UP Schools Start New Year Strong, But Midyear Belt Tightening Looms

schools started the new year with all core programs intact Tuesday, but district officials are keeping a watchful eye on state funding and looking at possible midyear cuts if state finances don’t improve.

School Board President said UP schools currently remain strongly positioned despite the recession and reduced state revenue.

“Because of a good relationship between the district and our unions, we have had the ability to offset some state budget reductions by virtue of a reasonably healthy reserve,” he said.  “This tactic will not be available for long if the state continues to go into the red.”

While neighboring districts, including Tacoma, have been struggling with significant cuts and strained labor negotiations, UP has largely avoided conflict going into the new school year.

“Our priorities are and have always been to focus first on students in the classroom, and to work our way out from there,” Maloney said.  “Our superintendent, administrators and staff are coping well under the pressures of these budget challenges.”

District Superintendent Patti Banks said core academics, athletics and activities, music, physical education and library programs remain unchanged as of Tuesday, but things could nosedive midyear if the state’s financial picture does not improve.

Banks said state funding for K-12 school districts has been significantly decreased every year since the 2007-2008 school year - a reflection of the national recession’s effect on Washington state’s coffers.

“I refer to this as the last normal school funding year,” she said.

Added Banks, “We implemented $1.9 million in cuts in the 2008-09 school year, $447,000 of which was in administrative reductions.  We operate with a very lean administrative structure.”

By implementing the cuts early, Banks said, the district has accrued cost savings for the last three fiscal years.

“Some districts did not make major reductions in the first few years, and that may be one difference that accounts for our relative budget stability,” she said.  “We have continued to implement a very conservative expenditures budget each year … and continue to maximize budget efficiencies.”

The immediate goal, Banks said, is to develop a plan that would see UP schools safely through 2011-13 without major reductions in core student programs.

“But funding reductions that came in the middle of the budget year last year -- the first time in my history as an administrator -- coupled with the potential of a special legislative session that might do the same this year could require further reductions,” she warned.

Reiterating Maloney’s comments, Banks said the district has a long history of collaborative relationships with its four collective bargaining groups, which cover certificated staff, office professionals, classified personnel and school principals.

“So, we've faced all the budget issues with a strong base of trust and commitment to mutual problem solving,” she said.  “That said, our staff are certainly feeling the pressure of on-going budget reductions, and we have had to reduce levels of support (for) custodial and maintenance (and) para-educators.”

Academically, the district is starting its third year of an initiative to improve student achievement in mathematics. The effort already has shown measureable gains, especially at intermediate grades five through seven, where students posted some of the highest math scores in the region.

“Additionally, these gains have occurred as free and reduced lunch rates in the district have increased,” she said.  “We are currently at 36 percent free and reduced lunch overall.  This is almost double the … rate of 10 years ago.  Yet all of our achievement scores have increased dramatically.”

Banks said UP’s low-income intermediate students scored comparably to the state average for non-low income students.

As for new and ongoing capital improvements this year, Banks said the district expects to complete the new swimming pool at next month.  It is among the last projects prioritized by a citizens committee under a 2006 school-bond measure.

Also under way is a sidewalk project near Narrows View Intermediate School as part of the city’s “Safe Routes to School” initiative.