We Are Staying THE Course

The headline of one November Focus Point was "Staying THE Course As We Work Through Financial Issues."  Our team has remained focused on our goal of high achievement for all students although C-FB ISD still faces financial issues.  Due to our team's focus, C-FB ISD is in the top 9% in academic performance of the 200 largest school districts as ranked by ERG (Education Resource Group) for 2010-2011.

Since we've talked about the district's financial situation, there has been some good news thanks to our team's commitment to "continuously increase operational effectiveness".  At the December 2011 School Board meeting,  Associate Superintendent Mark Hyatt gave an update on our financial status. 

At that time, Mr. Hyatt reported that due to the staff's work, the 2010-2011 budget would not be a "deficit" budget as previously thought.  Because the C-FB ISD team had continued to reduce operational costs during the last 12 months, the 2011 fiscal year ended with "excess revenues" of approximately $2.1 million. For a school district, we will move those funds to our reserves or fund balance.

We made this happened because we worked together as a team, focusing on our singular goal of "high achievement for all students;" this quote from District Leadership That Works by Robert Marzano and Timothy Waters states it best:

"High performing districts ensure that the necessary resources, including time, money, personnel and materials are allocated to accomplish the District's goals. This can mean cutting back on or dropping initiatives that are not aligned with district goals for achievement and instruction."

However, the cost containments that we have made haven't been easy. We know that our team has made adjustments everywhere: on every campus and facility.   This is the first year, C-FB ISD has requested state waivers for exceeding 22 students in kindergarten through fourth grade classrooms.  And, although that number can vary; we have more than 50 classrooms in those grades with more than 22 students. We've also increased class sizes throughout the rest of the district as well.  The district has managed personnel costs through attrition, reassignment and retirements.  Everyone on the C-FB ISD team has stepped up and is doing more than ever before.

2011-2012 Estimated Budget and 2012-2013 Projected Budget
December 1, 2011 Board Meeting Presentation



 When the 2011-2012 budget was approved by the School Board in August, it had a $9.7 million deficit. As the district evaluated expenditures through December, we believe the deficit will be approximately $3.5 million. Again, the C-FB ISD School Board and the educational team members should be commended for their efforts in being financially conservative.

When we began talking about the "perfect storm" of school finance, I knew in C-FB ISD we had the ability to "weather" the situation better than many other districts because of our preparation, commitment to purpose, and strategic planning.

In December, Mr. Hyatt presented the Board a proposed 2012-2013 budget, similar to this year's budget. The proposal has an estimated $12 million shortfall compared to the original $20 million talked about early in the year.  The good news for C-FB ISD is that our financial picture is not quite dire as we thought in November because the shortfall is less than originally estimated. However, there is still much work to be done to overcome the loss in revenue from the state.  The School Board will meet in a work-study session on February 16  at 6:30 p.m. in the Administration Building to address Resource Allocations  for the 2012-2013 school year.

We will continue to implement strategies to be cost efficient and effective, but at the same time, we in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District need to remember that high performing districts such as ours must "allocate the necessary resources to accomplish the District's goals." 

Note: To see the 2012-2013 Preliminary Budget report from the December School Board meeting, go the district's Vimeo Channel: December 2011 Board Meeting