Stipends: Swollen Memberships

(Part 1 of a series)
Preface
It is important to note from the start that we recognize the value that memberships in professional organizations and societies offer in terms of networking, resources, and professional development.  But like anything, it must be in good measure.  Maybe you agree it's a concern, maybe you do not; but in  the wake of a serious economic downturn, all stones must be turned to at least evaluate potential savings for the district.  The sheer number and cost of these memberships is mind boggling.  But perhaps what stands out most is that these are intangibles; we can theorize that having these memberships could possibly result in a better district....yet we cannot prove it.  Where are the metrics?  How do we assess the return on our investment?   More to the point....many of these memberships are provided for individuals who are already very well compensated.  At what point does it become too much, and if individuals wish to maintain these memberships, they pony up the membership fee out of their own amply lined pockets.

It's time someone took a look at how many professional memberships we pay for in the district.

Teachers continue to have to supplement their classroom materials out of their own pockets because building budgets have been reduced.  That's just plain wrong.   Get past teacher pay for just a moment and ask yourself:  should ANY employee ANYWHERE have to provide their own materials to do their jobs?  We don't think so.

Interestingly enough, teachers' building budgets have been reduced by about $50,000. That reduction only means that teachers have to dig further into their own pockets to provide classroom materials to teach our kids.   Wanna take a guess at how much we spent in the last 12 months on professional membership dues?  Yup...a little more than $50,000.

General "district-wide" memberships:  24, totalling a bit over $27,000
Individual memberships:  104, totaling a bit under $25,000
Of those individual memberships, 72 (69% of individual memberships) were for the 28.5 FTE administrators, accounting for a bit over $21,000 (86% of individual membership costs).
That's an average of 3 memberships per administrator at a cost of just under $1000 per administrator.

24 of the 29 administrators have at least one membership paid for by the school district.  Two administrators take the prize for most individual memberships, with each having 7 membership dues/fees paid for by the district.

District-wide memberships include 17 different organizations. Individual memberships include 40 separate organizations.  That's a total of 57 memberships!

Memberships may be a good thing...but why are we paying for multiple memberships to the same organization?
The district pays for FOUR (4) SAM's Club memberships:  one each for Nursing, Elementary schools (ES?), and --not one, but --TWO memberships for high school athletics!  While the cost is fairly minimal, why do we need FOUR?  Can't the district purchase just ONE membership?  We purchase a "business" membership, which includes, " one Membership for you and one for a household member over 18 years of age.   Business Members also receive a company card that may be used by an employee for business purchases. "   Hmmm...who gets the second membership?  And since we receive a company card that may be used by an employee for purchases, why the need for more than one membership?

The bottom line is that these costs add up to a non-trivial amount.  There's an old adage that reminds us that 100 "1% costs" add up to 100%.  And these dollars can be put to better use paying for direct educational material costs that are being paid out of teachers' pockets at the moment. And need we remind you of the requirement that each middle schooler supply a ream of paper as part of their 'school supply list'?   http://sp-eye.blogspot.com/2010/08/even-more-school-supply-shenanigans.html

Other Questions

• Do we need pay for 18 separate AWSA [Association of Wisconsin School Administrators] memberships?
•  Do we need pay for 17 separate Administrator memberships to ASCD [Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development]?
•  Do we need pay for 9 separate NAESP [ National Association of Elementary School Principals] memberships?  We only have 7 elementary schools!  Why are we paying for membership in an ELEMENTARY school organization for two MIDDLE school administrators?  For the half-time principal of SP4K? 
•  Do we need to pay for 4 separate NASSP [ National Association of Secondary School Principals] ?
• Why are we paying for 2 memberships to NCTM  [National Council of Teachers of Mathematics ] for an elementary school principal and  a Staff Development Program Manager?  A math teacher?  Math department head?  Maybe...but two administrators?

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION
Documents we have obtained from the district indicate that most stipends...such as Dr. Culver's $125/month for Dane Co. travel costs and $325/month for "miscellaneous" costs...are paid out along with salary.

So....if we are paying these people a stipend of $1,375-$2,000 per year to cover things such as memberships, why is the district writing so many checks for memberships?  Hmmm?  We didn't see any re-imbursement checks in the Deposit listings to cover these costs Does that mean that, in addition to these memberships, they are paying an additional $1,375 to $2,000 out-of-pocket for others?  Hmmm?  Enquiring minds are interested in knowing.

