I wrote this as a follow up to the parents that have e-mailed, called, and met with me over the past few months regarding the school budget.  Below please find a bullet point summary of what we know at this point and how the budget process works from here.

Some of this information will not be new to many of you, as much of it is what has been presented publicly over the past couple of months.  However, I wanted to write a summary that made no assumptions about what parents know or do not know as many of you do not have the time or resources to follow the budget process on a daily basis.

Again, what is presented is what we know based on what has been presented to the council and to you by BPS.  I cannot vouch for the numbers.  The Council will get its chance to ask detailed questions about the numbers presented once the City budget is submitted to us.

Finally, I will continue to give you updates as we learn anything new.  If you have friends who want to receive regular budget updates, please have them email me at john@connollyforboston.com.

BPS Budget Update as of April 3, 2009

• On Wednesday, March 25, the Boston School Committee unanimously voted to approve the FY10 recommended BPS Budget.
• The FY10 BPS Budget totals $812,618,679 representing a 2.5% decrease from the FY09 BPS Budget of $833,298,768.
• The adopted budget entails a reduction of 536 positions, which includes 212 classroom positions made up of 134 teachers and 78 teacher aides.
• The FY10 BPS Budget restored transportation of private and parochial students.
• BPS stated in a memo to the School Committee, “Based on a recent legal opinion, Boston Public Schools has been advised that we must continue to provide transportation services to students who attend private and parochial schools. As a result, planned savings of $1.4 million have been restored to this budget.”
• The School Committee did not vote on the proposed 5-Zone transportation plan.
• Superintendent Johnson announced that a revised proposal to reform the transportation zones will be presented to the School Committee on June 3 and voted on by the School Committee on June 24.
• If the School Committee approves a new transportation plan, it will not take effect until the school year beginning September 2010.

Teachers and Teaching Positions:  Excessed vs. Non-Renewal vs. Laying Off

• There are three important statuses involving a teacher or teaching position at a school: “Excessed” “Non-Renewal” and “Layoff”.
• Layoff means that a teacher has lost his or her job for budgetary reasons.  The school keeps that teacher’s teaching position technically, but the position remains unfilled for budgetary reasons.
• The current BPS Budget gap results in 212 unfunded teaching positions. If these teaching positions remain unfunded, it will result in Layoffs for those 212 teachers and paraprofessionals.
• Excess of a teaching position means the position is being removed from the individual school’s budget.  A teacher whose position is excessed goes into a pool of teachers who may fill existing positions at any school based on qualification to teach a given subject area and seniority.
• Non-Renewal means that a teacher will not be brought back at a given school the next school year even though the teaching position may still exist.
• Non-Renewal can happen for a number of reasons including poor performance or a provisional teacher or more junior teacher being Non-Renewed if a more senior teacher qualified in the same subject area has had their position at another school excessed.  Being laid off is a reason for Non-Renewal.
• BPS mailed notices of Excessed teaching positions on Tuesday, March 31 after three extensions.
• There were 465 Excess notices sent eliminating 325 teaching positions and 140 paraprofessional positions.
• BPS informs me that the Excessed positions are different from the 212 teachers facing Layoffs if the budget gap remains.
• Provisional teachers will be informed around April 15 if they face Layoffs or Non-Renewal.
• BTU teachers being laid off must be informed by June 1.
• BTU teachers being non-renewed must be informed by June 15.
• It has become apparent that these dates are all subject to extension and or rescheduling, but the dates above are the present timeframe.

Stimulus Update

• Massachusetts will receive $994 million in federal recovery money for education, also known as the State Stabilization Funds, of which 81.8%, or $813 million, must be spent on public education (K-12 and higher ed.).
• $336 million will be spent over two years for districts below “foundation budget” levels.
• $324 million will be spent over two years on higher education.
• The use for the remaining $153 million over two years is presently undetermined/unknown.

Your Questions asked by e-mail or at meetings

• There are approximately 78 teachers eligible for retirement presently.
• BPS has received 59 early retirement notifications as of this date.  This is lower than in a typical year.