San Francisco School Board Notes

Community Budget Workshop 5.23.07

By Nicole Achs Freeling
GreatSchools.net Correspondent

• District Offers Primer on Next Year's Budget
• Interim Superintendent Chan to Retire

District Offers Primer on Next Year's Budget

At a Community Budget Workshop Thursday night at Balboa High School, district representatives offered a primer on the district's budget: where the money comes from, how expenditures break down and what changes might be coming at the state level.

Increases in federal, state and local revenue have helped to offset the loss of funds due to declining enrollment, according to district budget documents. Commissioner Jill Wynns said the district has not had to make the major cuts it did last year — such as closing schools — to balance its budget. But the district faces continued budget pressure due to declining enrollment, which amounts to about 800 students a year, equal to about $7 million of funding.

Myong Leigh, chief of policy and planning, explained that the district's two main funds are its facilities fund, comprising bond money, developer fees and state building funds, and its general fund, made up largely of revenue from the state. The general fund is broken down into unrestricted funds, which can be spent at the discretion of the district, and restricted funds, which are earmarked for categorical programs such as special education.

The district is looking at a $640 million budget for 2006-07. It is expecting unrestricted general fund revenues of $356 million, up from $332 million last year. Its budgeted expenditures are $334 million.

Most of the budget pressure has fallen in the area of unrestricted fund. The reason is that the district gets money per pupil from the state, based on average daily attendance. As enrollment has declined, this money has declined. "A well-funded district can weather some declining enrollment," Leigh said. "But a chronically inadequately funded system that shows continual declines can't do it."

Some good news came from Sacramento earlier this month in the form of the governor's May revision of the state budget, which allocated a cost-of-living (COLA) increase of 4.58 percent to the district, higher than S.F. school officials were expecting. The COLA increase is meant to keep state funding in line with increasing costs of operating schools.

The 4.58 percent COLA represents about $13 million in additional money for the district, according to district Budget Director Reta Madhavan. Expected declines in attendance will represent a loss of about $7 million, leaving a net of about $6 million in additional money. That, however, will be wiped out by salary increases for teachers reaching higher seniority levels, increases in health benefit costs and pay raises negotiated in last year's union contracts with employees, district representatives said.

The district is looking at two main strategies for addressing the budget crunch caused by declining enrollment, representatives said. One is the development of a long-term plan to increase enrollment, a first for the district, Leigh said. The other is the launch of a parcel tax, which is currently slated for the February 2008 ballot, to coincide with presidential primaries. The tax would seek to raise funds largely to increase compensation for teachers and add additional classroom and administrative staff, as well as develop other initiatives aimed at building enrollment.

The parcel tax could be a huge boon to the district, on the order of Proposition H, Leigh said.

But, Wynns said, tax increases are always a hard sell, and they must pass by a two-thirds majority. "It's very unlikely we can pass a parcel tax if we have a big fight with the unions this year." To that end, she said, the district is working hard to reach an agreement with the teachers union on its upcoming contract by the end of this school year, a move that would be unprecedented in the district.

Wynns encouraged community members to get involved in helping the parcel tax succeed. "This is one of the few things we can do — not just in the district but in the whole community — to make a big impact on the (funding) dilemma."

Interim Superintendent Chan to Retire

After a 40 year career with the school district, in addition to 13 years as student here, Acting Superintendent Gwen Chan announced she would be retiring from the district July 1, 2007. She said she would be happy to help with the transition to the new superintendent, which the board is expecting to name by the end of the month, according to BOE President Mark Sanchez.

Chan's move disappointed those who had hoped she would seek the post of permanent superintendent.

Chan made her announcement Wednesday at Francisco Middle School, which she had attended as a youngster, giving the graduation speech in 1960. She spoke to a crowd of supporters that included Mayor Gavin Newsom, current and former board members, the police chief and other civic leaders. Commissioner Norman Yee gave Chan a big letter "F" for service that had he attained at Francisco as a youngster.

School Board Notes 5.22.07

By Nicole Achs Freeling
GreatSchools.net Correspondent

• District Names First "Small Schools"
• Getting Youth Out to Vote
• Teachers Want Deal by End of Year

District Names First "Small Schools"

The first two schools to participate in the district's small schools initiative will be San Francisco Community School (a K–8 school) and June Jordan High School, Interim Superintendent Gwen Chan announced at the school board meeting Tuesday night. Several schools had applied for the program, said Chan. The selected schools will have more site autonomy, different governance structures, and different evaluation and budgeting procedures from other schools in the district, in an effort to allow them to develop as models of small schools by design. The small schools program seeks to foster student achievement through limiting schools size and offering more customized instruction.

