Budget Town Hall

QUESTION: 

• Our school property taxes have steadily risen over the past 15 years, yet the student population is smaller and a large minority of students are not proficient in math and science (per PSSA) by grade 8.  This obvious excess cost to taxpayers for an inferior “product” clearly requires remedy:  what steps will be taken to shrink the budget and focus on mission-critical educational services.  How will these steps be monitored?

ANSWER (FULL ANSWER AVAILABLE AT 42:26):

• Over the past 15 years, Governor Mifflin School District has maintained between 4,050 and 4,300 students, with a high of 4,285 in 2009 and a low of 4,064 in 2013. In the last five years, we have experienced a very slight drop of 96 students across K-12. Overall, this is not a significant drop.
  
  In terms of our PSSA scores, 3 out of 5 schools scored above the state average in math proficiency and 4 out of 4 schools scored above the state average for science proficiency. In terms of academic growth score, 3 out of 5 schools scored highed than the state average in Math and 2 out of 4 scored higher than the state average in science. While we as a district plan to work to improve these scores further (as outlined in the Comprehensive Plan) we are not falling behind in comparison to other schools across Pennsylvania.
  
  While we recognize that there is still work to be done to improve our scores, we would also like to challenge the notion that standardized testing is only ONE indicator of student success. As a district, we do not look at our students as a “product” nor would we see a test score as defining a student. We see our students as human beings who all have different capabilities, are at different stages developmentally, and who all learn differently.

QUESTION:

• In view of high costs/poor performance/fewer students, will the next budget provide for common-sense cost reductions, including: Replacing staff pensions with defined contribution plans, Increasing pupil:teacher ratio, no other developed nation hews to 15:1 and yet they outperform us, Eliminate non-mission-critical services:  eg. DEI staff, publicly funded sport teams Transition from local tax funding to a partial tuition-based system (a user fee, in effect) with a backstop for low-income citizens

ANSWER (FULL ANSWER AVAILABLE AT 46:30):

• Staff pensions are not within the control of an individual public school district. This is managed through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System, an independent administrative board of the Commonwealth. As a public school, we are also not permitted to charge tuition. State legislature is the only body that can make changes to either of these aspects.
  
  Our district also does not have a pupil:teacher ratio of 15:1; our classrooms have an average of 25:1, with some classrooms at the secondary level exceeding that number. It is important to note that a student:teacher ratio is not a sole indicator of how well students perform.
  
  While diversity, equity, and inclusion are initiatives we are focused on, we have not put any funding toward a staff or administrative position for these initiatives. Our extracurricular activities, which include sports, music, extracurricular activities and clubs, and more, are part of the whole child experience and are extremely beneficial for our students’ development. In order to support these programs, students do pay a participation fee of $75.00 per year.

QUESTION:

• Does next year’s budget cover the cost of Bus Aides/Monitors for the District?  If so why not?

ANSWER (FULL ANSWER AVAILABLE AT 52:18)

• Yes, the 2023-2024 budget does cover these costs. We will be transitioning to a new Transportation Provider, First Student, however, we will not be changing the routes, amount of buses, or number of aides used on our buses.

QUESTION:

• How do you what people value?  Note where they spend their time and money.  The budget to per pupil spending amount (17th rank from 2022 deck) is disheartening, especially given the high relative budget (4th).  What is the district doing to raise per pupil spending?  While where the money is spent matters to materialize outcomes, having that money is the first step to offering the district the opportunity to drive those outcomes.

ANSWER (FULL ANSWER AVAILABLE AT 53:11):

• A common misconception is that per-pupil spending refers to supplies and items which students utilize directly (such as paper, pencils, and books). However, per pupil spending is calculated by taking the total budgeted expenditures for the district divided by student enrollment.
  
  Currently, we spend $19,055 per pupil. In order to meet or exceed first in the county for per pupil spending, we would need to increase our district budget by $44,689,265; to be 5th largest in per pupil spending, we would need to increase expenditures by $16,478,048.

QUESTION:

• Why can’t we prioritize more of our district budget to prepare our schools in case of an armed intruder?  Things like making sure all glass windows and doors are bulletproof, not actual glass.  Hiring more officers to be inside of our buildings the entire length of the school day, not just arrival and dismissals, seeing as most school shootings happen during school hours, not at arrival or dismissal.  And focusing more security on or primary schools also, not just secondary.
• When is Mifflin going to put money into more security and safety for our kids?  Metal detectors, etc.  There is money for a new athletic building but not our children’s safety,

ANSWER (FULL ANSWER AVAILABLE AT 55:58):

• At Governor Mifflin, we follow a balanced approach to safety with school hardening and soft solutions.
  
  In terms of school hardening, or direct school security measures, we have one school police officer, active shooter trainings, intruder locks and cameras, Raptor systems, and secure entrances at all schools (with the exception of GMMS, which will be constructed in Summer 2023.
  
  For soft solutions related to mental health and preventative care, we have two district social workers, professional development, trainings, building drills, restorative practices, responsive classroom, the Student Assistance Program, and more.
  
  Recently, our district was awarded a $327,258 Mental Health and Physical Safety Grant, to be split equally between mental health supports and physical safety mechanisms. We will be spending these funds on school social workers, intruder locks, and security cameras within the GMACC building.