Superintendent Bulletin 9.16.09

Let’s Revisit Our Shared Vision for Children

By Interim Superintendent Dr. Steve Herzog

“Douglas County School District students acquire the knowledge and abilities to be responsible citizens who contribute to our society.” This powerful vision statement for the District drives the work and ignites the passion of our teachers and support staff. In order to successfully work toward the achievement of this lofty vision statement, we need the full support of our community. According to the dictionary, a society is a community of people living in a particular country or region and having shared customs, laws and organizations. The Douglas County community consists of students, parents, retirees, business owners and all Douglas County residents. These community members contributed toward the development of and continue to contribute toward the fulfillment of this shared vision for students.

Clearly the environment of K-12 education is changing dramatically throughout our country and local community. Douglas County School District is adjusting to the “new normal” which includes less personnel working with more students using less resources. Over the past few years, budget pressures have precipitated changes that influence the level of service we are able to provide. Whether the changes impacting you are related to the opening the campuses for high school upper classmen, or the modification of transportation bus routes, or the larger classsizes, all these changes are unsettling. Layer on the dismal economic realities facing our state and local governments due to shrinking revenues, and it is understandable why many people are feeling uncertain, frustrated and tense.

In turbulent times, it is more important than ever that we focus on reestablishing strong lines of communication between our stakeholders and our schools. We need to spend time reaffirming our shared beliefs as a community. We must focus on what unites us versus that which divides us so we are able to harness the passion and commitment that is the hallmark of our community. We continue to be blessed by the countless hours of volunteer work, donations and support provided daily to our schools, but we need to reach into all corners of our community. We know our citizens are behind every single child to ensure they each have every opportunity to succeed and excel.

Over the coming months, Douglas County School District will be stepping up its efforts to work with the local community – students, parents, business owners, faith-based organizations, chambers, elected officials, and all District residents. We want to engage in a community conversation about our shared purpose and values. Only through agreed upon goals and a commitment to our children can we frame the future of our school system. We truly will need everyone to help us determine what a comprehensive educational program should include; a program that will allow our children to learn today, so they may lead tomorrow. Our community and more importantly, our children deserve this much.

I believe most constituents are familiar with the caliber of teaching and learning provided by our outstanding teachers and staff on behalf of our students. I believe the many options and opportunities afforded to our students are the cornerstone for our excellence. There are many points of pride we can cite, from high achievement on state and national assessments, to performance excellence in activities and athletics. We intend to share the accomplishments and outcomes of our high performing children, staff and system but we will also explain and communicate the challenges facing the District in the coming years.

As a community, we will have choices to make that will have long lasting impacts on the future of our society. The District will not only present its current state of affairs, but I assure you, we will make sure to listen as we work with our local constituents. We must be united in purpose and have a shared vision for our children and our community. I look forward to working with you on this meaningful journey to ensure we do our part in serving students, in creating responsible citizens and in contributing to our society.

Superintendent Bulletin 7.08.09

As we begin the 2009-10 school year with our thousands of four-track, year-round students and staff in Douglas County School District, I want to set the tone for what we will accomplish this year. The work we did throughout the spring and summer months in DCSD has inspired me to prepare with eager anticipation to take on the challenges to come.

The saying, “opportunity is found in times of crisis” resonates with me and I believe holds true throughout Douglas County School District these days. In my opinion, right now the powerful adage speaks to the need to harness the energy and pioneering spirit of Douglas County in an effort to drive forward and seek positive outcomes despite sometimes overwhelming odds.

The recent news that the State of Colorado will begin the next phase of reductions of at least another $350 million in its budget will undoubtedly have an impact on our County’s public organizations. I am an optimistic person. But, optimism alone is not going to improve education, create jobs or ensure public safety during times of fiscal challenge. What I believe will help us meet this fiscal crisis in Colorado and Douglas County is finding ways to ensure, to the best of our ability, that every dollar received is spent as efficiently as possible.

Reductions at the State level will impact us across so many services and municipalities. I believe the only solution for success is to bring all political leaders, community leaders and representatives of our public together to roll up their sleeves and get to work in a collaborative manner. We must hammer out solutions we can all support. We must value and cherish the strong community we have built in Douglas County. I know we can agree on much more than we disagree on, and when we do, progress abounds. I am confident we will meet every challenge with the resolve and courage of our pioneering forefathers who believed in finding opportunity around every corner.