Wait!  It's all OK.  It's part of an Administrator's Compensation package!
That's right, folks.  It's all above board...right?  After all, the administrators' benefit package (which school board members have voted to approve) includes the following:

C. Professional Development Stipend

1. To promote professional growth each administrator shall be provided with a professional development stipend as follows:

a. $2,000 per year for Building Principals; Assistant and Deputy District  Administrators; and Directors of Student Services or Human Resources.

b. $1,375 per year for all other administrators. 

3. The professional development stipend:

a. Must be related to each administrator’s annual professional growth plan goals;

b. Will not be subtracted from the administrator's operational or building budget;

c. Will be carried over annually, up to a maximum amount of $4,000 per administrator;

d. May be supplemented by funds from the administrator's operational budget;

YIKES! eh?  Not only do they get up to $2,000 per year ON TOP OF THEIR FAT SALARIES...but

• they get to spend it pretty much anyway they like,
• they get to carry over and "stockpile" up to $4,000 per year,
• they can supplement the money from their own personal department budget,
• and there doesn't appear to be any real oversight.

Is it just us?  Or does anyone else smell at least the potential for shenanigans?


What exactly is a Stipend
(1) a sum of money allotted on a regular basis; usually for some specific purpose
   -- wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

(2)  a fixed or regular amount of money paid as a salary or allowance, as to a clergyman
[ from Latin stīpendium, from stips (a contribution) + pendere (to pay out)]
-- Free dictionary online

Ruh Roh, Raggy: 4K Is in the Gunsights

Maybe we won't have to worry about how $50,000 for busing 4-year olds became $250,000.
It seems that at least one Republican lawmaker has got the 4K program squarely on his radar screen.  Bombs away?

"It is important for Governor Walker to make it clear that the days of encouraging four-year-old kindergarten are at an end so local districts can plan accordingly," 

--State Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend

 Read the State Journal article

School Board New Years Resolutions You Should --But WON'T-- See

Sun Prairie School Board New Year Resolutions for 2011 that SHOULD be made...but won't be.


#1.  Do away with the phrase, "All in favor say 'aye'....all opposed, same sign".
If you're opposed to something, why on earth would you say, "aye"?  This phrase dates back to the days when voting was done by raising one's hand...as in, "All in favor (raise your hand), All opposed, same sign".  Get it?


#2. Get better quality KSUN *live* feed of meetings.
Seriously...if you've ever watched one, the sound quality is horrendous, and the board members are washed ou (not that that is necessarily a bad thing).  Diedrich, in particular, looks ghostly (note, for the record, we did NOT say "ghastly").  May we recommend that the board bring in a small TV and actually watch one of their meetings as it airs?  What's really weird is that if you watch one of the DVDs produced, the quality is better.


#3.  Create a standing agenda item for "Items of business at next school board meeting".
Currently the board president sets the agenda (actually it's mainly set by administration).  The public should know, with more than 3 days notice, what is coming up.  The public should also have input in this process.  Let's make the whole agenda-setting process transparent, eh?  And it should be sequenced before "Consent" items in the agenda.  We'll even start you off with a suggestion: grade inflation.  Let's have a school board table discussion regarding the percentage of kids making the honor roll/perfect 4.0 and how realistic that percentage is.


#4. It's time to return King Culver to the cheap seats.
It's the BOARD table, and he's NOT a board member.  'Nuff said.  Many times Culver has even responded to citizens requesting a response from the BOARD.  He also uses his "Administrator's report" time to poke and jab at public commenters whose comments he doesn't care for.  Bad form!


#5. Reconsider seating at the "administrator" table.
Are we paying administrators to attend?  Giving them "comp" time?  We hope not...because there are a number of them that appear religiously yet never speak a word.  If they are just interested citizens, they too should be in the cheap seats.


#6.  At committee meetings, treat other school board members in attendance the same as any other citizen.
If you've attended one of these meetings, when the chair turns and asks the public for comments, they routinely call individual school board members in attendance FIRST and ask if THEY have any comments.  Excuse us!


#7.  Re-arrange the agenda.
The administrator's report frequently contains some notable news, but more often than not is composed of self-indulgent or "rah-rah" items.  Frankly, it's typically as interesting as week-old turkey tetrazzini.  OK, maybe that was a poor analogy, 'cause we've seen some interesting developments in week-old anything.    The administrator's report needs to be moved to the back of the bus, with "Board member reports".


#8.  Votes of abstention should be reserved for those situations where a board member has a direct or perceived conflict of interest in the subject at hand.
No more of this ridiculous, "How many Yes votes does it take? Oh...I abstain!" crap.  VERY poor form.


