History
Show Presentation
History | Show Presentation |
YORK SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
ALTERNATIVE PLAN
APPROVED
BY THE
YORK SCHOOL COMMITTEE
MARCH 19, 2008
Submitted to the Maine Department of Education
March 26, 2008
ALTERNATE PLAN
A. Executive Summary
The York School Department demonstrated due diligence and good faith in carrying out its obligations under the consolidation law to explore the feasibility of consolidating with other area school units, first with the Kittery School Department and then with the Wells-Ogunquit CSD. The Regional Planning Committee formed by York and Wells-Ogunquit determined that there were several very significant financial barriers to consolidation and that costs would shift unfairly to York.
The York School Committee believes that the York School Department qualifies for an exception to the 2,500 student requirement based on the following criteria in the consolidation law:
1) Consolidation would result in a significant and unfair cost shift to York taxpayers;
2) The York School Department is already an efficient school system and there are numerous initiatives under way to control and reduce costs; and
3) York voters have consistently supported the school budget.
1) York students are consistently high achieving and there are numerous
innovative and effective education programs in place in the schools;
2) York engages in numerous collaborations with the Town government other school units and outside organizations to provide programming for students and teachers that are important to preserve;
3) The York schools enjoy an unusually high level of support from townspeople and this Plan demonstrates that the school system will remain sustainable as an independent unit.
B. Due Diligence in Complying with the School Consolidation Law
In the spring of 2007, when potential consolidation partners were first being reviewed, the Maine Department of Education encouraged the York School Department to explore the possibility of consolidating with the Kittery School Department. Accordingly, officials from Kittery and York held discussions and did a preliminary analysis to determine the viability of the two towns forming an RPC and filing a Notice of Intent. Ultimately, the York School Committee decided that Kittery was not the best match due to educational philosophy, curriculum and finances.
At that point, officials from the York School Department and Wells-Ogunquit CSD met to explore the viability of consolidating their school units. A Notice of Intent was filed in August, 2007 and approved by Commissioner Gendron. An RPC was formed with broad representation from all three communities. Assistance was provided to the RPC from two Maine Department of Education facilitators, Walter McIntire and David Wiggins. Four subcommittees of the RPC were charged with studying specific aspects of consolidation: Finance, Governance, Property/Debt and Policy/Contracts/Transportation. The RPC met five times as a full committee to review the progress of the subcommittee and to prepare a Reorganization Plan,
which was approved by both school committees.
The Reorganization Plan was submitted to Commissioner Gendron on November 27, 2007. The Plan clearly demonstrated due diligence and the good faith efforts of the RPC and the school committees to develop a consolidation plan. However, as documented in the Plan, significant barriers to consolidation of these two school units were identified. The most important is that consolidation would result in a severe cost shifting from Wells and Ogunquit to York as demonstrated by the financial template provided by the Maine Department of Education and confirmed in York’s own financial calculations (see Exhibit A). In the short time frame allowed for submitting consolidation plans, the RPC was unable to identify
any appreciable savings from forming the new RSU. Further, the RPC calculated that many costs would likely increase, at least in the first two to three years of consolidation (see letter from RPC in Exhibit B).
When officials in York and Wells-Ogunquit were able to review the Commissioner’s responses to the reorganization and alternative plans submitted by other school units in December 2007, they learned that several plans had received preliminary approval that did not meet the 2,500 student threshold or qualify for the “efficient, high performing district” exception. After reviewing the plans submitted by these school units, officials in York and Wells-Ogunquit concluded that they could make compelling cases for why they should remain autonomous school units as well. Therefore, by letter dated January 8, 2008 York School Committee Chair Marilyn Zotos informed Commissioner Gendron that the School Committee intended
to file an Alternative Plan. In her letter of January 30th, Commissioner Gendron stated that she would be willing to review an Alternative Plan for York. (See letters in Exhibit C.)
The Alternative Plan York is submitting herewith demonstrates that York is entitled to an exception based on economics, and other unique considerations including efficiency of the current school system; a high level of student achievement at all grade levels; strong and innovative educational programs; a high-level of support from the community for the schools; and the long-term sustainability of the York School Department.
In preparing this Alternative Plan, York School officials consulted with Ray Poulin and Norm Higgins from the Maine Department of Education, legal counsel from Drummond Woodsum & MacMahon, Town officials and State legislators. The Alternative Plan was discussed at a public hearing on March 19, 2008 and there was strong community support voiced for submitting an Alternative Plan. Following the public review, the School Committee voted to withdraw from the configuration in the Reorganization Plan submitted on November 27, 2007 and to submit this Alternative Plan. (See Exhibit D).
