Lynn Walsh

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Possible summer school cuts looming for Houston ISD as funding is slashed
Wednesday, Nov 03, 2010, 02:45PM CST
By Lynn Walsh

How to pay for summer school next year will be the main issue Houston Independent School District trustees will try to resolve when they meet Thursday.

The school system is bracing itself for millions of dollars in reductions in federal and state funds aimed at boosting achievement among poor students and doled out by the state. In response, HISD administrators have proposed slashing — and nearly wiping out — the budget for summer school, from $21 million to just $1.9 million, and making the individual schools largely pay their own way for summer programs.

Media reports of the expected funding changes to summer school in HISD prompted the district to dedicate a new page to its website called “Myth Busters.” According the “Myth Busters” page:

“It is true that there are fewer federal dollars available for summer school next year. HISD is designing a new, more cost-effective summer-school model and will redirect any unused budget dollars and additional federal and state funds we may receive to these programs. While principals may have to pay for some summer-school costs out of their budgets, it will not be anywhere near the $19 million being reported in the media.”

HISD’s chief financial officer, Melinda Garrett, told trustees, Superintendent Terry Grier and other top administrators in an e-mail dated July 22 that funding from the federal program in question, called Title I, “for 2010-11 is down over $19 million from that of the prior year.”

The e-mail was released to Texas Watchdog following a request made under the state Public Information Act.

The cut in Title I funds was mentioned in a presentation given by a top HISD administrator to principals at a series of meetings held July 23-25, slides from which were also released to Texas Watchdog. For this academic year, one slide said, “schools will be required to fund summer school from their current Title I, Part A allocation or other school-based fund.”

In her e-mail, Garrett said HISD is receiving less Title I money for three reasons:

+ Expected funding from the Texas Education Agency is down $5.7 million.

+ HISD doesn’t expect to have any left over Title I money from the previous fiscal year.

+ A state-mandated transportation fund that normally has extra money left over each year is expected to be dried up before this year’s summer school classes even begin.

This is not the first time HISD trustees have had to find funds to cover the cost of summer school programs. The district had to scramble last spring to fill a $20 million hole to pay for summer school after it didn’t get as much federal and state money as it had expected.

Other HISD Title I funds expecting to see decreases in 2010-11 include:

+Campus allocations, $4.9 million

+Parental involvement programs, $130,000

+General staff development, $100,000

Regular funding is not all HISD will be losing next school year.

According to the July presentation given to HISD principals, more than $92 million stimulus funding the district received ends in September 2011. That means all salaries being paid for with these funds — like elementary school literacy coaches — will be eliminated for the 2011-12 school year.

Stimulus-funded positions are not the only positions that could be cut, either. According to the presentation, district-funded positions like high school graduation coaches and middle school literacy coaches will be eliminated.

HISD currently has more than 25 high school graduation coaches who earn between $53,595 and $68,037 a year. You can view the complete list of coaches, their location and their salary rates here.

Where will the money come from? HISD trustees are expected to discuss that and receive a budget update Thursday morning at a board workshop, more than a month later than originally planned.

A Sept. 30 board workshop to discuss summer school funding was cancelled “due to board members attending a national conference where they are being recognized as finalist for the CUBE award,” according to an e-mail from Grier’s chief of staff, Michele Pola. The Council of Urban Boards of Education recognizes one urban school board a year for district-wide academic excellence.

The summer school funding discussion will continue at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the Hattie Mae White building in Houston. Follow Texas Watchdog on Twitter, @TexasWatchdog, for live updates during the discussion.

What did you think of the HISD District 8 race? Texas Watchdog wants to hear from you. Contact Lynn Walsh at Lynn@TexasWatchdog.org, 713-228-2850 or on Twitter @LWalsh.