RTSD 2008-9 Budget Breakdown

0.7%Psychologists&SocialWorkerSalaries
11.1%DebtService
0.8%Equipment

3.6%Supplies

32.7%Teachers,
Guidance,Nurse
12.5% BaseSalaries
Purchased
Services

1.5%Principals
Basesalaries
19.4%
Benets
AllSta
2.5%DistrictAdmin
(Cer,catedonly)
BaseSalaries
15.2%Salaries(Aides,
Secretaries,Facili,es&
Transport)
 OverviewJune13,2010
Synopsis
BudgetBreakdown
SalaryComparison
ImpactofCurrentProposal
PSERs(Pension)Legisla,on
ViableAlterna,ves
PreparedbyRadnorValuesEducaTon
www.facebook.com/RadnorValuesEduca,on
RVEisanonpar,sangroupofparentsandstakeholdersinterestedinpreservingthequalityofRadnorDistrictSchools.Wearenot
partoforaliatedanyotherformalorganiza,on(RTSDBoardorAdmin,PTO,TeachersUnion,REF,etc).

RadnorValuesEducaTon
Believesthatcandid,respecSul,probing,robustdialogueANDafocusoncriteriaanddataareessen,alcraUcrea,ve,quality
solu,ons.
Promotesconsensusinkeydecisions:thatiswhenallunderstandthereasonbehinddecisions
Advocatesfortransparency,theopensharingofpublicinforma,on,anddialogueascrucialtoacceptance.Withacceptance,
everyonestrivestomakethechosensolu,onwork.
Eec,veness=qualityxacceptance
EecTvesoluTonsputchildrenrst p2
PreparedJun13,10
www.facebook.com/
RadnorValuesEduca,on
RadnorSchoolsOverview
Projectedrevenuesaredown.Expensesexceedrevenue.HenceabudgetshorSall.

RecentlypassedActI(taxpayerreliefbill)limitsourSchoolBoardsauthoritytoincreasetaxes.Eachyear
anindexwillbeset.Thisyearsindexforourdistrictis2.9%.Eachdistrictmayalsoapplyforset
excep,ons.Example,HaverfordSDpasseda5.9%increasetoamillageof24.47.
For201011,theRTSDBoardmayraisetaxesupto5%.Thatistheindexplusaddi,onal%forapproved
excep,ons.
Inpreliminaryvotes,RTSDsBoardvotedfor2.9%.FinalvoteisonJune222010.

ChallengingTmesrequirescalresponsibility
Fiscalresponsibility:budget(cover&p45)
TeacherSalariesactuals&averagesreectyearsserviceandeduca,on(notrela,vesalary)
Tocomparerela,vesalaries,comparesalaryscalespercontract.
RadnorsalaryscaleisnotcompeTTvewithUpperMerion(orLowerMerion)(p6)

Thecurrentproposaloffurloughing2dozenteachersplus20aideswillhaveshortandlongtermimpact.
Shortterm:studentsneedslikelytotakelongertoiden,fy/meetormaybeoverlooked(p7)
Shortterm:studentsexperiencelossofpersonnel(p8)
Mediumterm:nowRadnorhasbalanceofexperiencedandnewerteachers>>idealfortransferof
diverseideas.Furloughnewerteachers>>upsetsthebalance>>organiza,onleanstowardstagna,on.
Longterm:bestcandidateslesslikelytoacceptRadnorsoer>>Radnorsqualitychanges.

Thereareviablealterna-vestocurrentproposal(p910)
 Graph: 2008-9 Budget Breakdown
Heardrepeatedly,Thebudgetisimpossibletounderstand.

Sinceapictureisworthathousandwords,apiechartwasthoughttobehelpful.
Givenahighlevelofinterest,salariesweretherststeptobepursued.
Calcula,onBasis
1pgSummaryBudgetAnalysis(Final)20089Source:RTSDWebsite
ProfessionalPersonnel(Cer,cated)Salariesfor20089(latestavailable)
Source:PennsylvaniaDepartmentofEduca,on
Segmenta,oncategoriesdeterminedbyJobassubmiqedtoPDE
SalariesOther=(TotalSalariesper1pgsummary)(ProfessionalSalariesperPDE)

Purchasedservicesincludepropertyservices(u,lity,grounds,cleaning,etc)and
peopleservices(fromspecialiststointermediateunittofeespaidtostaforcoaching,
chaperoningcamptrips,etc)

BudgetbitesisaniniTaTvestartedinFeb2009toreducewastethatisnonvalue
addedcosts.Actualimpacttothebudgetisdicultforalaypersontoascertain,butit
appearstobeontheorderof$250450,000.

Segmentation and Graphing of Data Insightful. p4

 VIEWPOINT:EXPENSES
AtthecoreofeducaTonispaper,pencil,books,andateacher.Wecantoutsource
teaching.
Inthiswritersopinion,weshouldconsiderwhatisalivingwageforourteacherstobeabletoliveinornear
thecommunitytheyteach.Otherwise,wemovetowardstheCaliforniamodel:teachersdrivea100milesto
theirjobandworryaboutbeaJngtrac.IdpreferourteachersworryabouthowtohelpJohnny.