C. York’s Case for an Exception to the 2,500 Student Requirement
York should be granted an exception to the 2,500-student requirement based on the following factors identified in the consolidation law:
1. Economics;
2. Other unique circumstances.
Each of these factors will be discussed in detail in the following sections.
1. Economics
a. The proposed RSU would shift costs to York.
As noted in Section A above and in the Reorganization Plan submitted by the York School Department and Wells-Ogunquit CSD, a merger of the two school units would result in a severe cost-shifting from Wells and Ogunquit to York estimated at $1,267,771 in the first year. (See Exhibit B).
Of this amount, $857,518 is due to the shift in additional local contribution from Wells-Ogunquit to York under the consolidation law’s cost-sharing formula. The formula requires that York assume 58% of the cost due to the distribution of enrollment. The other $410,253 is due to the shift in EPS allocations. Even if there were a change in the consolidation law to allow other cost-sharing options based on valuation or other factors, thus lessening or eliminating the $857,518 cost shift, York would still have to deal with the EPS allocation shift of $410,253. For consolidation to be cost-neutral for York, this $410,253 would need to be shifted to Wells and Ogunquit. Although it is conceivable that Wells-Ogunquit might agree to assume a
greater contribution in year one, the EPS cost shifting problem would continue in later years because the new RSU would allocate costs according to the distribution of student enrollment among the towns. Thus, York would continue to assume a greater cost than it currently does to educate its own students as an independent school unit.
Another complication is that the $410,253 figure may actually turn out to be higher, because the calculation was made based on 95% EPS allocation, not 100%. Any potential savings from consolidation of system administration would be radically offset by the very formidable losses for York. These reasons alone are enough to justify the conclusion that consolidation of these two school units is not a viable, sustainable solution from the financial standpoint and that voter support is uncertain at best. However, there is another very significant financial barrier to consolidation as well.
Based on Wells-Ogunquit CSD’s audited financial statements for the period ending June 30, 2006, there was a negative fund balance of $2,271,905. Eighty-two percent of this amount ($1,843,358) was for teacher salaries for the months of July and August. This operating deficit would need to be eliminated before the school units could be consolidated, otherwise the new RSU would begin with a $2.2 million dollar deficit, of which York would be forced to assume 58%. This would be patently unfair because this money was spent to pay teacher salaries in Wells-Ogunquit prior to the formation of the RSU. One solution is for Wells-Ogunquit to pay off this deficit before the RSU becomes operational, but it does not have the reserves to do so. Therefore, the only options would be to raise this amount in taxes or generate an operating surplus to offset the deficit. This last option would likely take years to accomplish. This is an intractable barrier to consolidation.
The RPC spent many hours grappling with all of these financial barriers, which is reflected in the RPC Team minutes quoted below.
“Considerable time was spent trying to devise a formula that would reallocate costs back to member SAUs in a manner which will more accurately allocate unique costs of operation to the underlying district which created them. Since the per pupil costs of operation in the WOCSD are approximately 13% higher than York at the present time, the RPC feels it is unfair for the taxpayers of York to shoulder a larger tax burden than would normally otherwise exist, were it not for the reallocation of expenses throughout the RSU district based upon proportional student census required under the new law.”
In the end, the RPC concluded that consolidation would be very disadvantageous for York from the financial perspective.
Finally, local school units have just recently received their ED 281 subsidy printouts which indicate that both York and Wells-Ogunquit are slated for very significant cuts in their subsidy amounts ($928,615 for York and $730,212 for Wells-Ogunquit). This new development poses yet another financial barrier to consolidating the two school units.
b. The York School Department is already an efficient school unit.
The York School Department, Town officials and York voters have consistently demonstrated a commitment to having a school system that provides an excellent education and high student achievement at a cost that is affordable for local taxpayers.
York’s Home Rule Charter requires that the School Department prepare a line item budget that is reviewed by the Town’s Budget Committee and then subject to voter approval at the Budget Referendum. Thus, voters have the opportunity to vote by referendum on specific line items in the budget. The transparency of the school budget approval process in York acts as a powerful motivator for school officials to seek efficiency and cut costs where possible. The Charter does not allow transfer of funds between budget lines.
