Federal Program Could Fund Offset $57M Funding Shortfall for SLPS

April 15, 2010

Trimming $57 million from a school district’s $298 million general operating budget is about as heartbreaking as it gets.

But this year it’s a reality facing the St. Louis Public School District, along with many other school districts, who are feeling the effects of shriveling State funding and local property taxes.

SLPS Superintendent Kelvin Adams will present his proposal for a balanced budget to the Special Administrative Board at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 15 at the district administrative building, 801 N. 11th Street.

To balance the budget for 2010-2011, Adams will propose layoffs, adjusting the school calendar, rebidding contracts, early retirement incentives and closing schools, he said.

The district’s State funding for 2010/2011 will be $69.9 million, about five percent less than last year.

Though its general operating budget is facing cuts, the school district has an opportunity to apply for federal funding through President Barack Obama’s program to turn around the nation’s 5,000 lowest performing schools.

“Because we know that about 12 percent of America’s schools produce 50 percent of Am erica’s dropouts, we’re going to focus on helping states and school districts turn around their 5,000 lowest-performing schools in the next five years,” Obama said in a March speech.

SLPS has 21 schools, out of 52 in Missouri, that are each eligible for up to $2 million for two to three years in federal funding under this program.

In order to receive the money, the district must choose between four options of revitalizing the schools: 1) turnaround 2) transform 3) close the school, or 4) restart the school in a charter school structure.

Turnaround model: Replace the principal and rehire no more than 50 percent of the staff, and grant the principal sufficient operational flexibility, including in staffing, calendars/time and budgeting.

Transformation model: Implement each of the following points: (1) replace the principal and take steps to increase teacher and school leader effectiveness; (2) institute comprehensive instructional reforms; (3) increase learning time and create community-oriented schools; and (4) provide operational flexibility and sustained support.

School closure: Close a school and enroll the students who attended that school in other schools in the district that are higher-achieving.

Restart model: Convert a school or close and reopen it under a charter school operator or a charter management organization.

The grant’s rules do not allow the district to choose one option for all schools. The district can only transform (the least dramatic option) 50 percent of the 21 lowest-achieving schools.

Adams sees the grant as an opportunity to amp up the district’s portfolio of school funding options. This year, Adams has focused on diversifying the kinds of schools the district offers.

His initiatives include five pilot schools, which are autonomous schools that receive funding from the district. The pilot schools have themes, such as art and math. The district is also opening more gifted programs next fall.

Currently, Kennard Classical Academy, a gifted elementary school has a waiting list every year. Adams is proposing opening a gifted pre-school and kindergarten class at Mallinckrodt Elementary School. Then, every year, the district will add a “gifted” grade, until the school becomes a second gifted school like Kennard.

Adams said he hopes to send a message to parents: “We have a school that can meet your needs.”