Alexandria City Public Schools

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Superintendent Unveils FY 2013 Proposed Budget

Proposed Operating Budget 2.4 Percent Increase over FY 2012
Small Class Sizes Maintained, Investment in Student Achievement, Program Efficiency Savings

Alexandria, Va. - Tonight, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Superintendent Morton Sherman released the school division's Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Proposed Operating Budget of $215,691,137, an increase of 2.4 percent, or $5,121,985 from FY 2012 Approved Operating Budget. Additionally, Dr. Sherman presented the FY 2013 Proposed Combined Funds Budget of $236,331,598, a 1.8 percent increase from the FY 2012 Approved Combined Funds Budget, which includes $13,741,480 in grants and $6,898,981 in school nutrition funds. The proposal also includes a request for a City appropriation of $180,351,730, an increase of 3.2 percent from FY 2012.

"I am honored to present to you my FY 2013 operating budget," Dr. Sherman stated to the School Board and viewing audience. "This budget is dedicated to the amazing students who attend all of our schools and I feel privileged to serve these students and this community."

The City appropriation per student will fall slightly from FY 2012 to FY 2013, from $14,099 to $14,092 in the Proposed Operating Budget. This compares with a City appropriation per student of $14,962 in FY 2009. The decline over the entire period is $870, or almost 6 percent per student. These changes are due to the continuing increase in student enrollment of 1,573 students over the same time period, a rise of approximately 14 percent. Actual per pupil cost in 2011 was $17,343, down from $18,090 in 2008. This is a decrease of $747 per pupil. Enrollment as of October 2011 is 12,395 up from 11,999 in October 2010. ACPS has the most diverse student population and highest number of students eligible for free and reduced price meals (56 percent) in Northern Virginia.

In an ongoing effort to more sharply focus constrained existing resources on our core mission of educating K-12 students, ACPS has reallocated $14,400,761 in the proposed FY 2013 budget. Since FY 2010, ACPS has re-purposed a total of more than $64 million.

Given the increases in our Virginia Retirement System (VRS) contribution and the rising costs of health insurance, we have made very difficult decisions that will keep our budget growth at a reasonable level. This has meant eliminating 21 Central Office positions, shifting 0.71 percent of the VRS Group Life rates to employees and increasing the VRS employee contribution from 1 percent to 2 percent for Plan 2 employees. We have also proposed the use of $1.1 million from the VRS set-aside fund balance, which we will replace if the General Assembly sets a VRS rate lower than the one proposed by the Governor.

In order to support the core mission, the FY 2012 Proposed Operating Budget reflects restructured support systems, new efficiencies, and, in some cases a reduction in staff. In recognition of the urgency of our mission, our FY 2013 proposed budget includes the following to protect our sacred core mission:

  • Maintain small class sizes and low student/counselor ratios at secondary schools. Class sizes remain the smallest in Northern Virginia and ACPS has the lowest student/counselor ration in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
    • $71.1 million; 729.15 Full-Time Employees (FTE); 33 percent of the total operating fund
  • Support for a projected 3,178 English Language Learners (ELL) students with revised staffing formulas. ELL student growth has leveled out after several years.
    • $9.8 million; 104.5 FTE (excluding grant funding); 4.5 percent of the total budget
  • Support for a projected 1,478 special education students, with revised staffing formulas to accommodate shifting student population, without a reduction of overall special education staffing.
    • $24 million; 286.35 FTE (excluding special education transportation costs and grant funding)
  • Restructure of intersession and summer school programs in order to provide funding for all schools, not just modified calendar schools, to have extended learning opportunities.
  • Investment in staff through professional development and salary increases, including a full step halfway through the year for teachers and an additional increase for support staff such as bus drivers and custodians.
  • Investment in students through the new 21st Century curriculum design.
  • Reduction of 21 central office positions to reallocate funds directly to the school building level.
  • Establish a competitive funding process for our external partners to ensure their work is focused on the highest ACPS priorities and effectiveness is measured.
    • Reducing funding by $300,000
  • Establishment of high school satellite campuses for Flexible and Extended Learning Opportunities for students and a redesign of our adult education program
    • $4.1 million
  • Total program efficiency savings: $10.8 million
  • Total cost to address increased enrollment: $4.0 million

See additional budget highlights in the FY 2013 Proposed Budget at: http://www.acps.k12.va.us/budgets/.

"The proposed budget is a moral document, a contract between this school division and the community, a commitment to our students," Dr. Sherman said. "We must lead and serve by this budget; therefore it deserves our very best efforts."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Early childhood education students intern with the Alexandria Head Start program and provide assistance at the Tiny Titan Daycare Center housed in T.C. Williams High School.