The Town’s Tax Task Force has established an annual cap for both the school and municipal budgets. Both the York School Committee and the Selectmen have made a commitment to honor these caps. The School Department’s budget has been at or below this cap every year:
2006 2007 2008 2009
School Budget 4.8% 5.4% 4.16% 3.6%
Task Force Cap 6.4% 5.4% 4.7% 4.2%
Unlike in many other towns, York voters consistently approve the School Department’s budget, demonstrating both strong support of taxpayers for their local schools and the long-term sustainability of the schools as an autonomous school unit. The York School Department has demonstrated a strong commitment to strategic planning, including systematic analysis and attention to budget issues, and outreach to state and town officials and citizens on school costs and budgeting. (See Exhibit E, York Public Schools Five-Year Educational Strategic Plan, 2005-2010.)
Please see Section D of this Plan for a detailed discussion of the efficiencies York has achieved in various operational areas as well as plans for future cost-saving initiatives.
2. Other Unique Considerations
Please see the profiles of York Schools in Exhibit G.
a. York students consistently sustain high achievement levels.
York students consistently perform above State averages at all grade levels tested on the MEAs and the MHSA. Indeed, in the May 2007 Silvernail study, The Identification of Higher and Lower Performing Maine Schools: Profiles and Characteristics, York’s Coastal Ridge Elementary School was identified as a higher performing school on all six indicators chosen by Dr. Silvernail as shown in Dr. Silvernail’s chart below.
  g ]Dr. Silvernail’s sixth indicator is a subjective “value-added” measure based on a school’s “expected” average MEA score given a certain set of student and community characteristics (percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch, percentage of households with at least one member with a bachelor’s degree, and for upper grades, the average MEA score in earlier grades). Dr. Silvernail emphasizes in his report that his “performance data alone does not provide answers to all the complexities of schooling. The data should be used as a conversation starter, not as summary judgments about any particular school. To that end, school staff should conduct further analysis of their performance data and school
characteristics” [emphasis in original].
Further analysis of Dr. Silvernail’s study led to the discovery that only two other middle schools in addition to York Middle School failed to be identified as higher performing schools based on the sixth indicator alone. At the high school level, only six other schools besides York High School missed being identified as higher performing based on the sixth “value-added” indicator. While Coastal Ridge met all criteria in the Silvernail study, there were only two elementary schools in Maine that did not make the higher performing category based solely on the sixth indicator. While the small number of schools impacted by the weight of this “value-added” indicator are small, the consequences for them are great when it comes
to the school consolidation law. In York’s case, this value-added indicator is not a good fit for measuring accurately the expected performance of our students. It is extremely important to recognize the review of the student achievement data indicates that York students outperform some of the school districts which were identified as high performing on levels of academic performance.
York’s unique demographics are a possible factor in skewing the results on Dr. Silvernail’s “value-added” indicator because many of the wealthier, well-educated residents are older and do not have children in the schools. Extrapolating the 2000 U.S. Census data to 2008 and given a relatively stable population, the median age of York residents could be as high as 51. In 2004, York’s Comprehensive Plan Inventory & Analysis used the 2000 census data to determine that:
“The median age of York residents is 43 years old. Compared to the
County and the State, York’s median age is noticeably older. York’s
population is aging. In 1990 the percent of people 65 and over was
14.6% of the total. In 2000 the percent of people 65 and over was 17.0%.
nationally there was a slight decline, so York’s trend is unique. York’s
age distribution is significantly different than county, state and national
patterns, York’s population is skewed towards an older mix of people,
with higher percentages of people 40 and older. Younger age groups
are proportionately reduced, especially in the 20 to 35 year old age groups.”
In 2000, 70% of residents were born out of state (York Comprehensive Plan, 2005) and many of these are professionals who have retired to York. This is reflected in the 37.6% of residents who have a B.A. or higher, compared to 22.9% for Maine (2000 U.S. Census). Thus, Dr. Silvernail’s choice of the “value-added” indicator for education attainment levels of the parents of students currently enrolled in the York Schools is based in reality upon the educational level of residents who took part in the 2000 census and now have an average age of 51.
In taking Dr. Silvernail’s advice to engage in conversations about the meaning of the performance indices, when one looks at other important indicators of student achievement than the ones he chose, one finds that York’s students are engaged and achieving at high levels.
All York schools consistently make AYP under NCLB.
The number of students going on to post-secondary education has increased dramatically in the past five years as illustrated by the following chart.
YORK STUDENTS
POST-SECONDARY ENROLLMENT
Finally, Dr. Silvernail’s study only included MEA data from 2003 to 2005. The following chart demonstrates that York students have continued to improve their performance and outpace students in most other Maine schools from 2005 to 2007.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||