I can tell you one thing for certain. We, the thousands of team members that make up Douglas County School District, will never be satisfied with just an OK, or an average School District. We expect to continue to be the best in Colorado. As the primary K-12 education provider in our County, we are not interested in responding to the recession by asking for pity as some have across our country and State. We have and will manage through this crisis, work harder, do more and ask our community to help us find the best solutions.

One of the first steps we will take as an organization is to revisit a legislative proposal we crafted in 2005. That year, the State Education Committees defeated the plan to dismantle the mounds of unnecessary regulation that are imposed on our education system. Those regulations, along with the many more that come out each legislative session, create huge financial burdens for school districts and have no positive impact on student learning. It is time once again to say, “enough is enough.” School districts must be in the business of improving learning and not fulfilling requirements and paperwork that will do nothing more than sit on a shelf downtown. The climate may be ripe for our proposal. Added government regulations are driving businesses and workers away from our County and State.

I believe we should take time as a community to gaze at our own reflection with pride for what we have accomplished. But we must also set our sites on a different future. I ask that each of you participate in the important work ahead.

As a School District, we will need your help to face these fiscal challenges. As leaders and community partners, we must band together to resist the temptation by some to impose more regulation and unnecessary mandates on schools and government so that our businesses can grow, our kids can learn, and our community can continue to thrive. Opportunities await us.

Superintendent Bulletin 6.11.09

Keeping a heartbeat strong

In many ways, Douglas County School District is the heartbeat and hub of our great County. As the County's largest employer, the School District is an economic engine. We pump revenues and jobs back into the local economy, especially when we have the funds to build new schools. We have the responsibility of preparing and educating the community members and leaders of tomorrow. Our heartbeat is strongest when it beats in concert with our community partners who participate, engage, support and see the value in what a good education can provide its community. Without doubt, a good school system is about communication and collaboration bringing together all subsets and segments of the community for the betterment of our youth.

It's been more than six months since Douglas County School District began our conversations about redesigns, reductions and eliminations in our operating budget. We sought staff, parent and community input throughout the process. It continues to be very important that our community know about our current situation, what we have had to do, how we did it, and why it may not be enough.

We have gone through an unprecedented economic downturn and a failed bond and budget measure that required DCSD to move into a multi-year budget reduction mode. We value and appreciate the participation and partnership with parents and families, businesses, law enforcement, economic development boards, elected officials and others to help us get through these challenging times. These partnerships allow us to provide an education that can be envied by most of the nation's school systems.

DCSD targeted $37 million in reductions over the next two school years, which is approximately seven percent of our total operating budget. Based on the results of thousands of pieces of feedback collected, we narrowed down the areas for redesigns, reductions and eliminations. Examples of our successful partnerships are visible as a result.

For instance, our transportation services were redesigned, saving DCSD an estimated $2.4 million. We modified transport systems to bring them more in line with neighboring Front Range school districts that utilize magnet stops along corridor routes. At the same time, we collaborated with County and Municipal traffic department personnel to create "walk/ride" routes which include maps for all elementary schools and a pilot Crossing Guard program. We continue to work with law enforcement agencies regarding transportation and open campus high school plans. This sort of solution-oriented teamwork allows us to continue to provide a valued service during tough times. In this specific case, our parents, families and local officials were able to help us maximize our services without increasing resources.

Currently, DCSD has a 3% fund balance, which is the minimum amount a school district can have to meet TABOR requirements under the law. We do not have any "extra" cash in our accounts to spend on requested restorations of services. We do continue to seek other sources of revenue through creative and innovative partnerships. Collaborations between County Government, Arapahoe Community College, Arapahoe/Douglas Works and local businesses have led us toward exciting opportunities for grants exceeding $500,000, if approved. We are proud to showcase some of the wonderful activities we are creating for our School District and hope these competitive grants can infuse some much-needed dollars into our system. Stay tuned for details on these potential projects.

So far, our strong partnerships have allowed our School District the ability to use Federal workforce funds to provide student and adult training through your local public schools in the evening and weekends. Our students have opportunities to acquire dual credits with our college partnerships and industry-recognized certifications through our own testing centers.

