SSA: We do Have a Horse in This Race

When an internal memo stated that our regular program district cost would grow by $5,189 under the proposed 2.5% supplemental state aid (SSA), I had a few employees believe it was a typo. It is not. If it sounds like a small number, it is. Contextually speaking, our heating bill for the month of January alone was $6,078.89. To remind everyone, SSA is the percentage by which the state cost per pupil grows annually. Under this proposal, the cost per pupil would increase by $181, from $7,227 to $7,408. Over the last five years, SSA has averaged 1.77%. 

Holistically, Iowa school finance is very complex. But, the calculation of the regular program district cost is rather simple: number of resident students multiplied by the cost per pupil equals regular program district cost. It it the largest component of the budget and as such gets quite a bit of attention. Now, when the number of students in the base year is larger than the following year, the result is smaller growth in the regular program district cost, or in some cases (in some districts) it is a decrease.

This is where things begin to get complicated, particularly for a school like Hudson. You see, we are a district that is fortunate to have a large volume of students open enroll into our district. This year we saw an even greater influx due to the late change in the open enrollment law. The fact is, growth in our open enrollment population flipped the script so to speak. Our latest estimates for the current fiscal year project revenue growth from open enrollment at over $200,000. Although I anticipate our open enrollment numbers will continue to trend upward, it is unlikely we will realize the same growth spurt as the current year due to the quirky way in which the law was written and subsequently rolled out. In other words, this anomaly won't be repeated next year. Instead, it is likely to become part of the regular budget with which we will need to appropriately staff. 

What this discussion has hopefully illustrated is that two, seemingly diametrically opposed variables can both be true at the same time: resident enrollment can actually be down while total students served in the district can actually be up. Additionally, it over emphasizes the importance of enrollment trend as a determining factor when it comes to school funding. Rightly so. But the fact is, enrollment can't be the only determinant because year over year fluctuations can't be controlled or even planned. I'll admit, this year we have the wind at our back and will likely be able to make strategic and budgetary decisions a bit easier than many of my colleagues.

Yet, that hasn't always been the case and, using statistics as our guide we can expect the tide to turn at some point. Which is why it is so important we tend to the other, equally [if not more] important variable: SSA. Unlike enrollment, SSA should be less prone to wild swings up and down. Typically during this time of the school year when it comes to setting SSA, we focus on timely and adequate. This begs the question, what is adequate? For certain that will be the crux of the debate in our legislature the coming weeks. However, if we let data and the trendline be our guide, it's a pretty tough argument to beat. According to the Iowa Employment Relations Board, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of January is 5.9% and is expected to climb to 7.5% by June. 

With over 80% of school budgets consumed by personnel costs, this suggests larger wage increases for employees for the next fiscal year. That, coupled with the labor shortage only exacerbates the issue. These two reasons alone suggest the district will need to take a more aggressive posture when it comes to wage increases across all sectors. And by aggressive, I don't mean shortchanging staff. If this becomes an arms race for talent, I believe we need to be positioned toward the front of the pack. 

So, if it appears we don't have a horse in this race I say not so fast. Enrollment projections are fickle and difficult to gauge. SSA on the other hand can be stable. We just need to ensure that it is adequate to meet our needs now and in the future.

Let the Games Begin

It is playoff season in the NFL and the Olympics are scheduled to start in just a few weeks. But the real action is at the state capitol where second session of the 89th general assembly began on January 10th. We'll spend the next several months advocating for legislation we believe will positively impact our K-12 public education system, and we'll also spend at least an equal; if not more time trying to prevent bad ideas from becoming law. There are 150 legislators from all over the state, each with their own ideas. Getting a majority of them to agree to a particular piece of legislation is always quite a chore and requires the finesse of constituents like each of us. As we go through this legislative session, I'll be sure to outline those policies that have potential of becoming law while at the same time providing clear examples of how that policy will impact us at the local level. From time to time I may have to call on you to help us advocate. While our legislators are used to hearing from folks in my chair, you can be assured they want to hear from you as well. Your voice will be very important in the coming months!

Even though we are now in the second week of the session, it has been relatively quite. Most of the time, we would have seen a flurry of bills introduced at this point. While there have been some, it hasn't been as many as expected. We can be assured that will change very quickly! Nevertheless, committees are still going through their organizational meetings and there were a lot of ceremonial events last week that are traditional with the start of a new session. Chief among them being the governor's Condition of the State address. Outside this, we have very little in terms of policy proposals. You can anticipate that will ramp up in the coming days as bills are filed! 

To get us started, I thought it would be useful for you to understand what priorities the board has outlined for this legislative session. 

First and probably most important is the budget. In Iowa schools, we rely on the legislature setting the supplemental state aid (SSA) figure as one of the first orders of business. SSA is the percentage by which the state cost per pupil grows annually. This number is one of the most critical needed as we begin budget work for the next fiscal year and by law is required to be set within 30 days of the Condition of the State address. There is a symbiotic relationship between the SSA number and property taxes, the higher the SSA number is, the lower property taxes will be (at least as it related to Hudson). We'll talk more about that number in the coming weeks, but the governor proposed a growth rate of 2.5%.

Equally important to us here in Hudson is funding that would provide access to preschool for both 4 and 5 year old students. Prior to this year, we have accommodated some 5 year old's in our preschool program with a couple of caveats: first, they have to pay tuition because the funding is only available for 4 year old's; and second, a 5 year old can't take the place of a 4 year old. Unfortunately this year we had to turn away quite a few 5 year old students because our program is full of other qualifying students. (For those legislators who might be paying attention, this could be one way to help alleviate the child care access problem. If these youngsters aren't in school, any guesses where they might be?)

