The Wichita Board of Education looked at the proposed 2007-2008 Budget during its July 16 meeting. The proposed budget includes $18 million in new state funding approved by the 2007 Legislature, the majority of which will support instruction and instructional support.
Some highlights of the proposed budget include:
· $2.9 million of the new state funding required transfers from restricted funds into the general fund, representing 42 FTE positions. This is due to changes in the federal/state requirements concerning what can be charged to grants.
· New revenues in the 2007-08 budget to support 163 FTEs, including the 42 noted above, as well as 49 special education staff to comply with federal mandates, 25 elementary school staff, 22 high school teachers and 10 middle school counselors (see Budget at a Glance page 4 for complete detail).
· $13.9 million generated if the Local Option Budget is set at 30 percent of the general fund (the 2006-07 LOB was 27 percent). These funds would support increased salary and benefit costs for district teachers and staff (contract negotiations are still in process). This represents an increase of 2 mills, or approximately $23 dollars, for the owner of a $100,000 home. In 2006-07, Wichita was the only large district in the state whose LOB was not set at 30 percent.
“The Wichita community values a strong public education system. They demonstrated this by passing our bond issue and by electing pro-education candidates to the Board of Education,” said Board of Education President Connie Dietz. “Strong schools require excellent teachers, principals and staff. The proposed budget provides us the ability to continue to recruit and retain high quality professionals. This in turn leads to high performing schools.”
“Finding highly qualified teachers is pivotal to our ongoing success as an urban district,” said Superintendent Winston Brooks. “We are competing for teachers, particularly in the areas of special education, math, science, language arts and foreign language. In order for us to compete, we must raise the LOB to pay the competitive salaries and benefits demanded now in the profession.”
To see the 2007-2008 proposed budget highlights, click here. For a look at the Budget at a Glance document, click here.
On July 23, the BOE will take official action to approve a budget resolution for publication, which will set the cap on the budget, not allowing the budget to go to a higher amount, but the amount could be lowered. The Board of Education will approve the final budget during its August 13 meeting.