Scranton Superintendent and PLUS treasurer Bill King testifies before House Committee

King says budget cuts have hurt kids

Scranton Superintendent Bill King told the House Democratic Policy Committee on Tuesday that the cuts to the state education budget this year will hurt Scranton children.  Mr. King said the district had to eliminate 56 jobs and cut costs for overtime, textbooks and technology. Lost positions include teaching, clerical and administrative positions. The district has been able to save full day kindergarten for now as well as avoid layoffs, accomplishing the job cuts through attrition. 

 

Read more about the hearing.

 

Mr. King shared with the committee a letter he wrote to Governor Corbett in March of this yeara about the then-proposed cuts to the education budget.  His letter is forth below:

 

March 22, 2011

 

 

The Honorable Tom Corbett

Governor of Pennsylvania

225 Main Capitol Building

Harrisburg, PA 17120

 

            Re:  FY 2011-2012 Proposed Budget

 

Dear Governor Corbett:

 

I am writing to you on behalf of the Scranton School Board to inform you of some of the fiscal challenges that the Scranton School District is facing, as we prepare for the upcoming 2011-2012 school year.

 

I realize that your administration is also facing significant challenges and difficult decisions need to be made in order to insure the financial stability of our state.  We feel it is critical that you and your staff are aware of some of our challenges, some of our successes and how our students will be negatively impacted, if the proposed cuts in state education funding occur for the FY 2011-2012.

 

The Scranton School District is the 18th largest school district in the Commonwealth, with 9700 students.  While demographically, we have changed quite a bit over the past few years, we have been extremely successful in delivering a high quality education to the students of our district.  We have met Adequate Yearly Progress for the past two years with 17 of 18 schools meeting AYP.  In fact, we have consistently been one of the top performing urban school districts in the state over the past 8 years.  I attached two documents for you to review, the first is called, “Celebrate Success”, which clearly indicates the vast improvements we have made in student achievement, while state funding had increased.  The second document attached, comes from the Center for American Progress, which compares our district to the state in several categories and in the area of Productivity, the Scranton School District received the highest possible rating on the predicted efficiency index.  Also, we are outperforming state average in Math & Reading in grades 4, 8 and 11.  Thus, showing that we have been good stewards of taxpayer dollars, using the funding provided by the state wisely, while setting high standards for our students, who have been achieving at a high level. 

 A few more highlights of our successes include:

 

  • The Scranton School District has 2 nationally recognized Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence in George Bancroft Elementary School (2004) and William Prescott Elementary School (2006). 
  • In 2006, the Scranton School District financed a $5 million dollar renovation project at Memorial Stadium, utilizing funding left over from the construction of the new state of the art Scranton High School, which was completed in 2001 and came in under budget.
  • In August 2009, the Scranton School District was recognized by then Governor, Edward Rendell and then PA. Secretary of Education, Gerald Zahorchak, as being one of only 39 school districts out of 500 in the Commonwealth to make steady and continual growth and progress on the PSSA Exams.  
  • In 2009, Scranton High School was recognized by US News & World Report Magazine as a Bronze Medal Winner for outstanding academic achievement.
  • In 2010, two of our elementary schools, Robert Morris Elementary and John G. Whittier Elementary were recognized as Title I Academic Achievement Award winners, each receiving $5,000.00.
  • In 2006, the Scranton School Board approved a $60 million capital improvement project to renovate and expand John F. Kennedy Elementary School, demolish and rebuild John G. Whittier Elementary School and build a new Isaac Tripp Elementary School on 14 acres in West Scranton.   All projects came in under budget and the remaining funds are being utilized to address other capital improvement projects district-wide, including: a new roof on Charles Sumner Elementary School, a new roof on William Prescott Elementary School and a new roof on South Scranton Intermediate School.
  • From 2003 to 2010, the percentage of students performing on grade level or above has increased 57% in Math and 15% in Reading.  Furthermore, the percentage of students below basic has gone down 59% in Math and 32% in Reading.   Presently, 75.1% of students in the SSD are at or above grade level in Math and 70.9% of students in the Scranton School District are at or above grade level in Reading.

 

Under your proposed 2011-2012 Budget, the Scranton School District will lose over $6 million dollars in funding that will affect the following programs:

 

  • ARRA Funds (Federal Stimulus Dollars built into the BEF) = - $4.5 million
  • Accountability Block Grant (ABG) = - $1, 432, 157.00 (We presently use these funds to support our all day kindergarten programs)
  • Educational Assistance Program (EAP) = - $486,000.00 (Used to support after school tutoring programs)
  • Charter School Reimbursement = - $263,000.00 (Used to transport charter school students)
  • Dual Enrollment Program = - $177,704.00 (Used to offer college level courses for credit)

 

Note: Your proposed budget did increase Basic Education Funding (BEF) by 2.17% pre-ARRA funding, which equals $778, 192.00.  The end result appears to be a total reduction of approximately - $6,080, 669.00 in state funding for education to the Scranton School District.

 

Some of the fiscal challenges that the Scranton School District will be facing in the upcoming 2011-2012 school year include the following:

 

  •   3.01% increase in PSERS Contributions (from 5.64% to 8.65%)
  •   8% - 10% Increases in healthcare contributions
  •   Teachers contract negotiations (CBA expires on August 31, 2011)
  •   Para-Professionals contract negotiations (CBA expires on August 31, 2011)
  •   SEIU 32BJ District 1201 Maintenance Workers contract negotiations

              (CBA expires on December 31, 2011)

  •   Anticipated increases in heating and fuel bills
  •   Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County capital improvement project
  •   Act 1 cap set at 1.4% for 2011-2012
  •   District-wide capital improvement projects
  •   Effects of Senate Bill 1 

 

As you and your administration work to fine tune your final budget, we ask that you consider all of the positive gains we have accomplished in a school district with students who are 53% economically disadvantaged, 19% special education and 4% Limited English Proficient.  We need your support to continue to offer some of the neediest and most vulnerable students in the state with the high quality education that they deserve. 

 

Thank you for your consideration on this extremely important issue.

 

Sincerely yours in education,                                                         

 

 

 

William F. King

Superintendent

Scranton School District