Renovation and Referendum (or R&R)

Last night was the first of three community meetings to inform the community, and get input, about planned renovations in the Lebanon schools. This has been in the works for a couple years, and now we're really seeing the projects moving ahead ... but they can only be completed with community support.

Here are some FAQ which were distributed night, cut-and-pasted from the corporation web site:

Why is the district considering facility improvements?

Extensive renovation is needed at L.H.S. to incorporate instructional technology and to reduce energy costs. In an economic environment where school districts must find operational cost savings, the money saved on energy can be put to better use in staff and instruction. Classrooms at L.H.S. were designed before technology and collaborative projects became such an integral part of learning and when the average physical size of students was smaller. Many classrooms at L.H.S. feel cramped. All schools need increased security as well as improved heat and ventilation control, and three schools need specific improvements.

What is being considered?

The extent of the renovation plan will be decided after community input during a series of public meetings this spring. Improvements being considered are:
•Lebanon High School – Expand the flexibility to support a functioning modern school. Upgrade the building’s technology to create a 21st century learning environment, improve temperature controls and improve security systems.
•All schools – New security cameras linked into a centralized security system, centralized heating, upgraded ventilation and controls
•Central Elementary School – Improvements to the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system
•Lebanon Middle School – Create a secure entry
•Hattie B. Stokes Elementary School – Replace roof

The state is currently cutting funding to all school districts. How will Lebanon Community School Corporation handle budget reductions? Wouldn’t it be better to spend this money on teachers rather than buildings?

L.C.S.C. must reduce its 2010 budget by $980,804 due to the recent cuts in state funding; administrators have met with staff and community members to discuss and define those reductions. The reductions being considered now are in addition to a number of reductions already made in 2009. There are two important things to remember:
1. operating costs and money to upgrade buildings come from different funds, building funds cannot be used to pay teachers or staff, and
2. improved energy efficiency will increase fund availability for classrooms

When would the proposed renovations begin? How long will the projects take?

If projects are approved by the board during the summer of 2010 and by voters in the November 2010 referendum, construction would begin in the spring of 2011; targeted completion would be the summer of 2013.

Why do we need to do this now?

The renovation of Lebanon High School is needed to meet the learning needs of 21st century students.

Improvements to the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system at Central Elementary School will improve the school environment and increase energy efficiency.

The new roof at Hattie B. Stokes Elementary School will protect the investment in the building.

The secure entry at Lebanon Middle School and new security cameras for all schools linked into a centralized security system will improve student safety. L.C.S.C. is no longer a small school system out in the country. The school community has grown and is now adjacent to a major highway. It is important to have appropriate building security for the types of situations which may occur in schools anywhere.

How can I stay informed about the plans?

•Attend the remaining public meetings [both meetings are at 7 p.m. in LHS room B-14]:
April 27 – proposed solutions
May 4 – updated renovation plan and additional cost definition
These meetings are your opportunity to have input into the plan.
•Check the district Web site periodically at www.leb.k12.in.us
•Sign up for e-mail update

How much will the proposed projects cost?

The district is still defining individual project costs. The total scope of the projects will be determined after gathering public input during a series of public meetings this spring.

What could this mean to my taxes?

A total project cost has not been determined at this time. [There's a chart with potential tax impact for property of different values in the document, but I couldn't get it to cut-and-paste. It's available at the link above.] [Please note that the local tax rate for the Lebanon schools has gone down 36% since 2006, from $1.76 in 2006 to $1.12 in 2010.]

Extending the life of our school buildings, remaining competitive

The district wants to be fiscally responsible in extending the life of our buildings and preparing our buildings and programs to be competitive with surrounding school systems.

A project of this size would improve facilities at EVERY school in the district and extend the life of Lebanon High School for a cost that’s about a third of what it would cost to build a new high school.
Lebanon Community School Corporation has an unprecedented opportunity to take advantage of the high-tech jobs coming to the Duke/Anson development and other developments available along the Indianapolis-Lafayette corridor. The school corporation wants to be attractive both physically and educationally to the families filling these high-wage and high profile jobs – and to have these new families consider living in and educating their children in our community.

There will in all likelihood be a referendum--a ballot item--about this project on the November ballot. No final decisions have been made yet--the administration and board are gathering information from the public, and the board's vote to move ahead with the renovation and referendum process will probably happen in June. The referendum is required by Indiana law for any project over $20 million; this will be the first time for the Lebanon schools to go through this process. Look for more details to come.

