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School budget passes, cuts official

Posted in school board, tagged , , , , on July 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville paraeducators, including some seen here, will be affected by budget cuts. (Photo courtesy Shelly LaRue)

Some see numbers on a spreadsheet, others see faces.

Except some of those faces won’t be around this fall, as passage of the 2023-2024 Coupeville school budget carries with it the loss of multiple employees.

When the School Board voted 4-1 Thursday to accept a budget presented by Superintendent Steve King and Finance Director Brian Gianello, it also confirmed more than a million dollars in cuts.

Dean of Students Tom Black is not coming back, despite a vocal grassroots movement in which person after person testified to his impact on their lives.

Jessica Caselden remains a teacher, but her other position, as Athletic Trainer, will no longer be funded, despite a letter campaign led by Coupeville High School softball players.

Two paraeducators formerly paid with Covid-era ESSER funds have not been retained, while another was eliminated by attrition.

The district originally posted a job opening to replace a fourth paraeducator who left the district, but are no longer planning to fill that position, King confirmed at a previous budget workshop.

All remaining paraeducators are losing a half hour from their day.

This comes as district officials have said the plan is to keep Coupeville’s special needs students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in-house, instead of giving state money to other school districts in trade for adding those students to their own programs.

For a full list of cuts, pop over to:

https://www.coupeville.k12.wa.us/Page/300

That list, last updated June 21, does not reflect one recent change — reducing the number of teachers being cut.

Earlier in the evening Thursday, the school board approved the hires of Annie Deposit (K-5), Brett Casey (3rd grade), and Jessica Graham (Elementary School) as part of the consent agenda.

The trio, who come in with lower pay rates than their predecessors, replace teachers who, respectively, resigned, continued a leave, and retired, and are necessary to meet K-3 class size targets.

The cuts, which came at the sole discretion of the superintendent, were made in response to the school board approving a Modified Education Plan in April.

This was after the general fund balance dipped well below the target — 6% of the budget year’s expenditures — and the board instructed King to cut up to $1.45 million.

In his remarks Thursday, the superintendent hit on familiar themes — that, in his opinion, the pandemic, the McCleary ruling, unreliable support from the legislature, and rising costs — are impacting all school districts, and not just Coupeville.

While acknowledging the personal loss entailed in cutting jobs, he stands behind his decisions.

“I applaud everyone’s passion,” King said. “What I am proud of is that we have been able to protect student programs, that we are not discussing the loss of those.”

That was a statement echoed by Gianello, who has only been on the job a short time after replacing the retired Denise Peet.

“There are challenges, but also celebrations. Not cutting programs is one of those, I believe,” Gianello said.

“Is this a perfect plan? Probably not, but I think it’s a good framework with some flexibility in it.”

The budget shows projected revenues of $18,443,000 for 2023-2024, with expenses of $18,438,027, giving Coupeville an excess of revenues of $4,973.

The “flexibility” of the budget garnered much discussion at two lightly attended budget workshops, but in front of a half-full room Thursday, board members largely passed on a chance to rehash their questions.

Several crowd members made public comments, primarily in support of paraeducators.

“Adopting a budget that is intent on decimating paraeducators is not in the best interest of our district, and, most importantly, our students,” said Coupeville Education Support Association President Shelly LaRue.

“Paraeducators are valuable and irreplaceable,” added Coupeville Middle School teacher Katja Willeford.

In the end, board members, eyeing an Aug. 1 Washington state deadline for school budgets, opted to accept the proposed budget.

Christie Sears, Alison Perera, Morgan White, and Nancy Conard voted yes, while Sherry Phay voted no.

“I will not vote for a budget which puts priority on a food program over support staff,” Phay said.

White, who graduated from CHS, is now raising her own children in Cow Town — Cole and Riley — with husband Greg, another Wolf alumni.

In trying to find a middle ground, her voice was overcome with emotion as she put words to the thoughts of many, while never claiming to speak for anyone but herself.

“The conversation doesn’t end here,” White said. “This is the beginning, and it is really good to be having these very hard conversations.

“Kindness has been on my mind a lot lately,” she added.

“I really believe everyone in this room is trying to do the right thing.

“We may disagree on some things, but I hope we can continue to work with kindness, and show love and care for each other, and for the kids we are working for.”

In the end, though, CMS teacher Wilbur Purdue, a 21-year teaching vet and true son of the prairie, probably summed it up best in his comments to the board.

“It’s shaping up to be a challenging year.”

