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Response
KSD Citizens has received several inquiries from parents and staff about Kennewick School District policies. I met with Superintendent Dave Bond on Thursday, January 6 for an hour while he explained answers to the following four questions. I summarize his responses below. Superintendent Bond is open to discussing any school related issues and offered to provide documentation and additional information which may not be currently available on the Kennewick School district web site. Credit also to Ron Williamson, Vic Roberts and Doug Carl for contributing to this article.
• One concern is the use of “class size reduction” monies. We have reports from elementary teachers who have experienced overloads as high as three students each year for over 20 years. During your report to the community about elementary schools I was astonished to learn that some elementary class sizes run as high as 32 students. Our question is what class size reduction money has been allocated from the state and how has it been spent?
• An observation is that construction of Cottonwood Elementary has not alleviated overcrowding in elementary schools. Each year there appear to be more portable classrooms at middle schools. Our question is what space does KSD qualify for under the state school construction plan and where does KSD stand in bonding capacity?
• Another question is how much KSD spends paying staff overload. This is in the context of alternatives to hire more staff and provide more classroom space. Can you provide information about the cost of overload pay compared with alternatives?
• A related issue is KSD accepting students from neighboring school districts. Often these students are behavior problems in class and typically drive up class loads. Why does KSD accept these students?
For answers to these questions and more, continue reading.
One concern is the use of “class size reduction” monies. We have reports from elementary teachers who have experienced overloads as high as three students each year for over 20 years. During your report to the community about elementary schools I was astonished to learn that some elementary class sizes run as high as 32 students. Our question is what class size reduction money has been allocated from the state and how has it been spent?
Over the past two decades KSD has received class size reduction funds from several sources. The federal Class-Size Reduction (CSR) program began in 1999 as a major federal commitment to help school districts hire additional teachers so students in early elementary grades would learn in smaller classes. In 2001, CSR was folded into Title II, Part A of NCLB. While class-size reduction is still an allowable use of CSR funds it is only one of many ways districts can use Title II, Part A funds to improve teacher quality and student achievement.
Initiative 728 was approved by Washington State voters in November 2000. I-728 authorized school districts to use funds to reduce class size as well as provide extended learning opportunities for students K-12, provide additional teacher professional development, provide pre-kindergarten support and building improvements relating to class-size reduction. KSD has used the funds in all these ways. Recent movement of portable classrooms to middle schools and renovations at Amistad were funded this way.
A requirement is that annually, districts provide a public accounting of the funds and how they were used the previous year. KSD has provided I-728 reports for the past four school years.
For 2006/07, KSD received $5,247,821 and spent $770,498 for K-4 class size reduction and $2,480,716 for 5-12 class size reduction. Elementary funds were used in four schools with highest numbers of students on free and reduced lunch. 5-12 funds were used to provide doubles reading and math classes.
For 2007/08, KSD received $6,364,206 and spent $1,077,971 for K-4 class size reduction and $2,482,662 for 5-12 class size reduction. Elementary funds paid for small group reading instruction. 5-12 funds paid for reading and math doubles classes.
For 2008/09, KSD received $5,191,010 and spent $477,112 for K-4 class size reduction and $1,826,153 for 5-12 class size reduction. Elementary funds provided paraprofessional assistance to small reading groups at 10 schools. 5-12 funds paid for reading and math doubles classes.
For 2009/10, KSD received $386,361 and spent that amount on professional development for educators.
To summarize, out of $17,189,398 received for I-728 purposes, 2,325,581 was used for K-4 class size reduction and $6,789,531 was used for 5-12 class size reduction for a total of $9,115,112.
Bond made the essential point that Washington State is ending all K-4 enhancement funds for the remainder of this school year and this will continue through the next biennium. KSD will use General Fund Reserves to support this year’s budget but will be forced to make cuts next school year. For example, staff overload pay has come from K-4 enhancement monies.