Itseemsvaluabletospendconsiderablefocusoncutnonvalueaddcostsassociated
withinanimateobjectsandnoncorecompetencies.
Budgetbitesseemstohavetrimmedupto5%ofthosecosts.Wemustcon,nuetodigaswellasfocuson
big,cketitems.Example,formul,yearplanning,grouphealthcarecostswereprojectedtorise20%year
OVERyear.PeranHRspecialist,thoseincreasesarewellabovepar.

Strategiestoeliminatewaste
1)Paylessforvirtuallythesameproductorservice
a) TacTc:shopformorecompeTTvehealthcareplan(withsimilarcoverage)
b) Tac,c:Explorecostbenetofoutsourcingnoncorecompetencies:ietechnologyinfrastructure
c) Tac,c:con,nuetopursueaddi,onalreduc,onforsupplies,equipment,energy,grounds,etc

2) Understandcostsvs.benetstoeliminate/reduceexpenseswherelowbenet

More Competitive Healthcare is Essential p5

 Compare 2009-10 salary scale for Masters Degree
Salary

Years of Service

RTSD Salaries NOT competitive with neighboring districts

(for this educational level and year) p6
 Furlough Example 1: Instructional Support
The current proposal modifies our instructional support process with a potential affect on every
learner. The instructional support process enables the staff to collectively identify and meet the needs of all
learners as quickly and accurately as possible. This is a core competency.
An IST teacher is a generalist who observes and assesses students, works with teachers to id strategies,
provides learning support to students and monitors effectiveness. As a common thread on all cases, the
IST teacher can apply standards consistently, is efficient in documentation and has a broad database of
strategies to share among different cases.
Transferring IST responsibility to the classroom teacher reduces attention to the solid middle, thereby
leaving them vulnerable.
Transferring IST responsibility to Guidance means less time for necessary interventions and leaves
students more vulnerable to social-emotional distractions.
Transferring IST responsibility to Learning Support is inefficient: a specialist sees through a colored
lens and doesnt have the breadth of a generalist.
To date, there has been no detailed design or test of a new process with the IST Teacher role eliminated. It
seems it will take longer to identify a students learning challenge whether it stems from a learning
preference or delay, medical condition, learning disability, gifted capacity, or socio-emotional reasons as
well as put more solid learners at risk.

The reduction of gifted teachers will put Radnor out of compliance in case load.
Having a gifted capacity is a learning challenge just as is a learning disability. Counting classroom
teachers as teachers of the gifted for caseload purposes shows disregard for the complexity of students
needs. It interprets Pa. Code 16.41(3) in a manner that deviates from usual and customary practice across
the state.

Instructional Support Critical to Meet Needs of All Learners

 Furlough Example 2: Music
With reduction in music, the impact trickles down to youngest children.

RTSD made an exceptional choice in hiring the music teacher currently in her 2nd year in the district at
Wayne Elementary School.
Any reduction in music means the furlough of this teacher.

From parental observation during education week and other, this teacher creates unique lessons and puts
her soul into teaching 500+ students in 25-30 sections per week. She seems to rely little on check the
box instruction based on cds or books.

The students absolutely respond to her and love their music class
The parents have noted the energy and sparkle in their children in daily life and during performances.

There is repeated proof that music affects and works on all levels of development: social, emotional,
physical, and cognitive growth.

It defies logic to think that for $50k plus benefits, 500+ WES students will lose this special opportunity to
have music feed their enrichment in all areas.

Students Will Feel Loss of Music Teacher

 Perspective:
Gutting our core competency (instructional support) or
furlough of a brilliant elementary music teacher
because of rising benefits costs
seems to lack long term perspective.

Healthcare and pension costs are not just a Radnor issue

Pennsylvania cannot allow all of its 500 school districts to go bankrupt. There is
legislation in the works HB 2135 and SB 1185 to find a workable solution re:
PSERs, the pension plan which suffered investment losses (like everyone else).
Other districts are exploring alternatives (healthcare plans) not cutting staff.

Yes, Act 1 legislation will continue. Real estate revenue may not rise.

In challenging fiscal times, it is essential that we stay engaged.

- Dialogue candidly and meaningfully
- Collaborate to create robust, creative solutions
- Share the burden
p9
 Viable Alternates to Current Proposal
Apr 28 proposal: real estate tax increase of 2.9% ($185 for average property) and furlough of 24 teachers
Teachers being furloughed have least seniority. Estimate $72,000/teacher ($54k salary + $18k benefits).

Who What $ impact # Teachers

Board Find more competitive healthcare - -

Teachers Accept healthcare plan/premium TBA TBA

2 year contract - -

Administration Reduce district admin by additional 1 $ 150,000 2

Hire educated community for $1/project.

Taxpayers 3.9%=$248 increase $ 600,000 8

5% = $318 increase $1,300,000 17-18

Families Activities Fee ~$100/student $ 360,000 4-5

(hardship waiver available)
Board Temporary loan from $8 million general
fund until activities fees collected

Share the Burden Today to Secure our Future. p 10