Getting Youth Out to Vote

How to get youth excited and interested in the voting process was a main issue of policy discussed at Tuesday night's meeting. One resolution — introduced for first reading and directed to committee — seeks to adopt a YouthVote curriculum that would educate students about voting and upcoming election issues.

The YouthVote initiative provides for a certain number of days of instruction in voting, as well as discussion about the politicians and issues involved in ensuing elections. The district would hold mock elections to correspond to real ones; students would be able to cast their vote on the delegates, candidates and propositions up for decision. Several members of the Student Advisory Council registered some concerns with the proposal, including that it called for two rather than three days of instruction per year. The proposal was sent to the Curriculum Committee for further discussion.

The board unanimously passed a resolution proposed by the Student Advisory Council that would, in part, seek to increase the number of schools represented. Student delegates to the board have often come from two or three star high schools. The resolution calls for at least one interim delegate to be elected from a school that has not been represented by student delegates for at least three years. The interim delegates will serve from July until November, when the results of student elections are announced.

Teachers Want Deal by End of Year

Members of the teachers union turned out again to press the board for agreement on a contract by the end of the school year, a move that would herald a new era for district-labor relations, according to union representatives. Union leader Dennis Kelly asked the district to put some of the 4.53 percent cost-of-living increase in funds from the state toward salary increases. "We've been bargaining since February 1, and the district has yet to put a single dime on the table," he said. He urged the district to make good on a pledge to bring a compensation package to the table at a meeting on Thursday. "We want to start next year with a contract settled and harmony in this district."

School Board Notes 5.8.07

By Nicole Achs Freeling
GreatSchools.net Correspondent

• District Declares Surplus Property
• Guadalupe School Pleads to Save Computer Lab
• District Makes Offer for Tech Workers Raise

District Declares Surplus Property

The district will designate 20 percent of its property as surplus and lease or sell it to third parties in response to declining enrollment, the school board decided at its meeting Tuesday.

Decades of declining enrollment have left the district with more property than it needs at the same time it is struggling to meet budget shortfalls, according to members of the board and staff. In an effort to turn shuttered school buildings and unused grounds into cash for the district, the board unanimously passed a resolution that adopts guidelines — put together by a citizen's advisory committee — for putting properties up for sale or lease. The district would especially support use for affordable housing, teacher housing and child care facilities.

The resolution named a number of properties to be deemed surplus. These are:

• Children's Center Administrative Building at 20 Cook St.
• Florence Martin Children's Center at 1155 Page St.
• Vacant land at 1101 Connecticut St.
• The 7th Avenue parking lot at 1350 7th Ave.
• Louise Lombard High School (currently vacant) at 700 Font St.
• The former Phoenix High School site at 1950 Mission St.
• The former Newcomer High School site at 2340 Jackson St.
• Vacant land at 7th Avenue and Lawton
• A parking garage at 1340 Bush St.
• The Golden Gate Annex at 1513 Ave.

The list represents only a portion of the 20 percent called for. District staff has established a subcommittee and is working to identify excess property, including unused parts of buildings or grounds, said Chief Facilities Officer David Goldin. One such property is the former SOTA site at 135 Van Ness. "We're beginning to say the cost of renovating this historic old building isn't doable, but maybe it has value for a developer for the rights to the space above that will help us work on the building below."

A number of citizens protested the designation of the 7th and Lawton lot as surplus, saying it is actually open space and was deeded to the city with the requirement that it remain so.

"Designating this as surplus property is the first step toward making a property that was designated open space and turning it into something that is not," said local resident Jeremy Friedlander. The spot houses an annual pumpkin patch and Christmas tree farm and is used as "an ad hoc park by the community," according to another resident. "This is part of a corridor of very interesting open space. It's an ideal location to educate kids about the natural world, maybe have a garden where they could grow their own vegetables or natural plants," he said.

Goldin confirmed there is a deed restriction on the property, which was given to the district by the city in property swap years ago that could "make it difficult to sell to a developer." Board members appeared to believe, however, that a use in line with its designation or some way to remove the restriction could be found.

Goldin also underscored that sale or lease of any single piece of property, even that deemed surplus, would still have to come before the board for public testimony and a vote.

Guadalupe School Pleads to Save Computer Lab

Dozens of families from Guadalupe Elementary School turned out to press school officials not to close the school's computer lab. The school serves mostly underprivileged families, including low-income African-American and Latino students.