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“It’s about finding long term financial stability”

Posted in budget cuts, tagged , , , , on July 26, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Round two was a lot like round one, just with less people in the room.

The Coupeville School Board held a second budget workshop Wednesday, a day before its regularly scheduled monthly meeting.

The first go-round last week attracted an audience of 11 to watch Superintendent Steve King and Finance Director Brian Gianello present the proposed 2023-2024 budget.

This time around, there were three Coupeville Educational Support Association (CESA) union members and one sports blogger in attendance as the five board members peppered the duo with questions.

It all sets up Thursday’s marquee event, which is the official budget hearing and offers board members their first chance to vote on the budget.

Everything begins at 5:30 PM in the Kathleen Anderson Board Room (#305) at the district office, which sits right in front of Coupeville High School at 501 S. Main.

Unlike the workshops, Thursday’s meeting comes with live mics for board members, a full agenda, opportunity for public comment, and video streaming.

Hopefully.

The district sent out an email raising the possibility streaming may have issues with tech master Will Smith being on vacation.

“We will still provide streaming with the link and call-in instruction on the agenda,” Steve King said.

“But given the circumstances our video and audio may not be as effective as it usually is.”

That agenda can be found here:

https://go.boarddocs.com/wa/coupeville/Board.nsf/Public

Wednesday’s workshop came after the district released a revised budget (Version 4.0) at 11:30 PM Tuesday.

The short turnaround, which continues a trend of requiring board members to crunch endless pages of numbers in a very short period of time, is something those directors want to see changed.

“This is a process which could have been better handled on a year-round basis,” Alison Perera said.

“We need to standardize things, so we all have the same information, and the time to properly deal with that information,” added Sherry Phay.

All five board members balanced their comments, praising Gianello for his work on the budget after replacing the recently retired Denise Peet.

But they also stood firm that they need more time in the future to properly do their own share of the work.

“I am sympathetic to the situation Brian is in,” said board member Nancy Conard, who was Coupeville’s Finance Director for many years.

“But we need to improve how we, as a district, handle our financial reporting. And we need to have more lead time in the future to get all of our concerns answered.

“I want to see us proceed with extreme caution on this budget, and the next one, so we can have a true level of confidence in what we are doing.”

Gianello, who arrived in Coupeville after a stint as Finance Director for the La Conner School District, agreed with board members in general terms, and pledged to do his best to keep them abreast of his work.

“I feel really good about this version of the budget,” he said.

“I took your questions (from the first workshop) and talked to the state, and I think we’ve addressed many of your concerns.”

The proposed budget as it stands shows projected revenues of $18,443,000 for 2023-2024, with expenses of $18,438,027, giving Coupeville an excess of revenues of $4,973.

Wednesday’s workshop included much back-and-forth over how those projections could, or could not, play out.

Conard pointed to a line in the budget projecting the school’s Connected Food Program will generate a $50,000 revenue spike in “local money” thanks to the state legislature providing funding for elementary school breakfast and lunch.

“How is that possible, when breakfast is free for the students?” she asked. “Who’s paying? Where is that additional money coming from?”

“Um … staff sales, maybe?” was Gianello’s response after some paper shuffling, which received an arched eyebrow in response.

That exchange, while civil, captures the main difference between administrators, who appear to view the budget as a work in progress designed to give them the ability to make financial decisions, and board members, who want a more concrete document.

All agree that the ever-changing world has an impact, though there are differences of opinion on how to handle outside influences.

The loss of Covid-era ESSER funds hurts, as does larger-than-expected jumps in things such as insurance and food costs.

On the other hand, projections show Coupeville’s student count likely rising, which would provide more money for the district.

Availability of grants is also on the rise, Gianello said, though he agreed with multiple board members who pointed out you can’t count your grants before they hatch.

One thing that is for certain is that budget cuts will happen Thursday if the board approves the budget as is.

King was given sole discretion to cut up to $1.45 million after the board approved a Modified Education Plan in April.

This was in response to the general fund balance dipping well below 6% of the budget year’s expenditures.

As of June 21, the last time the cut list was updated, King had trimmed $1.269 million, and that list can be found here:

https://www.coupeville.k12.wa.us/Page/300

There is one change likely coming to that list, as King told board members the district will eliminate two teaching positions, and not four as originally planned.

Those cuts were by attrition, but increased class size requires more teachers at the elementary school level.

There are several new teacher hires on the consent agenda for Thursday’s meeting.

If approved, those jobs will still represent savings for Coupeville, King said, as the new teachers come in lower on the pay scale than the ones who retired.

