Resource Allocation & School Planning Councils in Your District Presenter: Sterling Olson

2 Outline  Purpose/Why School Resource Allocations  Roles and Responsibilities  Ministry Funding Allocation System  School District Spending  Budget Process  Centralized vs. Decentralized  Sample Information

3 Purpose  Focus school and district resources on the improvement of student achievement.  Improve the transparency and accountability of school board allocation procedures and school-based budgets.  Enable school planning councils and other partner groups to understand funding and budget decisions.  Provide opportunity for school planning councils to consult with and provide advice to school boards related to allocations to schools.

4 Why School Resource Allocations?  Changes to School Act  Notional School Allocations  Guidelines for School Planning Councils  District Accountability Contracts for 2004/05

5 Changes to School Act  Bill 34 – May 13, 2002  Section 8.2 A Board must consult with a school planning council in respect of the following: (a) the allocation of staff and resources in the school

6 Notional School Allocations  Minister of Education states (August 26, 2003): That there be more awareness among the general public about how school boards allocate resources to schools.  Accepts the following recommendation: That steps be taken to require school boards to provide school resource information and to develop a collaborative process with SPCs so that funding and resource decisions are linked to school growth plans and accountability contracts.

7 Guidelines for School Planning Councils By a date set by the board, a school planning council must prepare and submit to the board a school plan for the school in respect of improving student achievement and other matters contained in the board’s accountability contract relating to that school.  Collect and analyze school resource allocation information.  Develop the plan for improvement.  Provide advice to the school board about the allocation of staff and resources in the school.

8 District Accountability Contracts for 2004/05  The intent of the School District Accountability Contract is to focus district attention and resources on improving student achievement.  A description of the process to consult with School Planning Councils about the allocation of staff and resources in school is required.  A sample of the resources allocation form should be attached to the Contract.

9 Roles and Responsibilities  Cabinet and Treasury Board establish the overall budget and Individual Ministry amounts  Ministry of Education sets priorities and allocates funding to the school boards issues budget and accounting instructions  School Boards sets spending priorities and establishes budgets consults with School Planning Councils allocate funding to schools and programs  Schools allocate funding to classrooms/programs

10 Responsibilities for School Resource Allocations  School Board Allocate staff and resources to schools and programs Provides information about the allocation of resources to the school Consults with school planning councils about the allocation of staff and resources in the school  Principal Provides information to the school planning council about the allocation of staff and resources in the school  School Planning Council Provides advice to the school board about the allocation of staff and resources in the school

11  The system provides for: Student Allocation of $5,520 per FTE student Allocation of $250 per homeschooler Enrolment Decline Grant (50% for declining >1%) Unique student needs of ESL ($1,100), aboriginal education ($950), special education Level 1 ($30,000), Level 2 ($15,000), Level 3 ($6,000), and adult education Teacher salary differential between districts Unique geographic factors of climate, dispersion, remoteness, school district size, small communities (fixed) Transportation and Housing allocation (fixed) GAAP Funding  The funding system was set for three years up until 2004/05 and significant changes are planned for 2005/06 Allocation of Provincial Operating Funding

12  Enrolment ranges from 289 to 60,386 fte  Funding varies from $5.2 to $376 million  Average teacher salaries vary from $58,092 and $64,720  Dispersion, remoteness, climate and size of schools vary  Enrollment changes 2002/03 to 2003/04: SD #36 Surrey % SD #93 Conseil Scolarie % SD #61 Victoria(572) (2.79%) SD #85 Vancouver Island North(239) (11.01%) Total(6,591) (1.14%) School Board Variations

13  School Districts allocate their spending between 4 key functional areas: Instruction School District Operating Spending

14  School Districts allocate their spending between 4 key functional areas: District and School Administration School District Operating Spending

15  School Districts allocate their spending between 4 key functional areas: Operating and Maintaining buildings School District Operating Spending

16  School Districts allocate their spending between 4 key functional areas: Transporting and Housing Students School District Operating Spending

17 Instruction76% Operations & Maintenance13% Administration 8% Transportation 3% School District Operating Spending: A Provincial Picture Salaries74% Employee Benefits15% Supplies & Services11%

18  School Districts need to establish their own process for preparation, consultation and approval of their operating budgets. Communication throughout the budget process is vital.  When establishing Budget timelines, Boards need to take into account staffing deadlines and implementation processes. Budget Process - A question of Balance

19 Budget Process and Accountability Cycle School Planning & Goal Setting (Involvement of School Community) School Planning Councils Accountability Agreement Budget Goals & Guiding Principles of Board of School Trustees District Budget Preparation, Consultation and Approval Allocation of Budget to Programs and Schools Continuous Process Continuous Process

20  Guiding principles and priorities are set.  Costs of providing existing services are projected into the next year (salary and benefits, utilities, etc.)  Factors that will change such as student enrolment, inflation, contract changes, one time items are determined.  Revenues, any surplus/deficit from the previous year are projected and the net budget position (shortfall or surplus) is determined.  Options and strategies to address net budget position are identified.  Decisions are finalized. Preparation of the Budget

21 SD #91 Budget Allocation Criteria  Addresses board goals  Stays within existing resources  Equitable  Understandable  Predictable  Encourages efficiencies  Decision neutral

22  The level of school control over budgets and the allocation of resources varies across the province.  There isn’t one “best way” to allocate resources.  What decisions are flexible? Centralized vs. Decentralized

23 Who Makes the Decisions?  A significant number of districts indicate that they allow schools limited decision making (primarily around what the supplies budget can be spent on).  Conversely, there is a fairly high number of districts that, subject to varying constraints, allow some decisions to be made at the school level around staffing as well as supplies and service.

24 Who Makes the Decisions

25 What Information is Provided by Districts to Their Schools?  Districts provide information to schools about the number of teachers and the amount available for teaching supplies.  Many districts also supply $ information associated with the teaching and other support staff.  In most cases, districts provide a rationale or funding formula that derives the $ amounts that they have announced.

26 SD #91 (Nechako Lakes)

27 SD #91 (Nechako Lakes)

28 Outline  Purpose/Why School Resource Allocations  Roles and Responsibilities  Ministry Funding Allocation System  School District Spending  Budget Process  Centralized vs. Decentralized  Sample Information