Many of the seats in the audience were filled with squirming elementary schoolers holding handmade signs. The school recently learned it would have to close its computer lab to accommodate over-enrollment in the 4th and 5th grade, parent Terry Factora told the board. She presented a petition with 200 signatures asking the board for a bungalow. "We are a school that is succeeding," she said, noting improved test scores. At the same time, she said, the school has historically been given few resources from the district. "With our speech therapist working out of a closet and our behavioral specialist working out of an old bathroom, now our kids are expected to go without a valuable resource."

Board President Mark Sanchez, who has often stressed his commitment to under-served communities, put the item on the agenda for the next Buildings & Grounds Committee meeting, May 29. At the behest of Sanchez and Commissioner Eric Mar, Chan said she would look into that case and any other schools that came to the district with a similar complaint.

District Makes Offer for Tech Worker Raise

After years of having no contract with the union governing IT staff and technical workers, the district adopted an initial proposal including an annual increase in pay and benefits of a total of $700,000 to $800,000 going forward and a lump sum payment of $2.2 million this year. The agreement, which encompasses  "a retroactive component longer than almost any other contract we've seen," according to Chief of Policy and Planning Myong Leigh. It includes retroactive salary increases of 3 percent for 2000-01; 2.5 percent for 2001-02; 2 percent for 2006; and 9.5 percent for 2007. In exchange, members will pay the full share of their retirement costs starting this May.

This year's chunk will come from district reserves, with future increases coming out of the district's operating budget.

School Board Notes 5.3.07

By Nicole Achs Freeling
GreatSchools.net Correspondent

District Graduates Get Mixed Reviews From City College

At a meeting with the BOE Thursday night, officials from City College of San Francisco reported on how well incoming SFUSD students are doing compared to other students at the college. The meeting had good news and bad news for the district.

SFUSD students have been entering the college at lower levels of English proficiency than other new high school graduates, and their ability has been trending lower over the last several years. In math, SFUSD grads placed higher than graduates of SF private schools, but lower than from schools outside the city. Math abilities of incoming students have been improving over the last few years.

SFUSD students have been steadily improving the percentage of units passed, reaching 63 percent this year. They have a higher rate than other students of continuing at the college from semester to semester, with a re-enrollment rate of 85 percent. "There is something about SFUSD students that they stick with it here," said CCSF representative Steven Spurling. "Persistence has a lot to do with success."

The complete report can be viewed here.

It was presented May 3 at a joint meeting of the Curriculum and Program Committee of the Board of Education and the Education Committee of the San Francisco Community College District Board of Trustees.

The report found that 59 percent of SFUSD grads were placing into English at the most basic level, compared to 36 percent of those from private SF high schools and 45 percent of those from outside the city. Only 7 percent were placing in at college level, compared to 17 percent of kids from private schools in the city and 12 percent of kids from out-of-area schools.

Kids who come in at the most basic level have to take five courses just to get up to the level of freshman English, Spurling said. "The questions is, 'Why the dickens would someone be able to place in that low?' Without finger-pointing, that's been an issue we've had for years."

Board members said one cause was lack of communication between SFUSD faculty and CCSF faculty about curriculum. Commissioner Jill Wynns asked whether CCSF's test was in line with standards, NCLB requirements and other material upon which the district itself is assessed. "Are you testing kids on what we're teaching them?" she asked.

"That's a good question," Spurling responded. There is no standard placement test being used by the colleges," he said. In fact, there are more than 100 different placement tests used by various institutions. "It's absurd and bizarre, but that's how it is."

The committee discussed trying to formalize communication between SFUSD teachers and CCSF faculty so teachers could be sure they were equipping their seniors to place into higher courses. Commissioner Kim Shree-Maufus cautioned, however, against another form of teaching to the test. "We don't want more kids are placing into these (higher) courses and then failing the course."

In a related address, commissioners heard from an organization called CalPASS (California Partnership for Achieving Student Success), a state-funded program designed to improve student success as they move from high school to college. CalPASS helps gather data about how students from each school and district fare after graduation. It also facilitates conversations between school districts and higher learning institutions, and works to help them align curricula so incoming freshman will be equipped for success.

"There's a misalignment across the state and across the nation," said Michele Kalina, senior director of operations for CalPASS. "Students come out of high school who have done well, and then they enter higher education and — whether it's CSU, UC or City College, find themselves ill-prepared to do the work that's expected of them."

Board members discussed moving immediately to join CalPASS. Assistant Superintendent Margaret Chu said the district had considered paying a private firm to help gather just the information CalPASS was offering to provide.