For more information about CSR, NCLB and I-728 follow these links:
http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/other/class-size/index.html
http://www.publicschoolreview.com/articles/17
An observation is that construction of Cottonwood Elementary has not alleviated overcrowding in elementary schools. Each year there appear to be more portable classrooms at middle schools. Our question is what space does KSD qualify for under the state school construction plan and where does KSD stand in bonding capacity?
Superintendent Bond stated there is a state formula for establishing the space needed to house students. That is only a small part of the picture. KSD is already contemplating moving a portable classroom to Cottonwood Elementary.
KSD hosts a Facilities Study Committee (see document at end of article) which reviews district needs and formulates a 10 year plan. In addition to remodeling existing school buildings the district has purchased land for future schools in parts of town where the population is growing based on assessments and recommendations of the Facilities Study Committee.
To pay for new construction and remodeling, KSD must pass school bonds. With 2009 debt capacity of $270 million and debts totaling $94 million, KSD has a remaining debt capacity just over $175 million which could be used for school construction. While the state reimburses 60% to 65% of construction costs the community must pay the balance. A $12 million elementary school remodel will receive about $7 million in state funds back to KSD.
KSD wants to maintain property taxes at a nearly constant rate and achieves this by retiring an old construction bond before requesting a new one. The Kamiakin/Southridge bond will retire in 2014 so KSD will wait until then to request a new bond from the voters. At that time KSD will likely need money to build another elementary and middle school as well as other projects.
The consequence is that district classroom space is always running behind the need. In 2008 when the bond was approved to build Cottonwood the district elementary population was 6854 students. In 2010 when Cottonwood opened the district elementary population was 7278 students, a difference of 424 additional students. Waiting until 2014 to run another bond issue will see even larger elementary enrollments.
A map showing district owned property for future growth is available but not currently on line.
A follow up question was why did KSD purchase the former Food Pavilion and convert it to an administration building when more classroom space is needed?
Superintendent Bond explained the Facilities Study Committee recommended the purchase after the building had been vacant and was for sale at a low cost. The benefits of consolidating all administrative offices in one location were an important consideration.
Another question is how much KSD spends paying staff overload. This is in the context of alternatives to hire more staff and provide more classroom space. Can you provide information about the cost of overload pay compared with alternatives?
According to Bond, KSD paid $1,216,438.10 in overload pay to staff during the 2009/10 school year. Based on current figures the district will pay somewhat more in 2010/11. The main issue is having sufficient classroom space to hire more staff. When space is at capacity then KSD must design other accommodations.
Choices include: shifting students among teachers, hiring paraeducators to assist in classrooms, busing students to other schools (called “overload busing”), installing portables at a cost of $90,000. each or paying overload. Administration considers the options and chooses what is best for a situation. For elementary schools a solution may be to shuffle boundaries.
Forecasting student enrollment is problematic for kindergarten because of insufficient information. When overload is known KSD can offer to bus students to a nearby overload school but parents are often reluctant to have their child taken from the neighborhood school. While KSD would like smaller elementary class sizes the current district kindergarten class size average is 26 (range is 21 to 29) and will not improve with the state budget cuts.
A related issue is KSD accepting students from neighboring school districts. Often these students are behavior problems in class and typically drive up class loads. Why does KSD accept these students?
Superintendent Bond recommended that I do a Google search for information about school choice in Washington State. KSD follows state law and accepts applications from families of students applying to transfer from out of district. Assistant Superintendent Ron Williamson reviews the applications and forwards approved applications to principals with his recommendation.
For the issue of out of district transfer students becoming behavior problems, Bond stated clearly these students have no rights of due process and can be sent back to their home districts by the choice of building principals. If principals are permitting troublesome students to stay in KSD schools it may be they are not aware of their authority to remove them.
These links provide access to applicable Washington State statutes:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=28A.225
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=28A.225.215
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=28A.225.225
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=28A.225.220
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=28A.225.270
Thank you, Tom and Bob. The article was enlightening. Good work!
Tom should get the kudos for this. I only helped to reframe the questions and interpret some of the answers.