the best figure they could get at this time and actual savings could not be assessed until the schools were actually closed and teacher movements occurred. Cheryl King added that since the schools under discussion were relatively equal in size she thought that the sample budget figure was a good figure to work with for purposes of a discussion. Board Member Karen Fenton offered that the board would accept a recommendation based on the sample figure provided by the staff and would make further inquiries to obtain more accurate data. Also since the school closures would take place in 2005-06 and not this year, there would be time to consider all the variables and changing data.

Several members of the committee expressed the view that they could discuss school closures with this figure but were still reluctant to use it for making specific recommendations. Other committee members want to make sure that the savings were actually realized and spent efficiently.  One member wanted to know the figures for on-going maintenance of closed facilities, not reflected in the handouts. Another member said that the “re-use value of the closed facilities was also an important factor to consider.  These requests could not be satisfied at this time. The facilitator asked the committee whether they wished to go forward with a general discussion on school closures using the sample figure.  The committee agreed to go forward. The committee developed the following factors that would provide reasons for closing a school and keeping one open.

Reasons for closing a school

- Enrollment lower than the guidelines provided by the Board of Education (intended as the breakeven point)

- Students have nearby alternatives

- Poor structural conditions at the school site

- If the actual savings accrued could be used effectively

- If consolidated students have access to resources and programs

- If keeping an under enrolled school had negative impacts on programs

- Consideration of equity issues (Brown vs. School of Education)

Reasons for keeping a school open

- Strength of school community (Neighborhood concept of “closest to home)

- Transportation: alternative schools not within walking distance

- Tick off a lot of people

- Risking loss of ADA

The committee then made a list of schools under consideration for closure based on the first criteria.

- Seaview

- Fairmont

- El Sobrante

- Olinda

- Murphy

Cheryl King offered to provide a 20 minute presentation of the demographics of each of the targeted schools. In the interest of time, the committee agreed to start with one school at a time. They started with Fairmont. Cheryl provide the data and offered to post it all on the website as well as provide a disc to committee members who wished one. The discussion began but there was insufficient time to develop a recommendation.

When committee was asked if they wised to end or extend the meeting, the committee voted to calendar two additional meeting dates in August and take up the discussion then. The new dates are Monday, August 2^nd and Monday, August 16th. The meeting adjourned at 8:05.