Budget proposals

A couple weeks ago the superintendent presented to the board and the community the proposals to meet the $1 million shortfall in our general fund for this year. Here's the full proposal, and I encourage any reader to take a close look. Print it out, highlight it, add question marks, add and subtract some numbers, and let me know what you think

Here are some highlights:

• The state is sending us about $1 million less than they promised for 2010, and those are general fund dollars. We spend 90% of our general fund on salaries, wages, and benefits.
• During 2009 and 2010, LCSC cut more than $650,000 from general fund expenses, anticipating this move by the state.
• If we don't make any adjustments, a general fund shortfall of $1.2-1.4 million is predicted in each of the next three years.

So the proposal is to reduce in four different ways:

• Reduce expenditures for utilities, postage, supplies, professional development, summer school, and participation in the J. Everett Light vocational programs, for a total reduction of about $280,500
• Reduce personnel expenditures through cuts to administrative compensation and some position eliminations in certified, classified, and extracurricular areas (see the full document via the link above for a list of specific positions)
• Spend down our cash balance by $800K this year, $400K in 2011 and $500K in 2012. Even with the cuts we're making, we'll be deficit spending and can use the cash balance for this purpose. Hopefully by the end of 2012 the economy and state revenues will be back to healthy levels, and school funding along with them.
• Transfer of funds. The legislature voted to allow a transfer to the general fund from other funds in the corporation. The amount permitted for Lebanon is about $125,000, and this transfer cannot happen until July 1.

Here's some of what is still intact if the proposed cuts take effect:

• free full-day kindergarten across the LCSC (which is only partly funded by the state, with local money making up the difference)
• all LMS and LHS sports (although some assistant coaching positions are on the list of cuts)
• families will not pay for participation in sports or extracurricular activities ("pay to play")
• band and arts programs at LMS and LHS
• special education services, high ability services, the AVID program, and most vocational programs at LMS and LHS
• class sizes of no more than 30 students

This is a very fluid situation. Staffing and budget adjustments will take place over the next few months depending on how many staff retire or resign and whether the state makes further cuts (which is quite possible), among other "moving parts."

The board votes on these proposals (probably with some adjustments) at our April 20 meeting. I'm interested in reader response to these proposals, but I have a request. If you would like to take some items off the list of proposed cuts, would you please suggest what you would like to see cut in place of that item or position? Because the cuts have to be made--our cash balance means we're not cutting as deeply as many other districts, but cut we must. And soon.

Thank you for reading!

In the eye of the storm

I haven't posted in a while, but not because I haven't been thinking about and working on school board matters. Quite the opposite. The statewide budget crisis that I wrote about a month ago is on my mind all the time.

As I read about cost-cutting (read: people being put out of work) measures at districts around the state, my heart sinks and my blood pressure rises. How did it come to this? Schools are not immune to recessions, particularly the sort of monster recession the country's been in for a couple years now. But recent changes to Indiana's school funding and property tax structure have combined with the recession to make this a very hard hit.

Closer to home I am cheered that the Lebanon schools are in better shape than many other districts, due to careful planning and conservative money management. Perhaps it is cold comfort to say that others are in worse shape than we are, but it is the truth.

After weeks of work, four staff meetings, and two community meetings, next week Dr. Taylor and CFO/assistant superintendent Charles Tait will release to the board and the public the final list of proposed cuts. The board will discuss and take public input on on the proposal at our March 16 meeting, and vote on the budget cuts at our regular meeting on April 20. The goal in putting the proposal together has been to impact teaching and learning as little as possible, to cut strategically to protect the gains Lebanon has made in student achievement, and to spread the pain of the cuts across all sectors of the budget.

Even after implementing the cuts, however, the budget situation is very fluid. How many LCSC staff will retire this year? (Retiring staff are not required to tell the corporation of their plans by any certain date.) Will the legislature act to allow schools to move money from one fund to another in order to relieve some pressure on the general fund? Will the state come back to us next week, next month, or in August (or all three), and tell us that they are cutting even more from our general fund? State revenues were reported down again yesterday--we have to be ready to respond if that impacts K-12 funding.

Right now we have to plan very conservatively and prepare for the worst, while hoping that we can make positive adjustments between now and August.

Thank you for reading.