DCSD has faced changes and challenges in the past year and will continue to face them into the future. We know these changes and challenges impact lives, routines and schedules. In tough times we rely on our partners to participate in our process, advise, and support us. Our goal is always to provide world-class education and services to this community to the best of our ability.

Our ability to do so rests on the decisions our community makes. The Board of Education will continue to discuss the need to seek a local election to maintain valued services, high quality staff and innovation that are the hallmark of our School District. It is my hope that the future is brighter for all of us.

I encourage you take time to consider what you value in public education. We hope we will have the necessary resources in the future to maintain what we have in Douglas County School District and to maintain the robust heartbeat of our County.

Jim Christensen
Superintendent of Schools

Superintendent Bulletin 5.14.09

Striding toward Wellness

As we come to the end of our 50th year in Douglas County School District (DCSD) we have much to celebrate. We must also pause to recognize that we have been challenged as a School District this year in many ways. I want to express my gratitude to the staff, parents, students and public education advocates in the community for your support, recognition and understanding of the fiscal challenges we have faced.

Our road through reductions, like that of the rest of the community and nation has not been easy. Discussions about money and reductions, redesigns and eliminations have taken up time we prefer to focus on our primary goal as an education system: to provide a world class learning environment for every student. In the learning arena we continue to hit homeruns for students. Our students’ achievements are remarkable, yet we recognize we still have a lot of work to do to ensure that every child becomes a well-educated and responsible citizen. 

As some of our students leave our schools and head toward the challenge of their futures, others exit for the summer, and still others prepare for the new school year. During this transition, I have some exciting news and a request to share with you.

Our Board of Education’s goals (called End Statements) for all students and staff focus on the well-rounded, responsible citizen. One of these goals surrounds student health and wellness. The recent redesign of our staff health benefits plan has given birth to a new focus on wellness. For the first time in the history of DCSD, there are more than 1,000 staff members volunteering to pilot a wellness program using bilateral accelerometers (high tech pedometers) to measure physical activity.

Since May 1, these wellness CHAMPIONS have been participating in a challenge. In the first 14 days there have been some incredible results: 747 contestants logged more than 2,500,000 minutes of walking, running or biking, traveling more than 50,000 miles and burning a collective 4.3 million calories! This focus on wellness will not only enable our large organization to lower healthcare costs, but also eventually help us become the Healthiest School District in America. The excitement is contagious. Throughout the summer and into the 2009-10 school year, we will begin to involve all 6,700 staff and our 58,000 students. Parents and community, please join in our commitment to good health.

Research shows there is no question that food and fitness affect how children learn, feel and behave. Healthy food and exercise result in adults that are more productive, make better decisions, and model good, positive behavior for our youth. We also know lack of exercise, combined with a diet too high in fat and sugar and too low in fruits and vegetables, models unhealthy eating and poor fitness habits.

In an effort to provide the healthiest school nutrition and physical activity environment for our students, Douglas County School District has been actively implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the new wellness policy goals in all of our schools. This work includes improving the foods served in the school lunch and breakfast program. Parents will soon be able to monitor their child’s intake from daily nutritional analysis data provided to you from the District. Physical Education (PE) policy goals ensure that all K-12 students have dedicated time for PE and have ample opportunities to play (in elementary schools) and become involved in physical activities.

We need your help reinforcing these important messages to our young people. We request that beverages sent to school and consumed over the summer be water, milk, or 100 percent fruit/vegetable juice, not sweetened drinks. We ask that you promote healthy snacks, including fresh fruits and vegetables, trail mix and whole grain crackers while you are out enjoying the summer adventures we cherish in Colorado.

In Douglas County School District, the steps we take toward improving wellness for our entire system will create environments where adults at each school campus model a healthy lifestyle. Our schools are already focused on introducing our children to knowledge and behaviors that will help them become responsible citizens. We also know students and adults have a powerful way of motivating each other and keeping one another accountable. As we set out to become the Healthiest School District in the state and the country, we hope you will join us in this partnership.

I encourage you to always make sure your child is well rested, eats healthy snacks, and is physically active each day. Together we will make a difference and help our children learn important lessons today to lead healthy and productive lives tomorrow.

