Post-Budget Thoughts

I used to think budgets were boring.  That is, until I covered the NPS budget process in blow by blow detail.  I now consider the NPS budget more of a mystery.  Like many readers of this blog I'm  confounded by the end result--I'm left wondering if this is a budget of a "thousand cuts" or one that finally got rid of a lot of fat?

In just one week, the district went from months of being able to only find $3.5 of the $5 million needed to reconcile the budget to miraculously finding all $5 million.  Why was all this talk of cutting AT, strings, 1/2 day kindergarten (!), and assistant principals necessary?  And worse, why have we been talking about these same cuts for the past two years? Why have hundreds of parent hours been spent attending budget meetings?  Why have city and school officials been asking our teachers to give back their minimal raises if, indeed, the money was there all along?

I am also concerned about the amount of time the budget process takes  Board meeting after board meeting was dominated by budget discussions, and  aside from the near doubling of teacher retirements, all the variables have been known since January -- the amount to cut as well as the areas for cutting, changing, and combining.   Could we not have wrapped it up weeks ago? While I think the budget is very important, I am concerned that it dominates our leaders' time to the detriment of other issues like curriculum and instruction.

Back in January, the majority of the BOE voted to pass along a largely unreviewed budget to the BET.  Even at that time, it was known that the city was asking for all city departments to present budgets with 0% increases.  How are we as a school system supposed to advocate for what's really needed to improve our schools when we present budgets that at best do not take into account economic realities, and at worst appear to be padded?

This is not to say that I am not grateful that staff and programs have not been cut.  We are not the school system, like so many across the country, that had to layoff hundred of teachers or close down schools.  But could we become one?  I am worried about next year.  My principal will now have less money to spend on our school, and fewer supplies on hand.  What happens if something breaks and there's no money to repair it?

I  now realize that budgets are about a district's leadership and its ability to plan strategically and communicate its needs and goals.  As interims, Papallo and Nast's hands were tied.  They were not in a position to make systemic changes.  However, I do hope that when Dr. Marks arrives that budgeting is not about simply cutting from line items or threatening programs, but an approach that aligns goals and priorities with dollar amounts.  And that it is all presented in a way that is easy for everyone, parent and non-parent taxpayers to understand.