#9. Streamline the meetings.  
On any business item, the routine should be: 1.Once --not twice-- around the table.  2. Be brief with your comments, board members.  3. Ask for public input. 4. Bring it back to the board, but only ask for any final comments (raise hands), rather than going around the table again.


#10.  Stop the closed-door shenanigans.
Look...we KNOW that more goes on in closed board sessions than is legally allowed.  STOP IT!   You can't possibly think that you're so clever that we aren't aware of the violations occurring.  Hell, the whole public knew all the silliness that went on behind the scenes with the Pool Manager hiring.  Newsflash, Ms. Diedrich...you can't change your vote once you've cast it in public session. 

ONE MEEEEL YUN DOLLARS!

The Sun Prairie Area School District general budget for 2010-11 is about $73M.
You know the old adage....what does "a million of [something] look like"?
Here's what ONE MILLION DOLLARS buys (or what costs $1M) in the school district:

• The combined salaries (excluding benefits) of the top 9 highest paid administrators: Culver, Frei, Dawes, Luessman, Mikula, Hery, Murphy, Heipp, Ruggles)
• The combined salaries (excluding benefits) of all 28.5 administrators for July - Nov, 2010
• The combined salaries (excluding benefits) of the top 12 highest paid teachers
• The district cost -- for ONE MONTH -- of Health Insurance ($936,250)
• The 2010-11 district cost for Dental Insurance
• The budgeted amount which state aid exceeds cost (aka "profit") of the 4K program in 2011-12
• The 5 YEAR busing cost to transport 4 year olds to the 4K program (currently 133 kids) 
• The District budget for "General Supplies" for the 2010-11 school year
• The budgeted sum of "Extra-curricular" and "Summer School" salaries paid to district staff above and beyond their regular pay for 2010-11 (actually $1.1M)
• ONE TENTH of the 2010-11 district payment for Capital Debt
• 0.6% of the total district debt ($171M) as of June 30, 2011.
• The Capital Projects (building maintenance) budget for 2010-11
• The budgeted district cost for electricity for 2010-11
• SIX MONTHS of  budgeted district cost for SUBSTITUTE teachers for 2010-11

Please Don't Go!!!

We understand that board member David Stackhouse is pondering whether or not to turn in papers for re-election.  We'd miss him.  After all...he provides so much fodder.

Most recently, at the Dec. 20th school board meeting, the subject was advertising in the schools.  Board member John Welke commented regarding an e-mail that all board members had received from "a citizen" (it was from none other than SP-EYE).  
Stackhouse commented to the effect that, he...

"...doesn't give any consideration to e-mails that don't identify the sender."

And THAT's what we love about Stackhouse.
He knows darn right well who SP-EYE is....after all....his good buddy Monte Couch has made it clear in e-mail and in the newspaper that "SP-EYE is none other Rick Mealy".   We even reported it ourselves!  (http://sp-eye.blogspot.com/2009/05/sp-eye-aint-monte.html )  And Stackhouse is copied on all Monte's hodgepodge of correspondence (uh oh...hope that won't turn on the legal threats tap again!!!).


David...you even e-mailed us directly to specifically suggest we use Billy Joel for your "celebrity look-a-like".   How come you knew who to e-mail it to, but suddenly you forget who SP-EYE is?  A little senility creeping in?  


Remember the old Trix rabbit?  Silly David, nice of you to pontificate...but the whole world knows who "runs" SP-EYE...so it doesn't become you to play coy now.  But...that being said...we love the opportunity to point out how ridiculous your chest-puffing is/was.  Don't hate on the player...hate the game, baby.


The school district world is a much funner place with you in it...especially after you started voting against McCourt, McWhalen, and McDiedrich because you weren't voted into an officer position.   So here's hoping you file your candidacy papers.  Go on...you KNOW you like the limelight!

Note: While we would love to lay claim to all the intelligence and tidbits we post here, we maintain what we have maintained from the get go.  SP-EYE may well be written by one individual...but we rely on the eyes and ears of the many of you who have supplied us with critical intelligence to truly know the details of what's going on inside the district core.  And we thank you all for your continuing contributions.  Without you, SP-EYE would not be nearly as strong.  And the community would not be so well-informed.

4K Transportation: What Kind of Accounting is this?

In December 2008, district administration presented the school board with its budget for the costing of the new 4 year old kindergarten program (SP4K).
Year 1 (2009-10) projected transportation costs (busing): $50,000
with projected increases of 4% per year.  Notably, this is the budget which was approved by the school board in agreeing to implement 4K.


