Frequently Asked Questions

The dramatic cuts in state funding for education and the potential impacts on Tacoma Public Schools will generate a lot of questions. We will update this page with answers to budget-related questions asked via the district's special "District Budget Outlook" Web site or sent in via email.

Q: We note that the Wainwright SAIL program may move to Point Defiance. What are some of the reasons this school is up for consideration? Will the fact that it is on the outer edge of the district affect transportation costs? Are there other schools with space and under consideration?

A: If Wainwright Elementary School closes, the SAIL program will move to Point Defiance Elementary School. The 51 students in the SAIL program live mostly in the far North End of Tacoma. Point Defiance Elementary, in addition to being a North End school, has space available for the program. The district provides transportation for all these students no matter where the program is housed, so there will be little, if any, affect on transportation costs. (4/20)

Q: Will the Readiness to Learn program be offered in the 2011-2012 school year or was the program budget cut?

A: The district does not plan to offer the Readiness to Learn program next school year. Unfortunately, that program is among the $8 million in positions and programs the district plans to cut due primarily to the loss of federal economic stimulus funds. The School Board approved that list of program reductions, including the elimination of more than 56 positions, at its April 14 meeting. (4/20)

Q: On your list of "Unsheltered" positions and programs targeted for budget cuts, there's a line item called National Board Stipend worth $451,000. What does that represent? The National Board Stipends for teachers is "flow-through" money for teachers paid by the state -- if they fund it next year. So, what exactly is the district cutting to save that $451,000?

A: Per the current District/TEA Collective Bargaining Agreement, the district agreed to pay the same National Board Stipend amount to a ESAs (Educational Staff Associates), generally nurses and counselors, when they achieve certification in their profession. Because stipends paid to an ESA are not funded by the state, like the teacher stipends are, the district bears this expense entirely.

The contract language allows the district to suspend these payments to ESAs if the state does not allocate funding for teacher National Board Certification stipends. Based on the Governor’s proposed budget, the National Board Stipends for teachers were not included. That meant the district could reduce the ESA stipends, which is why they showed up on the “Unsheltered” or budget cut list.

However, the week of April 4, the House Democrats released their version of the budget, which includes the stipends for National Board Certified teachers. That means, if there’s no change to this provision in the next TEA contract, the district will be obligated to continue paying for the ESA stipends. Consequently, you will not see the ESA stipends on the next update of “Unsheltered” positions and programs targeted for budget cuts. (4/7)

Q: Looking at the capacity chart, Wainwright is at 71 percent capacity, while Roosevelt is at 56 percent and Lyon is at 64 percent. Why close Wainwright then? It's not that low on students.

A: The percentage is a deceiving number. All the elementary schools first considered for closure have a student enrollment number below 300. Wainwright’s percentage is higher only because it’s a smaller school with less overall capacity to handle more students. Wainwright’s capacity is 400 students, while Lyon has capacity for 450 and Roosevelt can handle 500 students. (3/28)

Q: What will happen to the 80 families that are served at Madison Site if the district closes the programs offered there?

A: As of this week, the proposal to relocate the Madison programs (ECEAP, Family Literacy, Head Start, Indian Education, Tone Transitional Center) to the Bryant Montessori School site has been placed on hold temporarily.

In addition, the proposal to relocate the programs at the Park Avenue Center to McKinley Elementary also has been placed on hold temporarily.

Since these proposed relocations don't impact the immediate need to cut the district's 2011-2012 budget, we want to take more time to evaluate both relocation proposals, their impacts on the communities and alternative location options for the various programs at each site. (3/24)

Q: When will the school board vote on the proposed elementary school closures?

A: At this point, the school board intends to vote on a budget proposal at its regular April 14 meeting. That proposal includes savings from consolidating three elementary schools.

At the board's March 10 study session on the district budget crisis, board members indicated that there was a general consensus to move forward with the budget proposal that included savings from the three elementary schools, negotiating with the teachers' union on a class size increase and other staff and program cuts.

By district policy, once the board adopts the budget proposal, it must then host two public hearings per school targeted for closure before it must take a formal vote to close the schools. Those public hearings and the date for the formal vote have not been scheduled. (3/23)

Q: How many employees does Tacoma Public Schools have?

A: The district has 3,647 total employees. This equates to 3,421 full-time-equivalent (FTE) positions. (3/23)

Q: Enrollment for Kindergarten was pushed back, correct? Because you’re hoping to accommodate the closure decisions?

A: Yes. It didn't make sense to have parents register their children now for their preferred elementary school only to find out a short time later that the district planned to close that school. Then those parents would have to go through the process all over again. As it stands, we plan to open Kindergarten enrollment April 4 -- the week after spring break.(3/10)

Q: The most important question is about optional enrollment. Who has first-priority access to a school? Shouldn’t the kids in the neighborhood closest to the school have access to the school first?