Learn Today. Lead Tomorrow.

Jim Christensen
Superintendent of Schools

Superintendent Bulletin 4.9.09

Local support and alternative funding vital

The success of public education in Colorado relies on local support in funding and volunteer time. As a Superintendent I spend a lot of time sharing this sentiment. And yet, it still surprises me when people really don’t understand why.

One of the most challenging aspects of leading an education system is working with formulas (provided by State funding mechanisms and local factors like demographics, etc.) that present finite resources. With these finite resources we must try to honor the continuous stream of requested services, while taking care not to undermine the successful traditional services we have grown accustomed to in our school system. That’s why in DCSD we are actively involved in seeking out alternative methods for generating revenue.

The uncertainty we face in massive budgeting changes in DCSD and most Colorado school districts could leave many lost in the fog. To avoid reactionary, uncoordinated, and ineffective responses, we must evaluate a broad set of desired outcomes and strategic responses before acting. We must focus on more flexible planning in our five-year budgeting through 2013 and at the same time strengthen our organization by leveraging local support. This support will allow us to not only survive as a world-class organization, but also seize extraordinary opportunities that arise during these periods of uncertainty.

There are five traditional ways school districts receive revenue:

• Federal funding;
• State operational revenues on a per pupil basis;
• Local mil levy override taxes;
• Local capital taxes (bonds); and
• Parent support.

Parents and families volunteer their time, help sustain programs through fees and work with Parent/Teacher Organizations to organize fundraisers to benefit school-based programs. School districts ask local voters to support programming through a mil levy override tax, which supplements State funding to operate schools. For example, the State provides less than 25 percent funding for special education, second language, and gifted and talented students as well as other operating expenses such as transportation. DCSD is expected to fill the 75 percent gap. School districts seek voter approval of the capital tax (bonds) to build schools – an essential for our growing District. The State does not provide any funds to build schools.

Federal funds are distributed based on poverty and students with special needs. Due to our student demographics, we receive very little in comparison to metro area school districts. For example, we will receive an estimated $8 million from the upcoming distribution of federal stimulus funds while others in the metro area are expected to receive up to $44 million. At the State level, the State’s contribution to school district funding models is expected to change. As a result, we expect significant reductions in future years beyond our District’s current three-year reduction plan of $58 million.

We continue to look for ways to generate revenue. We apply for grants, but they are difficult to attain due to demographic factors. Much of our work to date is focused on finding ways to provide a more efficient delivery model. As a result of recent reductions, DCSD is changing the way it funds our schools. We are now providing flexible funding dollars to enable greater local decision-making at school sites and in school Feeder Areas.

We are seeking enterprise opportunities. For example we have built at least one school, Lone Tree Elementary Magnet, at no bond cost to taxpayers by bringing out-of-district students to our District. Our expert staff is developing online learning tools that can be purchased and used by other school districts across the state and country. We are exploring tuition-based preschool opportunities for our future students. These strategies and others will allow us to direct new dollars toward existing programming in DCSD. Other areas to consider include: differing methods of constructing schools and using land; partnerships with mil levy planning; enhancing the Community College experience in high schools; broadening citizenry use and education opportunities in schools; and encouraging external enrollment in DCSD.

If DCSD were to utilize only the funds the State provides, much of our student programming would not be possible. Due to funding challenges, our class sizes are higher in comparison to some neighboring districts. We are required to use year-round four-track schools and mobiles to compensate for lack of space and funds. Most recently, we changed graduation credit requirements in order to bring DCSD back within reach of the State-funded level. Many Central Service departments, including Learning Services are now staffed at 2000-01 school year levels when DCSD had 20,000 fewer students. Our priority remains protecting the classroom.

DCSD has always prided itself on doing more with less. We have now reached the threshold where this is no longer possible and services are being cut. It is more important than ever that our stakeholders have a clear understanding of the challenges ahead. I would appreciate your support as we expand ways to generate revenue to maintain a great education for our kids.

I will tackle the topic of local taxes and our School District in my next bulletin.

