APS Budget Process

[Anonymous]

Here is the Baker-Tilly report that is being used to guide the budget decisions. If the link does not work (sometimes things from boarddocs don't link correctly) it is on the APS BoardDocs website

https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/arlington/Board.nsf/files/DD9LH4569470/$file/Arlington%20Public%20School_Budget%20Review_DRAFT%20Final%20Report_2025-01-22%5B37%5D.pdf

[Anonymous]

Lots of $ going to “security” assistants. SROs were less expensive, and more effective.

[Anonymous]

I am fine with APS security rather than SROs. Though I agree police would have been much more highly trained, I would expect they were costing Arlington tax payers more on the whole while staffing our schools. Regardless of how we got here, it's frustrating that cost of security is now falling on the schools and contributing to APS budget strain since ACPD is so understaffed. SROs wouldn't come back even if the community was 100% unified behind it.

As for the Baker-Tilly report, I've read the whole thing and there may be a handful of savings opportunities. That said, most of those cuts are not actionable due to preexisting pips or a gross misunderstanding of how schools operate. They have charts showing how bloated APS is at the top, but none of the recommendations touch on the top-heaviness of the organization. On top of that, the administrators have a much better union than the teachers, custodians, and bus drivers, so TLDR the most vulnerable staff are most vulnerable to painful cuts. I expect those are cuts that are also likely to affect students' experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am fine with APS security rather than SROs. Though I agree police would have been much more highly trained, I would expect they were costing Arlington tax payers more on the whole while staffing our schools. Regardless of how we got here, it's frustrating that cost of security is now falling on the schools and contributing to APS budget strain since ACPD is so understaffed. SROs wouldn't come back even if the community was 100% unified behind it.

As for the Baker-Tilly report, I've read the whole thing and there may be a handful of savings opportunities. That said, most of those cuts are not actionable due to preexisting pips or a gross misunderstanding of how schools operate. They have charts showing how bloated APS is at the top, but none of the recommendations touch on the top-heaviness of the organization. On top of that, the administrators have a much better union than the teachers, custodians, and bus drivers, so TLDR the most vulnerable staff are most vulnerable to painful cuts. I expect those are cuts that are also likely to affect students' experience.

Yes, student-facing roles like library assistants and exemplary projects teachers being cut also means that lost planning time will need to be made up somehow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am fine with APS security rather than SROs. Though I agree police would have been much more highly trained, I would expect they were costing Arlington tax payers more on the whole while staffing our schools. Regardless of how we got here, it's frustrating that cost of security is now falling on the schools and contributing to APS budget strain since ACPD is so understaffed. SROs wouldn't come back even if the community was 100% unified behind it.

As for the Baker-Tilly report, I've read the whole thing and there may be a handful of savings opportunities. That said, most of those cuts are not actionable due to preexisting pips or a gross misunderstanding of how schools operate. They have charts showing how bloated APS is at the top, but none of the recommendations touch on the top-heaviness of the organization. On top of that, the administrators have a much better union than the teachers, custodians, and bus drivers, so TLDR the most vulnerable staff are most vulnerable to painful cuts. I expect those are cuts that are also likely to affect students' experience.

SRO’s are paid more than the security staff they hand now- however, there are a LOT of them now, so they are, indeed, costing much more. They’re nowhere near as effective.

[Anonymous]

Student facing positions must be prioritized. That’s it.

[Anonymous]

I'm good with cutting extras like the aquatics program and outdoor lab. Cutting library assistants and making schools share vice principals are horrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm good with cutting extras like the aquatics program and outdoor lab. Cutting library assistants and making schools share vice principals are horrible.

I like outdoor lab but in a budget like this it needs to go

[Anonymous]

A couple of years ago, Duran gave all of the central office staff (that don’t work in schools) paid vacation for Christmas break and Spring break, in addition to the leave they already accrue (about three weeks). No other school district in the area does this. I am curious as to why the cost of that is not included in this report.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A couple of years ago, Duran gave all of the central office staff (that don’t work in schools) paid vacation for Christmas break and Spring break, in addition to the leave they already accrue (about three weeks). No other school district in the area does this. I am curious as to why the cost of that is not included in this report.

Probably because it didn’t change their salaries and isn’t paid out when they leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of $ going to “security” assistants. SROs were less expensive, and more effective.

+1000!
My high schoolers often complain about these "security officers" who (1) have their favorites among students whom they let skirt the rules (2) stand around talking to each other and not doing anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am fine with APS security rather than SROs. Though I agree police would have been much more highly trained, I would expect they were costing Arlington tax payers more on the whole while staffing our schools. Regardless of how we got here, it's frustrating that cost of security is now falling on the schools and contributing to APS budget strain since ACPD is so understaffed. SROs wouldn't come back even if the community was 100% unified behind it.

As for the Baker-Tilly report, I've read the whole thing and there may be a handful of savings opportunities. That said, most of those cuts are not actionable due to preexisting pips or a gross misunderstanding of how schools operate. They have charts showing how bloated APS is at the top, but none of the recommendations touch on the top-heaviness of the organization. On top of that, the administrators have a much better union than the teachers, custodians, and bus drivers, so TLDR the most vulnerable staff are most vulnerable to painful cuts. I expect those are cuts that are also likely to affect students' experience.

Yes, student-facing roles like library assistants and exemplary projects teachers being cut also means that lost planning time will need to be made up somehow.

Exemplary project teachers: are they typically additional staff that only deal with the exemplary project and absolutely nothing else? or are they other teachers/staff taking on the extra role?
Either way, they might as well save the costs of buying and administering exemplary projects. If it's an "extra" staff person, they could be reassigned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A couple of years ago, Duran gave all of the central office staff (that don’t work in schools) paid vacation for Christmas break and Spring break, in addition to the leave they already accrue (about three weeks). No other school district in the area does this. I am curious as to why the cost of that is not included in this report.

Probably because it didn’t change their salaries and isn’t paid out when they leave.

But it absolutely costs us in terms of FTEs required to do the job or potential productivity lost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A couple of years ago, Duran gave all of the central office staff (that don’t work in schools) paid vacation for Christmas break and Spring break, in addition to the leave they already accrue (about three weeks). No other school district in the area does this. I am curious as to why the cost of that is not included in this report.

Probably because it didn’t change their salaries and isn’t paid out when they leave.

But it absolutely costs us in terms of FTEs required to do the job or potential productivity lost.

It’s also a way to keep or attract people to work in some of the harder to fill HR jobs, the report notes that we have vacancies there. I understand why school-based staff is annoyed by it but cutting it makes us less competitive with other districts that allow more WFH than we do and doesn’t save any money (outside of whatever is paid out at retirement or annual leave when employment ends. It’s nothing but doesn’t close any gaps)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A couple of years ago, Duran gave all of the central office staff (that don’t work in schools) paid vacation for Christmas break and Spring break, in addition to the leave they already accrue (about three weeks). No other school district in the area does this. I am curious as to why the cost of that is not included in this report.

Probably because it didn’t change their salaries and isn’t paid out when they leave.

But it absolutely costs us in terms of FTEs required to do the job or potential productivity lost.

It’s also a way to keep or attract people to work in some of the harder to fill HR jobs, the report notes that we have vacancies there. I understand why school-based staff is annoyed by it but cutting it makes us less competitive with other districts that allow more WFH than we do and doesn’t save any money (outside of whatever is paid out at retirement or annual leave when employment ends. It’s nothing but doesn’t close any gaps)

*it’s not nothing