In October 2009, a revised "estimate" was generated (with no fanfare, despite a 150% increase over the projection 10 month prior:  $125,000.  Neither the school board (nor the public) was informed of the severity of the under-budgeting of the 4K transportation costs.  The cost was buried within routine "budget adjustments".


Actual cost for 2009-10:  $ 259,848
Projected Cost for 2010-11: $ 261,124


How does a projection of $50,000 swell to $125,000 in just 10 months and then again to $261,000 ?
That's an under-budgeting of 500%!


Phil Frei's answer:
"Well....we don't just budget for a program...like we don't budget for the cost of the science program"


Um...Phil....the problem with your logic is that it's not logical.  Science is PART of an entire curriculum which is and always has existed.  The SP4K was a NEW addition to the school district.  As would be expected of ANY new curriculum, an accurate accounting is required.  Being off by a factor of 5 just doesn't cut it.


If we're off this much for the SP4K busing, maybe that explains how we wound up with a surplus of nearly $3M AFTER the community voted to reduce the tax levy by $2M.


Hmmm...the original budget called for a $600K deficit for 2009-10, a $300K "profit" (surplus) for 2010-11, and a $1.3M "profit" for 2011-12.  


Our questions:
1. Would the board have approved the 4K program had they know that transportation would cost FIVE TIMES as much as projected?  With up to a 60 minute (each way) ride time?
2. Whatever happened to the concept of "fidelity to funding"?  If we are "making a profit off of 4K....why should there be a 60 minute ride time for 4 year olds?  Oh ...wait...we know...because they want to use the "surplus" for other things.


We're hoping Governor -elect Walker has his radar screen focused on DPI and state aids as well as he has it focused on nailing state employees.

WHO Ordered the Code Red?

We have heard multiple reports from sports fans that there's some spanky new scorer's tables in use this year.  Nice tables, but apparently some part of them are being covered up.
Whatcha got hiding under that sheet?
Wouldn't happen to be a Pepsi logo, now, would it?


Enquiring minds want to know:

WHEN were these tables purchased? (how soon before/after the board decision on Pepsi contracts)
With WHAT money? (referendum funds? Fund 10?)
WHO authorized the purchase?
HOW much did they cost?
WHAT are we going to do with them if they have Pepsi logo (which we should NOT be displaying)?

...and Visions of Sugar Plums (???) Danced in their Heads

What are our school board members and top administrators hoping to find under their holiday trees this year?

Statewide, School Portion of Property Taxes Rises 3.4%

In a report by the Wisconsin State Journal, the school portion of property taxes increased 3.4 percent this year. This represents the smallest change since taxes dropped a half a percentage point in 2006.

The average school tax rate is $9.11 for every $1,000 in property value. That is up 55 cents from last year.

The report says part of the reason for the increase is a 3 percent drop in the value of property taxed.

Nearly $4.7 billion was levied in taxes by school districts this year. That is 1.6 percent below the maximum that could have been sought under the law.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/article_2d1010a8-0ac8-11e0-9602-001cc4c03286.html

Pint-Sized Passengers -- Hefty Cost

The School Board will review SP4K busing tomorrow night.

This started out as a simple issue...a parent complained (rightfully) that their 4 year old was spending 2 hours a day on a bus for about 2.5 hours of instruction.  But...as with many school board issues, this one became another bloomin' onion....the more layers you peel away, the more information that comes clear.

Notable facts:

1. We, the people, and the school board were sold a bill of goods with the 4K program.  We were told that busing costs were projected (and budgeted) to be about $50K.  The number of students is as projected, yet the busing costs are FOUR TIMES higher than projected at just under $200K per year.

2. The cost to bus each student is a whopping $1963.34 per year, which is just more than FOUR times the average cost to bus a K-12 student.

3. There are FOUR times fewer kids per bus than for K-12 kids.

4. Here's the silver tuna...the school district expects to make a profit of about ONE MILLION dollars off the 4K program.  Shhhhh...keep that one under your hat.  They don't want YOU to know that...and they certainly don't want Scott Walker to find out that DPI is giving out $1M more for 4K than the program actually costs ...for ONE district

WTF?

Didja Miss Us?

We're baaaaaaa- aaaack!

Sorry folks....had to take a time out to deal with some family medical issues.
Some of you probably think we deserve a time out for other  reasons :)

Not to worry...there's always stuff brewing in the SPASD....and we'll bring you what we know