Jim Christensen
Superintendent of Schools

Superintendent Bulletin 3.10.09

Federal Stimulus Funds

March 10, 2009

In this latest bulletin, I want to keep you in the loop on information regarding stimulus funds we are receiving from the Colorado Department of Education in Denver and U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C.

Recently you may have heard about “one-time” stimulus money coming from the Federal Government for education. We believe these monies will be distributed sometime this summer. These funds will target support for certain areas:

• Title I funding (determined by a count of free and reduced lunch students);
• Special Education;
• Grants for items like technology and innovation.

Most school districts will benefit from these funds. However, our County’s demographics will only allow us to receive a small amount of funds within the stimulus targets.

We will be one of only nine districts to receive zero funds from the stimulus package for Title I – which focuses on improving literacy and math. At the same time, surrounding districts in the Denver Metro area will receive amounts up to $31 million.

The Special Education stimulus account, however, will provide funds for DCSD. It is unclear at this time what amount we will receive. We hope we can use the money to avoid classroom cuts in special education in the 2010-11 school year. Believe me, regulations of earmarked funds are another story that I will address in another bulletin.

The stimulus also provides for discretionary state grant funds. The amount and method of distribution has not been detailed in Colorado. We will await the plan on how this money will be defined in requests for proposals by local districts. Stay tuned.

Currently, DCSD ranks low – 152 out of 178 school districts – in Colorado in funding we receive on a per pupil basis after adjustments are made to take care of operating expenses (called Per Pupil Operating Revenue). Local support is going to be very important as the state continues to target reductions in revenue that may impact education.

I will do my best to provide you with facts, and keep you informed about the state of our School District.

Jim Christensen
Superintendent of Schools

January 5, 2009

Friends and neighbors,

During this challenging fiscal environment, it makes sense for Douglas County School District to reprioritize our work and maximize resources to focus on our core mission – providing a world class education to the students in our community. Our organization is facing additional budget reductions due to the failed November 2008 bond and budget measures and external budgetary pressures caused by the state’s economic situation. District leaders, along with all staff have been working diligently on coming up with creative solutions – including redesign of program offerings, reduction in personnel and a different funding model for schools – which can be implemented quickly. The plans we make now will strengthen our organization and help it withstand a weakening economy and the resulting impact on our funding sources.

Community stakeholder feedback is extremely important to this budget reduction work in progress. We want to hear from you. A link to a survey providing opportunities to share feedback is provided at the end of this document. You will have the following multiple chances to provide input

1. Provide feedback on our proposed reduction plan for school years 2009-10 and 2010-11 in Section A of the survey.
2. Review areas of study and provide any additional new ideas you may have in Section B.
3. Prioritize a list of the top reduction, redesign, or elimination ideas to provide clarity into the needs and desires of our stakeholders in Section C.

Entering the 2008-09 school year, DCSD made $21 million in reductions, which included 53 Central Service positions, reductions in central office departmental budgets of up to 20 percent, adjustments in operations, maintenance, and secondary level staffing, as well as other reductions. To review the budget reductions made in the 2008-09 year, click on this link.

Cause:
Additional reductions are now necessary for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years. Due to a failed bond measure, DCSD will not be able to add any more space until another election is passed. Revenues from the failed Override would have provided more than $57 million in cumulative additional revenues over three years. Without these necessary additional funds, DCSD faces continued budget reductions and programmatic changes in many areas.

Treatment:
As a result, the Superintendent’s Cabinet is proposing the implementation of a multi-year budget reduction plan. Central administration and support services, compensation and existing educational staffing ratios are the major areas that will be reduced. DCSD is targeting $37 million in reductions over the next two school years. The proposed two-year budget reduction plan for 2009 through 2011, and a feedback opportunity, is available in Section A of the survey.

Also available in Section B of the survey is a short list of ideas DCSD intends to study further. These innovative ideas and suggestions have been gathered through our internal feedback process. There will be an opportunity for you to share any new ideas you may have for our future work as an organization.

Our organization continues to adapt to the needs of not only a fast-changing economy, but thousands of laws that regulate public education. DCSD has spent the past three years preparing for a Student-Based Budgeting delivery system that decentralizes control over funding. This year, we intend to provide “flexible funding” directly to schools and high school feeders (networks of schools that feed into a high school) to allow greater local decision-making. Through “flexible funding,” DCSD will distribute existing funds to allow school leaders and teachers, using finite resources, to make sensible “trade offs” to meet the unique needs of their students, individual schools, and feeders.

