Budget Information
State Budget Losses to Federal Way Exceed $10 Million:
Despite local and federal funding changes, $6.9 million in cuts necessary for next year
At the close of the state legislative session April 27, the state House and Senate had finalized a budget that, all-told, reduces state funding to Federal Way Public Schools by $10.1 million next year. Compounding the district’s loss in funding from the state is a decline in enrollment, currently estimated to amount to 400 students by the start of the next school year. That adds $2 million to the budget shortfall the district will experience in the coming year.
On April 28, Superintendent Tom Murphy presented a proposed budget for the board of directors’ consideration that details cuts in spending of $6.9 million. Superintendent Murphy notes that ”A combination of additional funding -- in the form of a scheduled Education Programs and Operations (EPO) increase, federal stimulus dollars, and prior year unspent I-728 funds -- reduces the net staff and program cuts from $12.1 million to $6.9 million for the 2009-2010 school year.”
While those cuts are staggering, the resulting layoffs are in fact expected to be substantially less than half of the actual positions eliminated. Retirements, resignations and reassignments have dramatically reduced the need for laying off staff.
“We worked hard until the very last minute to understand the State budget, to understand the strings attached to the federal stimulus money, and to minimize the impact to our students and teachers by the cuts that I am announcing this evening,” Superintendent Murphy noted. “We followed a different philosophy in making the decision about when to send out notices of potential job reductions than some other districts. I am gratified that our final layoff total is minimal.”
The budget proposal calls for the elimination of 10 administrative positions, eight clerical positions, eight transportation positions, and 23 teaching positions due to state budget reductions. An additional 16 teaching positions will be lost due to declining enrollment, not because of the state budget shortfall.
The district will reduce spending by $6.9 million with a combination of $5 million in line-item reductions and the state-dictated change in employee benefit contributions. A reduction in pension contributions will save this district nearly $2.7 million, however an increase in required health care insurance contributions (along with previously locally-bargained compensation increases) will offset those savings by nearly $0.5 million.
Superintendent Murphy has also recommended increases in spending in other areas to support our mission, amounting to approximately $0.3 million. See list of high-priority programs, right hand column.
“My budget recommendation to the board retains the programs and focus which I believe have the greatest potential of helping us realize the promise we make to each and every student, the promise of ALL students meeting or exceeding standard,” Superintendent Murphy emphasized.
Program and Staff Cuts Effects Felt District-Wide
In a district where 85% of expenditures are for staff, reductions of the magnitude above are impossible to enact without cutting staff. The specific areas that budget reductions will be made, with the related full-time equivalent (FTE) positions indicated, include:
| 8.7% | ESC & High School Administrator Reductions (10 FTE) | $ 1.2 million | |
| 6.4% | Transportation Reduction (8.1 FTE) | $ 0.5 million | |
| 5.0% | ESC and School Clerical Reductions (7.6 FTE) | $ 0.4 million | |
| 2.7% | Reduction in Secondary Classroom Teachers (39.0 FTE) | $ 2.9 million | |
| Total Line Item Reductions (64.7 FTEs) | $ 5.0 million | ||
| Because one-half of these positions are vacant and other staff will be reassigned, far fewer actual lay-offs are anticipated. | |||
Background and outcomes:
This is not the first year that Federal Way Public Schools has made painful budget reductions. The district is already hamstrung by $14 million in cuts over the past eight years. Looking ahead to the future, the district’s budget has little capacity to sustain the current level of programs without a reinstatement of state funding. The school board and the superintendent firmly believe that what resources we have should go to the classrooms right now.
While the $6.9 million in cuts will change our instructional programs, through judicious use of the stimulus money and one-time resources, we were able to maintain our focus on our goals:
- Retain our emphasis on providing a rigorous education for ALL children.
- Retain our emphasis on closing the achievement gap.
- Retain our current commitment to All Day Kindergarten.
- Retain our current commitment to class size at K-2.
- Retain our current number of professional development days.
- Retain our emphasis on coaching and our focus on outstanding teachers in every classroom.