Radnor Values Education: Overview Jun 2010

Projected revenues are down. Expenses exceed revenue. Hence a budget shortfall.

Recently passed Act I (taxpayer relief bill) limits our School Boards authority to increase taxes. Each year
an index will be set. This years index for our district is 2.9%. Each district may also apply for set
exceptions. Example, Haverford SD passed a 5.9% increase to a millage of 24.47.
For 2010-11, the RTSD Board may raise taxes up to 5%. That is the index plus additional % for
approved exceptions.
In preliminary votes, RTSDs Board voted for 2.9%. Final vote is on June 22 2010.

Challenging times require fiscal responsibility.

Fiscal responsibility: identify and eliminate waste in non core competencies.
Teacher Salaries actuals & averages reflect years service and education (not relative salary)
To compare relative salaries, compare salary scales per contract.
Radnor salary scale is not competitive with Upper Merion (nor Lower Merion) (see p 4)

The current proposal of furloughing 2 dozen teachers plus 20 aides will have short and long term
impact.
Short term: students needs may be overlooked or take longer to meet. (see page 5)
Short term: students experience loss of personnel
Medium term: now Radnor has balance of experienced and newer teachers>> ideal for transfer of diverse
ideas. Furlough newer teachers >> upsets the balance >> organization leans toward stagnation.
Long term: best candidates less likely to accept Radnors offer & quality changes.

Securing our future is a challenge, but

there are viable alternatives to current proposal.
 Fiscal Responsibility: Expenses
In response to the budget is impossible to understand (stakeholder comment, see
graph 2008-9 Overall Budget Breakdown
Calculation Basis
1 pg Summary Budget Analysis (Final) 2008-9 Source: RTSD Website
Professional Personnel (Certificated) Salaries for 2008-9 (latest available)
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Segmentation categories determined by Job as submitted to PDE
Salaries Other = (Total Salaries per 1pg summary) (Professional Salaries per PDE)

We must spend considerable focus on eliminating fiscal waste - waste defined as the
non value add especially the areas that are the non core competencies.

Strategies to eliminate waste

1) Pay less for virtually the same product or service
a) Tactic: shop for more competitive healthcare plan (with similar coverage)
b) Tactic: Outsource non-core competencies: transport, technology infrastructure
c) Tactic: pursue purchasing power/discounts for supplies, equipment, energy, grounds, etc

2) Understand costs vs. benefits to eliminate/reduce expenses where low benefit

Eliminating Fiscal Waste is a Tedious, but Rewarding Process p2

 RTSD 2008-9 Budget Breakdown
0.7%Psychologists&SocialWorkerSalaries
11.1%DebtService
0.8%Equipment

3.6%Supplies

32.7%Teachers,
Guidance,Nurse
12.5% BaseSalaries
Purchased
Services

1.5%Principals
Basesalaries
19.4%
Benets
AllSta
2.5%DistrictAdmin
(Cer,catedonly)
BaseSalaries
15.2%Salaries(Aides,
Assistants,Facili,es&
Transport)
 Compare 2009-10 salary scale for Masters Degree
Salary

Years of Service

RTSD Salaries NOT competitive with neighboring districts

(for this educational level and year) p4
 Furlough Example 1: Instructional Support
The current proposal guts the core of our instructional support with a potential affect on every learner.
This process has been in Radnor for 10+ years and is a Core Competency. The instructional support process
enables the staff to collectively identify and meet the needs of all learners as quickly and accurately as
possible.
An IST teacher is a generalist who observes and assesses students, works with teachers to id strategies,
provides learning support to students and monitors effectiveness. As a common thread on all cases, the
IST teacher can apply standards consistently, is efficient in documentation and has a broad database of
strategies to share among different cases.
Transferring IST responsibility to the classroom teacher reduces attention to the solid middle, thereby
leaving them vulnerable.
Transferring IST responsibility to Guidance means less time for necessary interventions and leaves
students more vulnerable to social-emotional distractions.
Transferring IST responsibility to Learning Support is inefficient: a specialist sees through a colored
lens and doesnt have the breadth of a generalist.
To date, there has been no detailed design or test of a new process with the IST Teacher role eliminated. It
seems it will take longer to identify a students learning challenge whether it stems from a learning
preference or delay, medical condition, learning disability, gifted capacity, or socio-emotional reasons as
well as put more solid learners at risk.

The reduction of gifted teachers will put Radnor out of compliance in case load.
Having a gifted capacity is a learning challenge just as is a learning disability. Counting classroom
teachers as teachers of the gifted for caseload purposes shows disregard for the complexity of students
needs. It interprets Pa. Code 16.41(3) in a manner that deviates from usual and customary practice across
the state.

Instructional Support Critical to Meet Needs of All Learners

 Perspective:
Gutting our core competency (instructional support) or
furlough of a brilliant elementary music teacher
because of rising benefits costs
seems to lack long term perspective.

Healthcare and pension costs are not just a Radnor issue

Pennsylvania cannot allow all of its 500 school districts to go bankrupt. There is
legislation in the works HB 2135 and SB 1185 to find a workable solution re:
PSERs, the pension plan which suffered investment losses (like everyone else).
Other districts are exploring alternatives (healthcare plans) not cutting staff.

Yes, Act 1 legislation will continue. Real estate revenue may not rise.

In challenging fiscal times, it is essential that we stay engaged.

- Dialogue candidly and meaningfully
- Collaborate to create robust, creative solutions
- Share the burden
p6
 Viable Alternates to Current Proposal
Apr 28 proposal: real estate tax increase of 2.9% ($185 for average property) and furlough of 24 teachers
Teachers being furloughed have least seniority. Estimate $72,000/teacher ($54k salary + $18k benefits).

Who What $ impact # Teachers

Board Find more competitive healthcare - -

Teachers Accept healthcare plan/premium TBA TBA

2 year contract - -

Administration Reduce district admin by additional 1 $ 150,000 2

Hire educated community for $1/project.

Taxpayers 3.9%=$248 increase $ 600,000 8

5% = $318 increase $1,300,000 17-18

Families Activities Fee ~$100/student $ 360,000 4-5

(hardship waiver available)
Board Temporary loan from $8 million general
fund until activities fees collected

Share the Burden Today to Secure our Future. p7