Result:
So far, thousands of comments have been generated through internal feedback discussions surrounding services and programs to eliminate, reduce and redesign. Before we move toward elimination of programs, we want community stakeholders to weigh in on some of the top ideas that received the most consistent feedback. Your input will provide clarity and help shape our future decisions. A listing of the top suggestions surfaced through internal feedback loops is available in Section C of the survey.

We will do our best to keep you up to date on any changing financial matters. Additional information, including the rationale for the proposed $37 million reduction and filters DCSD used throughout this process, can be found on the “Budget Reduction Info” page on the School District’s website. We hope to have a final budget reduction plan identified by January 19. Thank you in advance for your thoughtfulness in this very important process. Your feedback will help us further refine our work.

Sincerely,

December 18, 2008

Message from the Superintendent

On December 16, Superintendent Jim Christensen thanked Douglas County School District staff for their involvement in budget reduction discussions and provided an update on the processing of feedback and ideas gathered. Below is an excerpt from his letter to staff.

"While we move through our process, the state and nation's economic situation continues to be uncertain. We are not only challenged by local factors such as lowering enrollment projections by 1,200 students, increased medical costs and less local specific ownership tax revenue (sales of cars and car title renewals), now more than ever we also face concerns regarding state funding. Areas such as PERA and the State Funding Formula will likely become topics of discussion this legislative session. We will keep a close eye on the impact throughout the year. It makes sense for us to further streamline our work, and maximize resources to focus on our mission—providing a quality education to the students in our community. The plans we make now will strengthen our organization and help it withstand a weakening economy. We will take careful steps to minimize impacts on the classroom while ensuring the financial strength of DCSD.

Our budget reduction process is beginning to take shape. Thanks to your work, and the thousands of elimination, redesign and reduction ideas generated, consistent areas (or themes) have been identified as we continue reduction planning. Once again, central administration, compensation and a re-examination of existing educational programming and support services are major areas of focus. Ideas were also put forward regarding revenue-generating possibilities.

I have always had a tremendously high level of confidence in our staff and leadership to make the best decisions for our students. As we work on this reduction process, we will look for ways to distribute existing funds in such a manner that schools and feeders will have more flexibility than ever before to make the best site-based decisions for kids. Parameters will be established, but in times of challenge, opportunities also present themselves.

In January, all stakeholders (internal and external) will be provided with the next level of reduction work regarding themes and ideas. An open survey, like the internal stakeholders completed, will be available for our community. Continue to check our website at www.dcsdk12.org for updates. Stay tuned for the final stages of the process to occur between January 5 and January 23."

For the full version of the letter, go to www.dcsdk12.org and click on the Budget Reduction Info link on the left side navigation bar.

Superintendent Bulletin 8.02.09

DCSD Test Scores Lead Metro Area Schools

For school districts in Colorado, the beginning of August is a time we focus on the year ahead and the next phase of educating our students. It also provides an opportunity for us to reflect on how our kids in each school and district across Colorado performed on the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP). CSAP exams are intended to measure a district’s effectiveness at delivering Colorado Model Content Standards in mathematics, reading, and writing in grades 3-10 and in science grades 5, 8 and 10. The magnitude of this testing is considerable as DCSD processed 91,557 CSAP exams this past year.

We can proudly state that our students on CSAP exams not only exceeded the state average in every grade and every subject tested, but also led the Denver area in reading, writing and mathematics. This is an accomplishment that should not be understated nor undervalued given the work it requires of our entire learning community. These results validate tremendous student and staff effort in learning the Colorado Model Content Standards. Douglas County administrators, teachers and support staff continue to have high expectations for all students as we focus on a quality liberal arts education.

These outstanding results are to be celebrated and the staff and students are to be commended for keeping the focus on student learning during difficult budget times. We have stated our top priority in reductions is to protect the classroom as much as possible. That said, we are not immune to consequences from the reductions in our classrooms. Difficult decisions have been made and have impacted areas such as supplies, textbooks, and staff salary concessions. More has been required from our people. Our teachers and leaders in the schools deserve our utmost respect for their continued focus and success with our kids.

