Report: School aid down in fiscal 2009

The Culpeper County Public School system received about $1.5 million less in state revenue during fiscal year 2009, which ends June 30, as a result of the 2008-09 enrollment projections.

Last summer, school officials predicted 7,432 students would fill the county’s 10 schools and based the fiscal year 2009 operating budget on that calculation.

Instead, enrollment numbers didn’t live up to expectations and resulted in 214 less than projected for the average daily membership target, which ends on March 31.

School Board Chairman George Dasher shared the final ADM figure of 7,218 with board members and new CCPS Superintendent Bobbi Johnson during Friday’s annual summer retreat. Johnson officially starts July 1.

The state issues funding to schools based on an average daily membership, which is established on student enrollment. For each student, Culpeper County receives about $4,200, according to Jeff Shomo, finance director for CCPS.

To counter the shortfall, Dasher said the school system has been adjusting by cutting back on costs.

In addition to fewer ADM dollars, the school division received about $500,000 less from the state based on slumping tax revenue and lottery ticket sales.

However, Dasher also acknowledged the fact that CCPS will receive about $2.2 million in stimulus funding for next year’s budget.

Dasher added that next year’s budget is based on 7,230 students predicted for ADM.

“There’s not much room to wiggle there,” said Dasher.

How ADM works
School officials calculate ADM projections to help the state determine its annual funding. ADM is one of the methods school systems use to establish future school housing needs and budget estimates.

While student enrollment fluctuates daily, ADM figures derive from the 130-day period students are in school from September 30 to March 31.

Whenever ADM projections are off by the March 31 deadline, the state makes up the difference in its bi-monthly funding either by adding or subtracting from the revenue distributed to schools in April, May and June.

Future challenges
During the beginning of the nearly three-hour meeting, Dasher read from a letter written by Acting Superintendent Larry Carter informing Johnson on the details of the past 12 months and advising her on some things to expect.

“The fiscal 2009 budget has been a difficult year to manage due to revenue flux,” Dasher said, quoting Carter.

CCPS opened two new schools: Yowell Elementary and Eastern View High schools. He also noted some of the challenging issues CCPS faces such as financial concerns, continuing energy needs and changes, increasing enrollment and dealing with the 20 percent achievement gap.

Parental approval
Dasher began the meeting on a high note by reading two letters: one praising Matt Ortman, a third-grade teacher at Emerald Hill Elementary School, and the other was addressed to Culpeper County High School Principal Jeff Dietz from the parents of a recent CCHS graduate.

“Rick and I want to put into writing what an amazing year Parker (an Emerald Hill third-grader) had this year,” Dasher read. “We placed that squarely on the shoulders of Mr. Ortman. He served as a teacher to our son in every sense of the word. Parker grew academically, social and in maturity. He is a different child from day one until now.”

The second letter thanked Dietz and his staff for preparing their son for college.

“You all have helped him get caught up to the level that he needed to be at to get to the next level,” Dasher read.

Preliminary numbers
Jim Allen, interim director of curriculum and instruction for CCPS, presented the board with initial online standards of learning testing results.

“We’re still missing some paper/pencil tests,” he told the board. “I think what we’ve got here is a good, solid beginning.”

Allen expects that the achievement gaps are closing and that the school division will meet the adequate yearly progress requirements. Typically, the Virginia Department of Education releases final AYP numbers in August.

Allen also went over last year’s graduation rates — this year’s won’t be ready until mid summer. He also briefly talked about enrollment by class size, demographics and discipline referrals.

Future planning
In conclusion, the board discussed ways in which community input could be added into the six-year comprehensive plan.

School Board member Leanne Jenkins said she was confused as to why the board needs a plan when it has yet to decide on an updated version of the mission and vision statement.

“A year ago, the board did not like our mission and vision statement,” she said. “I don’t understand why we would spend a lot of time developing a six-year plan to achieve a mission/vision statement that we don’t support. This is backwards. The process makes no sense to me.”

Dasher said the board would create a six-year plan and then out of that build the goals and missions.

“It’s an improvement plan,” he said.

Traditionally, Johnson said, most school divisions produce a draft and welcome public comments and make changes at that point if necessary.

“The idea is to spend a couple of months gathering input in a very systematic way and then that input is then presented to you as a board,” Johnson said.