Unless board members make their own counter moves, the other reductions, which include cutting Dean of Students Tom Black and Athletic Trainer Jessica Caselden and trimming paraeducator hours, go into effect with approval of the budget.

And those cuts likely won’t be the end.

“We’re likely just beginning with cuts,” King said. “Everyone is.

“With (the) McCleary (decision raising teacher pay) and Covid, and rising costs, the system is failing us; it’s not sustainable. Going forward, schools are likely looking at significant cuts.

“It’s not just a one-time thing.”

However Thursday plays out, and the months and years to come, board members seem united in one thing.

They understand the impact of a pandemic, of the legislature failing to keep promises, and of the ebb and flow of student counts.

They’re willing to give King and Gianello an opportunity to make their case, but want everyone — board members, administration, employees, parents, and students — to work towards one goal.

“It’s not just about keeping spending in check, fixing things for a day,” Alison Perera said.

“It’s about finding long term financial stability.”

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“Budgetageddon ’23” goes back-to-back nights

Posted in budget cuts, tagged , , , , on July 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »

It’s a double feature, sort of.

The regular monthly meeting of the Coupeville School Board, with the 2023-2024 budget hearing, is still set for Thursday, July 27.

But, at the last second, district officials have added a second budget workshop to the schedule.

Coming on the heels of a two-hour-plus affair July 20, this workshop is set for Wednesday, July 26.

All of these meetings are open to the public and start at 5:30 PM in the Anderson Board Room in the district office, which sits right in front of Coupeville High School.

There is no public comment at workshops, and the district chooses not to stream those meetings.

The regular meeting Thursday, which is the first time the board can vote on the budget, comes with all the bells and whistles – live mics, streaming, public comment, other items on the agenda, etc.

The 2023-2024 budget is the first presented by new Finance Director Brian Gianello, and has garnered increased scrutiny as Superintendent Steve King issues cuts in the wake of the school board approving a Modified Education Plan.

That plan was instituted after the district’s general fund fell below the figure set by the board as acceptable.

King, who has sole discretion on cuts, can slash up to $1.45 million.

As of June 21, the last time the cut list was updated, he had trimmed $1.269 million, with several cuts generating sustained blowback from the community.

The moves which have generated the largest negative response include cutting Dean of Students Tom Black and Athletic Trainer Jessica Caselden and reducing paraeducator hours across the board.

 

Budget cuts as of June 21:

https://www.coupeville.k12.wa.us/Page/300

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“Budgetageddon ’23” makes its public debut

Posted in budget cuts, tagged , , , , on July 21, 2023| Leave a Comment »

This, then, is how the sausage is made.

The Coupeville School Board met for two hours Thursday with Superintendent Steve King and new Business Manager Brian Gianello during a public budget workshop, a week before a vote may be taken on that duo’s proposed 2023-2024 budget.

The board later went into executive session for an hour-plus to discuss labor negotiations, with no public action afterward.

The public workshop played out in front of a small gathering of 11 people, including a school board candidate, a Whidbey News-Times reporter, and several school employees.

In the early going Thursday there was a restrained sense of humor at play, though much of that faded over the course of the two hours.

There were no direct confrontations, but there were also no conversations about specific budget cuts, such as those affecting Dean of Students Tom Black, Athletic Trainer Jessica Caselden, and the trimming of paraeducator hours.

Much of the two hours consisted of Gianello — who replaces the retired Denise Peet after his own 21-month run with the La Conner School District — attempting to answer questions about why expenses and revenue don’t match up in many parts of a budget which has not officially been presented yet.

Gianello and King stressed things were very much in flux.

On the downside, insurance costs to the district recently shot up higher than expected.

On the plus side, approval of a new grant surfaced just prior to Thursday’s workshop, raising hopes of continued access to new revenue streams.

While recent trends seem to indicate a rising student population, concrete figures on butts in chairs won’t be known until after the start of school, with those numbers capable of greatly skewing how much money the district receives from the state.

“I don’t have a crystal ball,” Gianello admitted.

The superintendent is working under a school board mandate to cut up to $1.45 million after the district’s general fund dipped well below where board members want it to be.

King has cut $1.269 million, with those cuts listed here:

https://www.coupeville.k12.wa.us/Page/300

Additional cuts could be introduced before the budget hearing, which is set for next Thursday, July 27.

Adding to the crush of preparing a budget, with the goal of having it accepted by the board by the Aug. 1 deadline, the district is still undergoing an audit.

“In my years in schools, I’ve never seen this before, with an audit still ongoing after March,” King said, while stressing there have been no signs of trouble emerging from that review.