The reduction plan in DCSD of $58 million is understandably not fully conceptualized by some in our public. So defining what this amount of money really represents is important. It equates to 1,000 less teachers out of the 3,500 teachers in our current system. Instead, we have redesigned most services and eliminated 175 central service staff, which includes 55 manager-level personnel to support and protect the classroom. We have saved 850 teaching positions in this reduction plan so we can keep our focus on learning and perform at this high level. We appreciate our stakeholders’ support as we realize some of these services cause challenges to all of us in our system.

Although Douglas County students continue to perform exceptionally well on the CSAP exams, it is important to remember this test is only one piece of evidence used to determine student proficiency. The District also outpaced the state average on the ACT Assessments, which measures how well students have mastered the state standards and is taken by all 11th grade students in the state. ACT results for 2009 show that Douglas County Schools exceeded the state average by 1.7 to 2 points -- a significant increase.

This year’s student growth results is reflected in the Colorado Department of Education’s new model for growth. Colorado Department of Education will eliminate School Accountability Reports (SARs) and school rankings. Instead, focus will be on median growth percentiles and status (percent proficient or advanced). SchoolView, a new Colorado Department of Education tool that affords the comparison of growth performance by schools and districts, is now available at www.schoolview.org.

Thanks for your support in learning and when you have a chance, take the time to thank a teacher. We will continue to make academic excellence a top priority in Douglas County and we invite you to join our learning community.

Jim Christensen
Superintendent of Schools

Board Policy changes adjust Graduation Requirements starting with Class of 2012

February 17, 2009

During their regularly scheduled meeting on February 17, the Douglas County School District Board of Education voted to approve changes to Board Policy IKF - Diploma and Graduation Requirements beginning with the Class of 2012. Changes to this Board Policy would adjust graduation requirements to reflect a minimum requirement of 24 credits for graduation and 26.5 credits for graduation on an accelerated block schedule (applicable at Castle View High School). Changes are also seen in the core curricular area of social studies 3.0 credits, with a total core curricular area of 16 credits, and speech communication to zero credits with a total of 8 elective credits, 10.5 elective credits on an accelerated block schedule (CVHS).

Directors also approved in a 5-to-1 vote to change to Board Policy JH - Student Attendance to go into effect in the 2009-10 school year. The policy change would not allow freshman students to enter cars or leave the school grounds during school hours without advance permission from the Principal, inclusive of lunch periods. Other students, who do not have a regularly scheduled class period, may leave campus without advanced permission of the Principal. This flexible schedule option for students is a privilege and subject to revocation based on grades, attendance and/or disciplinary action. High schools will partner with parents and business communities on this change.

These adjustments will save the School District an estimated $4.32 million over two years. These changes at the high school level were part of the District survey, which was found reasonable by survey respondents, the District Advisory Council and Board of Education. High School principals are leading the discussions surrounding scheduling implementation at their respective schools. At 24 credits, DCSD will still have one of the highest graduation requirements in the Denver metro area.

February 12, 2009

The District Advisory Committee (DAC) Winter Forums were held on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at three locations in Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch and Parker.

About 100 participants came together at each forum, including staff and parents, to review DAC guidelines, discuss School Advisory Council best practices and how the two bodies can work together. The participants discussed the District’s Budget Reduction work, and had the opportunity for a question and answer exchange with District leaders. Participants broke out into groups according to feeder areas and discussed the issue of flexible funding.

“The DAC forums give parents and community members the opportunity to be involved in the District’s planning processes,” says Annette Fante, Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services. “It’s important to us to get this valuable feedback.”

More information about the District Advisory Committee can be found on our website under Board of Education, District Advisory Committee.

January 29, 2009

Douglas County School District’s work in developing a two-year reduction plan has been validated. The School District will now begin taking steps toward implementation.

Findings of the recent Stakeholder Survey, which received more than 7,200 responses, show an average 62 percent of respondents supported DCSD’s two-year reduction plan finding it reasonable. The Executive Summary of the results is available on the “Budget Reduction Info” page on the School District website at www.dcsdk12.org.

