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LPOSD budget does ‘less with less’

May 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

f the Department of Education under Tom Luna’s direction appears to have adopted a hands off approach to how school districts manage to raise enough money to stay afloat, it has embraced a decidedly hands on posture when it comes to how those same districts are allowed to spend the dollars once they’re raised. As part of Luna’s sweeping and controversial education reform package approved this spring, but now in question due to a statewide voter referendum drive, final budget oversight will fall to the education department.

“I feel like we have less control (under this legislation) at the same time that we’re asking more from our residents and citizens,” Cvitanich said.

LPOSD’s financial challenges are amplified by the way student enrollment affects state support under Idaho’s public education budget formula. In the four-year period between 2007-2010, the district had the largest student population declines in the state. Its upcoming budget projects a further drop of 2.5 percent — about 90 students districtwide — for Fiscal 2012.

Approximately a third of those students are expected to move out of the area, but a shift in the majority of the others shows the dilutive effect of new education options, as more of the population migrates to charter and private schools or explores home schooling and online “virtual academies.”

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SB 1184 would double-fund virtual charter schools for existing computers

March 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Last year, lawmakers requested a report from the state Department of Education on how the transportation funds it sends out to school districts are spent; a task force looked into the issue, and came back with its “Pupil Transportation Report – 2010 Legislative Report.” Among its findings: About six years earlier, the Legislature had authorized funding student computers and other high-tech equipment for virtual charter schools from the state’s pupil transportation funds, reasoning that where brick-and-mortar schools have to transport students to school, virtual charter schools use computers to transport the education to the students.

The report found, “Virtual Charter Schools ‘transportation’ reimbursement represents approximately $1,200,000 in pupil transportation funding each year and continues to grow with each new virtual charter school,” and recommended that the practice end. “The Task Force feels that this program offers no true incentives for virtual schools to find ways to reduce their cost in ‘transportation’ expenses and that if the Legislature wants to continue to fund virtual schools technology use in homes, then it should be done by means of an alternate funding mechanism.”

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Focus on Education

July 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Academic—Our goal is continuous improvement. We have made improvements each year in each academic area that is tested. We cannot be content with the status quo on the ISAT. I believe our reading scores will improve this year, and frankly, I am a bit surprised because they are currently so high. I believe math and language usage results will also climb. We will continue our push to raise standards and expectations because we want our students to be competitive in whatever arena they choose.

Economic—We anticipated the drop in revenue for 2010-2011 and have already started planning for 2011-2012. We are in a position that we can absorb a 5 percent legislative holdback should it occur. However, as noted above this also means that passing our supplemental levy is imperative. Working in the state of Idaho is a particular challenge around funding.

Competition—The competition for students continues as the Sandpoint Charter School and virtual schools continue to grow. However, I believe we can be more aggressive in our marketing. This part of our work has improved this year. However, I also will be asking the Board of Trustees to reconsider the transportation component of our support. We are one of only two public school districts transporting students to a charter in our state. I believe this needs to change.

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