Author Archives: Stan Jester

Revenues are expected to be down for this fiscal year. Ditto for the tax collection rates. DeKalb School’s administration is recommending that the Board of Education, tax payers, parents and employees contemplate these budget considerations.

11% Reduction in State QBE Funds
The Governor originally asked school districts to anticipate a 14% ($76 million in DeKalb) reduction in the state education budget. The Georgia State Legislature suspended their session due to the Covid-19 crisis but will be returning to work on Monday. The legislature has not yet passed a budget, but they are indicating a 11% ($60 million) reduction in the education budget. As with anything at the Gold Dome, all bets are off until we see the final legislation passed and signed.

Keep Employees Working
The DeKalb Schools administration team is working on the FY2021 budget recommendation for the Fiscal Year that begins on July 1, 2020. The Board was told that the “foundation of that budget is to keep employees working…and not contribute to the unemployment rate.”

Budget Constraints
These are the big budget issues to consider:

• Contingent Liabilities – DeKalb Schools will have to pay out $117.5 million over the next 5 years for the Gold case settlement.
• Significant reduction in revenue
• Budget is 80-85% employee salaries

Instructional Support Specialists (ISS)
Administration emphasizes the focus on not reducing the work force. On that note, one of the administration’s recommendations is to realign Instructional Support Specialists (ISS) to fill teacher vacancies. Using ISS employees to fill teacher vacancies will save the school district $16 million.

(Update)Title I can fund Academic Coaches, but Title I funds cannot currently fund ISS as the job description exists today. As you can see from the comments in my last article, ISSs have fluid responsibilities as defined by each principal at each school. In order to use Title I funds, DeKalb Schools would have to write a job description that is not fluid and submit it to the GADOE Title I office for review and approval.

Fund Balance – FY2021 – Beginning estimated fund balance – $120 million
RAMP – Resource Allocation Methodology Plan (RAMP) is the funding model to “equitably” allocate state and local funds to all schools in the district.

Option 1

• 11% QBE state funding reduction
• 11 central office and school furlough days
• IIS realignment
• Central Office Hiring Delay Freeze
• Full step for employees
• Add $10 million for district support of RAMP (low performing schools)
• Reduce fund balance by $19 million

Option 2

• 11% QBE state funding reduction
• 10 central office and school furlough days
• IIS realignment
• Half a step for employees
• Central Office Hiring Delay Freeze
• Add $10 million for district support of RAMP (low performing schools)
• Reduce fund balance by $17 million

Option 3

• 11% ($60 million) QBE state funding reduction
• 8 central office and school furlough days
• IIS realignment
• No step for employees
• Central Office Hiring Delay Freeze
• Add $10 million for district support of RAMP (low performing schools)
• Reduce fund balance by $19 million

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on March 27th, 2020. This over $2 trillion economic relief package is intended to protect the American people from the public health and economic impacts of COVID-19. Learn more about the CARES Act >>

DeKalb Schools is receiving $33.5 million in CARES Act monies. The DeKalb Schools administration has put together this menu list of options to spend the Cares Act money on.

Furlough Days Buy Backs
Considering buying back some of the furlough days mentioned above.

• $28 million – Buy back 8 calendar days for school based personnel
• $24.5 million – Buy back 7 calendar days for school based personnel
• $21 million – Buy back 6 calendar days for school based personnel
• $17.5 million – Buy back 5 calendar days for school based personnel
• $2.5 million – Buy back 5 calendar days for central office personnel

K-5 Chromebooks
Chromebooks were originally purchased in K-5 so there would be 1 Chromebook for every 2 students. This obviously doesn’t work in virtual learning environments. It would be roughly $3 million per grade for K-5 to buy additional Chromebooks for a 1 to 1 ratio of elementary students to Chromebooks.