Budget Presentation at Foundation Meeting

Burke Jolley, Deputy Superintendent for Business Services, presented a budget update at the Jordan Education Foundation meeting this week.  While this chart has small print, you can look for some comparisons and understand Jordan District's position a little better. 

Some comparisons of note:  Jordan has the third largest enrollment in the state and received an A+ for transparency as far as readily available information from the district website.  Administrative costs per student are the 4th lowest in the state with overall costs per student being the lowest in the state of Utah.  Jordan is 14th lowest in teacher compensation, yet ahead of Canyons and Granite, including insurance, and Jordan is tied with Cache for the highest student/teacher ratio in the state.

In the budget presentation, Mr. Jolley pointed out that the district appears to have the GASB account fully funded and will be having an actuarial study done to verify that.  There are $17 million in "unassigned reserves", which Mr. Jolley indicated would be used to pay for the financial agreement.

Letter to South Jordan City Council

If you haven't heard, South Jordan is considering breaking off Jordan District to start their own school district.  Those of us who have been around for more than 5 years know what happened at the Jordan/Canyons split.  I sent this letter to South Jordan elected officials today.

Dear Mayor Osborne and South Jordan City Council Members,

I am unable to attend the council meeting tonight where Council member Newton will propose that South Jordan form its own school district as noted in this newscast.  I am against this for many reasons including costs, quality of education, and employee morale. 

In the story, Mr. Newton said, "Because South Jordan only needs one high school, one middle school and two elementary schools, that we'll be able to cut costs.”  Currently within the district boundaries are Bingham High, South Jordan and Elk Ridge Middle Schools, along with seven elementary schools, six of which are already on year-round schedules: South Jordan, Monte Vista, Jordan Ridge, Elk Meadows, Welby, Daybreak, and Eastlake.  There are students living in South Jordan City boundaries who attend Herriman or Copper Hills High.  Bingham is not large enough to hold all the high school students living in South Jordan City. 

It cost $33 million just to split Jordan and Canyons Districts back in 2009.  This was after months of negotiations and mediation with transition teams from both sides.  See this article.    In addition to the $33 million to pay for the split, Jordan District had to cut $17 million in the 2010-2011 budget.  See this article.  These cuts hurt students.  One example is the money for aides in Special Education classes was reduced leaving those students who are the most needy without the support to help them be successful. 

The quality of education students receive will suffer.  Jordan School District has an excellent curriculum department that provides many resources for teachers at all levels.  See Jordan District. The new district would likely be unable to hire those types of specialists, leaving teachers on their own to create curriculum.  As an elementary teacher, I appreciate having those specialists who can align curriculum to the Utah Core, provide quality assessments, and give curriculum maps for pacing subjects taught throughout the year.  If my time had to be spent doing those types of activities for all the subjects I’m required to teach, there would be less time for me to work with students and provide them with the feedback they need to improve.

Many employees on both sides of the Jordan/Canyons split felt like they were just assets assigned to buildings back in 2009.  We weren’t treated as individuals.  The morale is just now, five years later, beginning to improve.  Employees have not received their step increases three of the last five years.  While this is a different pay system than in other industries, when people are hired, the District explains the pay system, so there is an expectation that has not been met.  If South Jordan were to break off to form their own district, employee salary increases on both sides would likely be nonexistent. At the time of the Jordan/Canyons split, I felt discouraged and frustrated with my career.  I have become more optimistic as I have utilized the tools provided by Jordan District.  I am proud to have been teaching in Jordan District for 22 years.  I teach sixth grade at Elk Meadows Elementary, and I love my job! 

Please stop the discussion on breaking away from Jordan District now.

 

 

Jordan District Budget Hearing

Mr. Burke Jolley, Business Administrator for Jordan District, presented the proposed 2011-2012 budget Tuesday night.  He said the budget did not include any compensation increases (steps, lanes, COLAs) for any employees.  He said the budget should be revenue neutral, meaning that the District spends what it receives or uses reserves to pay for priorities.  He also said this budget is long-term and sustainable. 

I spoke to the School Board stating that a long-term, sustainable budget must include steps and lanes.  I talked of the implied contract of the salary schedule and that not funding steps and lanes violates the integrity of the salary schedule.  I also pointed out the possible problems that will come 5 to 10 years down the road as other districts continue to honor their salary schedules, and Jordan does not.  Veteran teachers who have already topped out on the salary schedule will retire.  New teachers will either go to other districts after a couple of years in Jordan when they realize they are not receiving increases, or Jordan will only be able to hire teachers who have not been hired by other districts. 

I expressed these same ideas on Wednesday to School Board President Rick Bojak when the School Board and JEA Executive Board met for lunch.  I told him I was concerned that the impact of the decisions to not include steps and lanes in a long-term, sustainable budget will not be seen immediately, but that in 5 to 10 years, the quality of education received by the students will decline due to the points mentioned above.  Other JEA Board members also gave personal examples or examples of teachers within their schools who have left or considered leaving Jordan to teach elsewhere.  In addition, we explained that a teacher with three years of experience being hired by Jordan from out of state is likely placed on Step 3 of the salary schedule, while a third year teacher who has only taught in Jordan is still on Step 1, making an inequity and not rewarding loyalty.

At the budget hearing, Representative Jim Bird also spoke.  He called Mr. Jolley out about hazardous busing.  He asked why the district was maintaining the legal maximum 5% in reserves ($14.5 million) when there are children who must cross Highway 111 or 9000 South.  Mrs. Peggy Jo Kennett pointed out that the School Board made that decision.

I appreciate the 10 JEA members who attended the Budget Hearing.