02.10.2008
4 big issues that will shape the future of city schools
2008 will be a pivotal year for the district
By Simone Sebastain - The Columbus Dispatch
For every dollar that comes into the Columbus school district, about 11 cents is funneled out to pay for the education of students not enrolled in its schools.

That money -- $73 million this year -- is passed on primarily to charter and private schools attended by students who live in the district. That figure has more than tripled since 2004 and now surpasses the yearly amount raised by the levy that voters passed that year.

The consequences of a shrinking student body will weigh heavily as Columbus schools leaders begin a year of difficult decisions.

Some district officials say the next 12 months will be among the most important in recent history in setting the schools' direction. Choices about finances will determine what programs the district can pursue, and choices about programs will carry financial costs.

The district is scheduled to ask taxpayers for more money this year to pay for its basic operations. It might do the same for its ambitious school construction project.

Adding to the challenge, labor contracts for two district unions will expire this year, raising the possibility of salary hikes and more costly fringe benefits.

On top of that, a number of big changes are on the table. For one, Superintendent Gene Harris wants to open preschool programs in nearly every elementary school -- an estimated $12 million venture.

She also favors a districtwide expansion of high schools to seventh- and eighth-graders. Just implementing that plan -- which also would move sixth-graders into elementary schools -- in one neighborhood would cost an estimated $3 million.

"Not only from an academic standpoint, but from a financial standpoint, this is one of the biggest years we're going to have to date," said school board member W. Carlton Weddington.

All this will force the district to take a good look at how its budget is functioning.

Spending has grown 8 percent since passage of the 2004 levy, which has raised about $62 million a year. District officials said at the time that would sustain operations for four years. This year, the district's general-fund budget, which covers most of its basic operational costs, adds up to $651.6 million.

School officials have honored their promise to restrict the budget's growth to no more than 3 percent a year, making a number of cuts in the process. But the savings were often offset by growing costs, district financial documents show.

The teaching staff and administrative positions were cut, reducing the amount paid in salaries by 6 percent. But the cost of employee benefits has surged 12 percent.

The district is operating 16 fewer schools than in 2004. Yet utility costs have increased 31 percent.

Further, tens of millions of dollars have been shifted from educating the district's typical students to teaching those with special needs: immigrants, children with disabilities and students who are considered gifted, for example.

The district spends 14 percent more to educate those students than it did in 2004. They make up a growing percentage of the district's enrollment.

Meanwhile, vocational programs and the teaching staff for typical students have shrunk. The district is spending half as much -- $10.2 million -- on career education as in 2004. And salary costs for teachers and the rest of the regular instructional staff have fallen 14 percent.

In 2006, the school board shortened the middle- and high-school day by an hour. The move allowed the district to save an estimated $12 million, district officials said, largely because of school staff cuts.

But transportation costs have skyrocketed about 14 percent each year since 2004, growing by $19 million to the current $48 million. Though gasoline costs have increased, most of the new transportation expenses have been for equipment and services.

"It's not just that we have a large number of students who chose (charter) schools, it's because of the environment as a whole that we have to tighten our belt," Weddington said.

The tough economic climate will add complexity to the school board's decisions, said member Stephanie Groce, particularly when negotiating labor contracts and determining how large a levy to ask for. "We all need to be mindful of our economic reality," she said. "Certainly people want to make more money and deserve more money. But we have to realize a levy will impact people whose income is not increasing at the same rate."

City Councilman Andrew Ginther, who served on the school board for five years until 2006, said he's optimistic about the district's future, despite the struggling economy.

He noted that, even with cuts, the district has improved its academic standing. Since 2004, the graduation rate has increased 13 percentage points, to 73 percent. The district has moved up to a C on the state's rating scale, from academic watch to continuous improvement.

"I'm sure there are some folks who think there is never a good time" to ask for another levy, he said. "But (the school district) made its levy last four years by closing schools and reducing the staff. … I think they have a great case to make to the public."

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