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Superintendent's Requested Operational Budget Plan 2023-2024
As we reach recovery from the initial wave of pandemic-induced measures, schools have faced severe staff shortages, higher rates of absenteeism, addressing interrupted learning, and providing mental health support. The global pandemic impacted teaching and learning, prompting a unique shift in our practices, including the implementation of remote learning and the use of digital resources to engage students. Following a presentation by our Assistant Superintendent on October 5th, 2022, and January 3rd, 2023, it is clear that we are on the right path to recovery as our students are learning at an accelerated pace. Although we are beginning to see learning success, the impact of the pandemic would last well into the future, and this would necessitate adjustments to staffing, instructional resources, and specialized support.
Efforts to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of our students played a critical role in the design of our 2023-24 operational plan. Newtown staff and leaders would focus their work on meeting students' needs, providing high-quality instruction, offering a variety of academic pathways, providing appropriate support, and creating safe, respectful learning environments for all students. Our operational plan development aligned with our Mission in Newtownâs Strategic Plan â ensuring we have created an environment that represents:
- High Expectations
- Quality Instruction
- Continuous Improvements
- and Civic Responsibility
During volatile economic times and facing unprecedented challenges, it is important to remind ourselves that ensuring that our students reach their academic potential is our primary mission. The recently released scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are consistent with the widespread suspicion that the pandemic took a major toll on public school students in the United States.
We are faced with Federal ESSERS funding ending, while student academic and social-emotional needs are projected to still exist. We are tasked to create a budget that supports programming while considering the financial stressors in our community. According to Harvard University professor, Dr. Richard Elmore, educators can best serve their students by actively engaging them in classroom instruction that emphasizes rigorous and relevant content, taught by highly skilled teachers. This model of improved student learning is referred to as the âinstructional core.â But most importantly by protecting and enhancing the instructional core and strengthening our practice children become more engaged in student-centered classrooms where they are encouraged to generate and apply content actively. The focus of this yearâs budget will be to protect and enhance the instructional core which includes three interdependent components: teachersâ knowledge and skill, studentsâ engagement, and academically challenging content.
As we build our budget each year, we are mindful of changes in enrollment. However, we have maintained reasonable class sizes to meet the growing needs of learners. While we project enrollment to be relatively flat for the 2023-2024 school year. The net result is a decrease in 41 students Pk-12. Staffing in our operational plan reflects projected enrollment but is equally attentive to the academic and social-emotional needs of our students. While we have included some staffing cuts in certified and non-certified staff based on enrollment and realignment of supports.
By streamlining processes, finding more cost-efficient options, and reducing the costs of running our schools, we can allocate more funds to teaching and learning. Qualified and motivated teachers are the single most important school-based determinant of quality education. Developing strategies to cut costs while resulting in more cost-efficient schools that can do more for our students while staying within our budget.
The Superintendent's final budget request is $85,989,669 or a 4.69% increase over this year.
Our 2023-24 budget maintains and enhances quality services and has the best interest of our students and staff in mind. Further, it supports all staff and leaders in their ability to improve the academic and social-emotional learning landscape for each student, including identifying students who will need to re-engage in school and find academic success in the year(s) ahead following a worldwide pandemic. The proposed operational plan meets BOE priorities in class size, technology, mental health resources, funding for special education, and the development of academic pathways that promote the diverse needs and interests of all students. Investments in our students now, more than ever, will represent a commitment to their future as capable learners, influential leaders, and civic-minded community members.
Percentage of Budget Increase by Major Object
This chart provides a visual of ALL of our major objects and the percentages that make up our increase. You can see the real drivers here are found in salaries & benefits, other purchased services and purchased property services.
Enrollment Projection
For the budget request, we used our Central Office Projections in our review of enrollment; However, we always consider projections from consultants who provide long-term predictions.
Itâs important to note that while long-term projections are considered, due to migratory patterns and other variables, itâs important to re-evaluate enrollment projections each year.
Our predicted enrollment for 2023-24 (again based on our internal projections), predicts 3,912 in-district students.