In their interactions with Gianello, board members were clear about what they want to see going forward, with transparency foremost among them.

“I would like to have a simple, straightforward way to be able to compare expenses and revenues in each department,” Nancy Conard said. “That would be very helpful.”

The former Coupeville Mayor, who did Gianello’s job for many years as the district’s Business Manager, was joined in her concerns by fellow board members Sherry Phay, Alison Perera, Morgan White, and Christie Sears.

“As a district we don’t have a good history in recent years going forward into fall and winter,” Phay said.

Phay, with the support of fellow board members, is pushing for the budget to be a more concrete document, instead of one which merely authorizes King and Gianello to be able to operate financially.

“We can go into the new school year stronger,” Phay said. “We have to.”

While individual job cuts were not addressed Thursday, some concerns raised included what appears to be $300,000 less budgeted for supplies, and the $40,000 needed to pay for a board-approved new math curriculum not included in the budget.

While pointing to what appears to be a $20,000 shortfall for paying for that material, Perera reminded the room the district has already agreed to purchase that curriculum.

“I think there’s more to it than that,” said King, who promised the board he would follow up on the matter.

The superintendent, who started the night off by noting he and others were wearing “July casual” as they get back into work mode, was returning to action after being on vacation for several weeks.

Board members raised the idea of having another workshop between Thursday’s meeting and the July 27 budget hearing, but King has a final pre-approved mini-vacation next week with grandchildren visiting, making that a no-go.

His stated goal was to deliver a written response to board members Friday with how he sees the proposed budget matching up with the district’s strategic plan.

Gianello is expected to have a revised budget, and his own written response to board questions, finished by Tuesday, July 25.

Two days later the board meets at 5:30 PM in the Anderson Board Room (#305) at the district office, which sits right in front of Coupeville High School.

Open to the public, that meeting will be live streamed, public comment will be accepted, and additional items will be included on the agenda.

The primary focus will be the budget, and the board can vote that night, if it chooses to do so.

If not, the clock would be ticking, with Aug. 1 the deadline set by the state for schools to submit approved budgets, though extensions can also be granted.

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Two meetings, all the marbles

Posted in school board, tagged , , , , , on July 15, 2023| 1 Comment »

Love the sound of budget numbers being crunched during the drowsy summer months?

I personally don’t, but you do you, and more power to you.

But seriously, the next two meetings of the Coupeville School Board are very important.

At a time when Superintendent Steve King has a mandate to cut up to 1.45 million, and sole discretion as to how to make those cuts, people are justifiably on edge.

The school board issued that mandate after the district’s general fund crashed well below where the board has stipulated it wants it to be.

King has issued three updates on budget cuts — they’re not proposals, they’re already approved — though has altered things slightly.

The most public reversal was changing plans to remove Willie Smith as Athletic Director and hand his duties to Vice Principal Leonard Edlund.

A timeline of those cuts — with Smith’s job change now scrubbed from the original May 1 cut list, giving it the appearance of never having been discussed — can be found here:

https://www.coupeville.k12.wa.us/Page/300

Despite sustained public outcry, the current list of cuts still includes the positions of Dean of Students (19-year vet Tom Black) and Athletic Trainer (Wolf alumni and recent bride Jessica Caselden), as well as reductions in paraeducators.

The proposed 2023-2024 budget was posted on the district website last week, and can be found here:

Click to access DRAFT_2023-2024_F195_Summary_Pages_Fund_Summary_Budget_Summary_GF1-GF15_ASB1_DS1-DS2_CP1-CP3_TVF1.pdf

The school board has two meetings scheduled in the next two weeks, and the budget will be the primary topic of discussion.

Those meetings, which go down at 5:30 PM in the Anderson Board Room (Annex Room #305 at the high school) will not be the same, however.

The July 20 meeting is a board workshop, with the budget, and only the budget, on the agenda.

This is a public meeting, not executive session, and is open to all who wish to attend in person.

It will not be streamed online, however, as district officials choose not to stream workshops.

There is also no public comment taken at that meeting.

The July 27 meeting is the normal monthly meeting, with all the bells and whistles — streaming, live mics for board members, public comment time, and additional items on the agenda.

Willie Smith might even try and slip a middle school coaching hire past me during the dog days, putting it on the consent agenda just to see if I’m awake.

Never know. Have to be ever vigilant.

In more serious matters, the July 27 meeting is the primary budget hearing, and would be the first time the board could take a public vote on the 2023-2024 budget.

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