Posted on: Friday, July 1, 2005

Some will add staff, others to subtract

By Treena Shapiro and Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writers

At Jarrett Middle School in Palolo, principal Gerald Teramae says a proposed funding formula that would cut his budget by 26.7 percent could mean the loss of two teaching positions — and that's just in the first year of the four-year phase-in.

Faye Ogilvie, principal of Honaunau Elementary on the Big Island, said the projected loss of 55 percent of her budget would mean cuts in services to children, including some tutoring, and threaten the school's progress toward state standards.

At Waipahu High, principal Patricia Pedersen was excited at the possibilities created by anticipated new funding of $1.3 million per year, making the school one of the biggest winners under the new formula. That could help the school add more counselors or other resource teachers, or provide additional tutoring or even teacher training, said Pedersen.

"It's going to definitely help me," Pedersen said.

A proposed "weighted student formula" given preliminary approval Wednesday by a Board of Education committee could result in financial gains or losses of $100,000 per year at two-thirds of the state's regular public schools.

Seventy-seven schools would gain more than $100,000 per year when the new formula is fully implemented after four years, while 94 schools would lose at least $100,000 annually.

The proposed formula, which would begin taking effect with the 2006-07 school year, faces a final vote this month or next by the full BOE.

The formula would assign specific dollar values to schools based on the income levels of students' families, the likelihood that they speak English as a second language, grade levels, and school size, among other factors.

Some school board members are considering adding safeguards, such as a cap on the percentage that any school's budget could be reduced in one year, before a final vote is taken.

Still, reaction yesterday was strong at schools where anticipated funding shifts were substantial.

Jarrett is one of 24 struggling schools deemed most in need of help after missing academic targets for several years. It has been "restructured," or taken over by the state, under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Fully two-thirds of those schools would lose money under the new formula.

"Technically, as a restructured school, you would probably need to see more resources to get yourself out of restructuring rather than having resources taken away from you," Jarrett's Teramae said yesterday. "I fail to see the reasoning in that."

Jarrett's 26.7 percent cut would translate to about $110,000 in the first year, and a reduction of that magnitude means there's only one place to make up for it, Teramae said.

"Realistically, it's personnel," he said. "You're not looking at pens and paperclips. You're looking at live bodies we're going to have to eliminate or look to other sources to fund."

Teacher cuts

Teramae said his school would consider all positions for elimination, but would probably have to cut two teachers, although not in core subject areas such as reading and math.

Ogilvie, the Honaunau principal, agreed with Teramae's assessment.

The total projected budget reduction at Honaunau would amount to more than $900,000 — one of the largest in the state — compared with more than $591,000 at Jarrett.

"A lot will be in personnel, that's where it will be cut," Ogilvie said, adding that because it's early in the process she's not able to say exactly what might be lost or reconfigured.

"I looked at the numbers and realized I would not be able to staff the school as it is presently staffed," said Ogilvie. "When I take a look at the year 2014, when 100 percent of the kids are supposed to be meeting proficiency, if our budget is cut I don't think we would get there."

Part of the reason for the hefty reduction at Honaunau is a drop in the size of the student body, which went from 420 a year ago to about 140 after students in sixth through eighth grades were moved to Konawaena Middle School.

Nonetheless, Ogilvie said smaller schools are still expected to provide a librarian, a counselor and other specialized teachers for their students — and those positions take a larger share of the per-student allotment.

Honaunau is now able to offer its children before- and after-school tutoring, resource teachers such as reading specialists who work with small groups of students based on need, and a number of part-time teachers who work with special-needs students such as those for whom English is a second language.

With money for those things potentially disappearing, Ogilvie said she would have to "get really creative about fund-raising and resources out there in the community."

"I'm not panicked. I'm looking at it," she said.

Double-up option

Art Souza, complex superintendent for the West Hawai'i district office, within which Honaunau falls, said smaller schools may have to consider doubling up some resource positions.

"Maybe we have to look at how we use these resource positions," said Souza. "If you have a counselor, can that counselor double up by offering classroom support as well? These are the discussions that are going to have to take place."

The discussions at Waipahu High will be somewhat different, but still aimed at getting the most for their money.

The school has 2,400 students and a teaching and support staff of 250. Principal Pedersen envisioned a laundry list of possibilities for using the new money that may lie ahead: more counselors or other resource teachers as needed to provide more personalized education for each student; more tutors to support new "small learning communities" in ninth and 10th grades as well as tutoring before and after school and on Saturdays; plus retraining teachers where needed, especially to teach remedial reading.

"It will all depend on the needs as we identify them," said Pedersen. "We have dollars, but we don't want to spend them without a goal and purpose."

Back at Jarrett Middle School, principal Teramae said schools under restructuring are keeping positive frames of mind as they confront the prospect of reduced funding.

"It's going to take a lot of creativity and people willing to work together in partnership and collaboration," he said. "It's the schools that are innovative and willing to stretch the box and be creative that are going to overcome this weighted student formula."

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8014. Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.