As mentioned previously, the District Advisory Committee (DAC) has also validated the reduction plan. The DAC shared with the Board of Education that the open budget reduction and prioritization process was applauded and stakeholders appreciated the early focus on non-academic structural reductions. The DAC believes this budget reduction and prioritization process “demonstrated an inclusive process and a School District focused on the proper priorities to accomplish our ends.” The Board voted to accept the DAC’s recommendation that the plan is reasonable.

The concept of “flexible funding” was widely supported by both internal and external stakeholders. An average 84 percent of Stakeholder Survey respondents were in favor of providing more “flexible funding” to school sites for more local decision-making.

Teams are being formed to study innovative ideas that surfaced through internal and external stakeholder input. These innovative ideas (which were presented in the Stakeholder Survey) include topics such as: four-day school week, redesign employee benefits program, redesign method for housing students, etc.

Programmatic areas such as grades 3-8 Literacy Intervention, Elementary Instrumental Music program and On-site security were areas most valued by Stakeholder Survey respondents as priorities or “untouchables.” These areas and parameters will be built into “flexible funding” and further discussed at upcoming regional DAC Winter Forum meetings.

In the next few weeks, DCSD will share more detailed information on budget reduction impacts. Updated documents, including the two-year reduction plan and survey executive summary are available on the “Budget Reduction Info” page of the website: www.dcsdk12.org.

UPDATE: On Tuesday, January 27, Governor Bill Ritter unveiled his state budget plan, which calls for a $200 million dollar reduction to education – $126 million in cuts to K-12 education. His plan will now move into the legislative process. DCSD anticipates an impact from this state-level reduction.

There are some factors Douglas County School District must consider as it plans for the future. The failure of the November 2008 ballot measures, together with a diminished fund balance and declining revenues (due to slower student enrollment growth and escalating costs), requires DCSD to undertake multi-year budget reductions. A brief overview of the variety of factors is below.

State of Colorado

As has been broadly reported, the fiscal health of the state of Colorado is down. Every general fund revenue component is underperforming in the current year and the forecast is for a slow economic recovery. The state is experiencing severe fiscal constraints. With respect to the Douglas County School District, the declining economic health of the state negatively impacts all public school systems.

• School Finance: DCSD enters the FY2009-10 concerned that the factors underlying the calculation of per-pupil revenues will be modified in such a manner that DCSD’s expectations of growth in per pupil revenues will come in under forecast.
• PERA (Public Employees Retirement Association): PERA has experienced unprecedented market declines. PERA’s Board of Trustees has directed PERA staff to review all alternatives to improve PERA’s funded status. With past experience as a guide, DCSD believes we will need to anticipate among the options PERA will bring forward to the legislature will be proposals to increase District contribution levels – a cost to school districts.

Local Factors

The local economy is also under severe fiscal pressure. For DCSD, the primary areas of concern can be summarized as follows.

• Local Support: The loss of the budget override measure this November resulted in DCSD not being able to collect $17M in 2008-09 and another $85M over the next four years. These funds were needed to merely maintain the current-state of operations in the School District.  Without new revenues, DCSD will not be able to selectively restore any of the $21M in cuts made entering the 2008-09 year nor continue to operate the status quo of programs without making additional reductions.
• Student Growth: DCSD continues to experience growth in student enrollment (funded pupils). However, student growth for DCSD is slowing. From 2007-08 forecasts of 2,700 pupils per year to a current revised forecast of 1,700 new students a year results in an annual reduction in revenues of roughly $7M.
• Other Local Revenues: As the economy as a whole has slowed, the District’s receipt of revenues derived from local spending is down. Notably, Specific Ownership Tax receipts are depressed, as are revenues from user fees.

Expenses

In general, DCSD has been able to manage its expenses within its means. However, one area of expenses has proven to grow more aggressively than forecast. DCSD operates a self-insured Medical Fund for purposes of providing medical benefits for its employees. Over the past two years, the costs incurred by this Medical Fund have been higher than the forecast and much higher than this Consumer Price Index cost of living increase provided by state Per Pupil Funding. As a result, the Medical Fund has required additional financial support to maintain solvency. The School District has modified its forecast of expenses based upon increasing costs and is evaluating methods to lower the annual cost of Medical Fund operations.