FCPS Budget Up 4.5%
The proposed Frederick County Public Schools budget shows an increase of 4.5% over 2018, with expenditures of $604 million for 2019, including $3.4 million in new requests. This preliminary budget, recently presented to the Board of Education, is followed by an all-day BOE workshop to review expenditures by department and a public hearing. The BOE will vote to approve their finalized budget on Feb. 14.
Initially, the proposed budget is based on enrollment projections calculated from several planning sources. 2018 projected enrollment was 41,876, calculated to rise to 42,922 in 2019, an increase of 1,068 students. FCPS Budget Officer, Heather Jo Clabaugh points out actual student enrollment in 2018 increased by 350 above projections. So, while this number must be factored into calculations for 2019, the actual increase for 2019 is 718 additional students. The total includes increases of 200 English Learners and 175 Special Education students. She said that staffing requirements are based on enrollment projections.
Enrollment accounts for a $6.8 million increase in the proposed budget for 2019, plus $2.9 million for programs, services and mandates. The largest request is for an additional $17.9 million for the Salary Resource Pool as a third year contribution in the four-year teacher pay scale upgrade. New expenditure requests reflect costs associated with the opening of Butterfly Ridge Elementary School equating to more than 106 full time positions and two buses. New expenditures throughout the system cover seven categories including building maintenance, technology and textbooks.
State funding for 2019 is estimated at $278.8 million with the Governor’s budget to be released on January 17th. Funding from the County is estimated at $276.6 million. Clabaugh points out state and county officials have yet to determine the allocation of funds for education in 2019. She anticipates county executive action before the end of the state legislative session in April, and similar county council action before June, 2018 when the BOE can then approve a final budget.
BOE members were asked to prepare questions in advance of the workshop on Jan. 17, and several spoke to their areas of concern. Board member Liz Barrett requested a breakdown of funding for special education, specifically funding for educating students with dyslexia and dysgraphia (dyscalculia is not identified in the budget). She also requested a cost breakdown for out-of-county private placement (including transportation,) and a clarification of how professional development training for Central Office staff is conducted.
Student board member Will Anderson questioned how a $100,000 allocation in the 2019 budget for special education training and materials will be used. Superintendent, Theresa R. Alban, Ph. D. said reading and math intervention specialists had been working with dyslexic students during the current year, and the 2019 allocation was intended to make these positions permanent. A Request for Proposal to fill these positions had already been distributed and the BOE would approve the contract.
Barrett also made a request to explore the role of an ombudsman for FCPS. She said such a resource would be “specifically designed as a place for parents to go.” An ombudsman was incorporated into school systems in Montgomery and Howard Counties. She would like to have feedback on how these positions were working out and what the cost would be to add such a position at FCPS. The concept of an ombudsman was supported by Vice President Dr. April Miller, who also added a request for a K – 3 structured literacy program to support multiple readers. Colleen Cusimano asked for the cost of a K – 3 reading program.
Board member Michael Bunitsky made a request to include the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program as a placeholder in the 2019 budget. The IB is an accredited two-year high school program to promote “intellectual rigor and high academic standards” with an international reach. The program operates only at Urbana HS and was proposed as part of the LYNX program at Frederick HS. This has not materialized.
BOE member Joy Schaefer spoke to funding for LYNX which had received $236,000 in appropriations from the Governor’s budget and that amount was now up for renewal. The 2019 budget discussion took place around an item to “replace one-time restricted funding of $0.3 million” for LYNX. Dr. Alban said the funding was required for extra-curricular activities as such field trips and that flexibility in LYNX staffing was a possible way to reduce costs.
BOE President Brad W. Young referred to Walkersville when he spoke to schools “not keeping up,” giving as examples technology and computer replacement. He also reiterated his commitment to getting the new salary scale funded and over time increasing the amounts allocated to teacher retirement benefits. The issue was reported in The Frederick Extra on Dec. 4, 2017.