Choice legislation seems to come up every year in the legislature. We advocate for educational systems where tax dollars are used to support the public school system. Only an adequately funded public school system can ensure that a quality school is available to every student in the state. Private schools can set their own admission standards and do not have to follow many of the same educational requirements as a public school. Perhaps most alarming, those schools do not have to follow the open meetings/open records laws, meaning the general public does not know where or how your tax dollars, aka, public money, is being spent. 

Finally, if new responsibilities are assigned to the public school, we ask that they be properly funded. Oftentimes whenever a problem is uncovered in society, the natural response is to have the school district fix it. This leads to new mandates in our schools, all without ever taking away other requirements. Further adding to the dilemma is the failure to realize all of these initiatives come with a cost: either in time or in money. For that reason, we object to unfunded mandates. 

Well, we are just short of two weeks into the session. Let the games begin!

My Word is Empathy

I doubt I am alone in my opinion that we have lived in a very disruptive environment for far too long. Often, disruption causes our anxiety level to rise and forces us out of our comfort zone. Inevitably, our response can be to lash out, blame others, and retreat to our respective corners where we can surround ourselves with like minded individuals. When confronted we may say something to the effect of "I am right, you are wrong, and no matter what you say, I am not going to change my mind". While I may not say those exact words, you better believe I sometimes think it! However, I would be much better served by approaching these interactions as an opportunity to listen and understand instead of trying to convince and cajole.

Certainly over the last two years we have been dealing with a lot of fear, misunderstanding of one another, and perhaps misinformation. All of us, me included (especially me) like 'things' to go a certain way. I am used to my daily routines and do not like surprises. The fact is, it bothers me quite a bit when those routines are disrupted. When those routines are disrupted, I try hard to rebalance the scale and return to the status quo. Sometimes, well; I probably take it out on those that have to be around me. 

A year ago, we were excited when the calendar turned over to 2021. While we were still in the throws of COVID, I had a great deal of optimism that we were finally turning the corner. Vaccines had finally been proven safe and effective, and while it would still be a few months before they were ubiquitously available, it certainly appeared as though the end was in sight. It seemed an easy call that my word for 2021 would be 'optimism'. As that spring unfolded we were able to finally roll back some of our most onerous of mitigation measures, with the highlight being lifting the face covering mandate right before the end of the school year. Enjoying a 'normal' graduation was a welcomed sign that we were returning to normal and as such a cause for great optimism. 

I'll admit though, maintaining that optimistic spirit was tough leading up to the start of the school year. I never could have imagined we would still be dealing with COVID; reporting daily case counts on a dashboard, limiting visitors to our buildings, and requiring face coverings on school buses. That optimism continued to fade as I watched the polarization of our educational institutions. In some of our largest school districts in the state, school board meetings became raucous affairs as community members debated mask mandates and other issues that, quite frankly probably weren't even on anyone's radar two years ago. Unfortunately much of this discourse resulted in the adoption of some laws that weren't needed and ultimately led to the erosion of local control. The days leading up to the start of the school year really seemed like prime examples of people shouting over one another and not listening for understanding or perspective. The passion was (and is) real and in most cases comes from a genuine concern that needs to be addressed. Are some blown out of proportion? Perhaps, but if we don't work to lower the temperature and listen it is most certainly a recipe for strife.

Truth be told, I don’t know what it’s like to be you. I don’t understand the issues you have to deal with on a day to day basis, the struggles that you have to endure, or any multitude of challenges that you face. Furthermore, we probably place greater or lesser value on different aspects of daily life. That doesn't make me right and you wrong; but hopefully we can come to understand one another and view life through one another's paradigm. Early in my career as an administrator, I saw things as purely right or wrong and usually without nuance. I didn’t realize (or chose not to realize) that we live in a world shaded in gray. As I have aged, I hope that I have become more flexible. But at the same time will admit that I have a long way to go. In recent months, I have had interactions with some of you that have helped shaped my views, and hopefully changed my perspective. 

Here is a little bit of what I have learned. Being a parent in 2022 is hard work. As I watch all of you, and in particular young parents who are also employees in our school district (I have a front row seat mind you), I realize we have a big problem when it comes to finding and securing adequate childcare. There just aren't enough providers available: here or anywhere for that matter. We very well could lose employees because they can't find a safe place for their children to spend their days while mom and dad are at work. And for those of you who send your children to us each day: I understand with even greater clarity how much you rely on us, not only for academic preparation but for childcare. You know, I used to bristle whenever our organizations were referred to as child care centers. While we are most certainly not child care centers, there is no doubt we have an important role to play in caring for, and ensuring children are in a safe place during the day. So I understand how important it is for you that we keep our doors open. Rest assured, while there are schools in some places contemplating a shut down due to this latest phase of COVID, I am doing everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen here. 

Now, I have always known this because I was one once but; being a teacher is also hard work. Especially in 2022! They have been through an awful lot over the last two years. They have gone from being heroes to villains in about a 6 month period. Schools aren't reopening fast enough: teachers fault. Child gets in hot water for not completing their homework on time: teachers fault. We've had Tik Tok challenges announcing 'Smack a Teacher Month' and lived through the 'shoot up your school day' threat a few weeks back. They fear losing their license if they say the wrong thing in the classroom. They fear legal repercussions if they select the wrong piece of literature in class. It's really no wonder we are experiencing a labor shortage in education, one that is being exacerbated by an overall labor shortage across all employment sectors.

Listening leads to understanding, and understanding hopefully gives us perspective. That is why this year I am choosing empathy for my word. Whether we like it our not, we are all in this together.