A: That's typically how it works. Exceptions occur at "program" or "magnet" schools that don't have a defined attendance boundary, such as our Science and Math Institute (SAMI) or the School of the Arts (SOTA).

If the Montessori program currently at Bryant moves next year to the Franklin Elementary School site, it would become a "program" or "magnet" school without a defined attendance area. However, to accommodate as many neighborhood children as possible at a Franklin Montessori School, the district's latest proposal would open up approximately 100 new K-5 Montessori spots for students who live in the current Franklin and Bryant attendance areas. (3/10)

Q: My student goes to McKinley, and I know where Blix is. But I have no idea where Mary Lyon is. How will I know how to get my kid there?

A: If the school board decides to move forward on the school consolidations, we will develop transition plans to keep you informed about the change in schools and how we can help make that a smooth transition. If you live more than a mile from your child's new school, the district provides bus transportation. In any case, we'll keep you informed along with way with additional information about transportation and programs at the new school. (3/10)

Q: My 7-year-old wants to know why you would close McKinley, and why you are messing with her education?

A: It's good to hear that she understands the value of a good education. We expect her good education will continue at her new school.

We arrived at this point due to the Great Recession, which has resulted in the State of Washington looking at cutting $2.2 billion in funding for K-12 education statewide. The trickle-down effect on Tacoma schools means we don't have enough money to provide all the programs and operate all the schools as we have done in the past.

Since Tacoma's student enrollment has been on a steep decline over the last several years, we now have an over-capacity of 3,000 spaces available in our 37 elementary schools. We believed we could close some elementary schools, shift the students to nearby schools and save the administrative and operating costs at each closed school.

These school consolidations are just one part of a much larger budget cut. The net savings from each elementary school closure is about $500,000. We've projected that we need to cut about $13 million for the next school year. (3/10)

Q: What is the benefit of moving the programs at Park Avenue to the McKinley site?

A: We started by looking at elementary closures and identified three for proposed closure: McKinley, Wainwright and Franklin. After that, the district looked at all its programs to see if it made sense to relocate them into the closed school buildings without a major impact on the budget. In the case of Park Avenue, even though the McKinley Elementary Building is old, it's in physically much better shape than the old Park Avenue school site.

In addition, there's the less tangible "impact on the community" to consider. There's a thought that it may be more beneficial to maintain a district presence in the McKinley neighborhood than it is to maintain a presence at Park Avenue. (3/10)

Q: My son attends Wainwright Elementary. What happens to the SAIL program for highly capable students there? Does it relocate?

A: Yes, we're looking at other elementary schools with space available to absorb the program and the students. Nearly all of the SAIL students currently enrolled from Wainwright come from outside the Wainwright attendance area. We hope to identify a new location for that program if the school board decides to move forward with the closure of Wainwright. (3/10)

Q: In all these pressing decision making processes, what best practice methods from around the world are you using to make decisions? For example, in Finland, the government administration decides – not board members -- kids go to neighborhood schools and the No. 1 priority is kids in abject poverty.

A: We're not intentionally applying any international best practices in decision making. Our school board members will make the decisions on all the $13 million in proposed budget cuts facing the district this year based on:
A) Recommendations from the administration,
B) Input from the public, and
C) Their collective belief in what's best for the students in Tacoma Public Schools. (3/10)

Q: I know you guys are out of money, but what about the raising of the class size and how it will affect education?

A: There are various perspectives on how class size influences learning. Generally, smaller class sizes are better. Most of the research indicates smaller class size makes the most difference when the size break occurs in classes with fewer than 20 students. Our class size ratios for all grades are over 20 -- before we started discussing a possible increase. So, we don't think the change of adding one student per classroom will have a significant impact. Remember, however, that any proposed increase in class sizes is subject to collective bargaining between the district and the Tacoma Education Association. (3/10)

Q: Do we need to be spending money on a new school at Geiger with all the budget cuts? Are the decisions about whether to rebuild Hunt or change the plans for Geiger something that will be decided for next school year or further down the road?

A: All scenarios regarding the long-term future of Hunt and Geiger probably won't be decided right away. The only immediate proposal that the school board would need to decide is whether to shift Geiger Elementary -- at least temporarily -- to the Hunt site for the upcoming school year. By moving Geiger's current operations to the Hunt site, it could take more students from Wainwright and absorb the grades 6-8 Montessori program currently at Bryant.

In addition, if the district decides later to move ahead with the construction of a new Geiger on the current Geiger site, there's an estimated cost savings of $250,000 by not having the students housed in the old Geiger during construction.

But the longer-term issues will take time to discuss with the community:
A) Should a permanent preschool through eighth-grade Montessori school be reconstructed on the current Hunt site instead of the originally planned grades 6-8 middle school?
B) If we build that new preK-8th grade school at Hunt, it would eliminate the need for a new Geiger.
C) Should Foss High School expand to include a grades 6-12 International Baccalaureate programme? (3/10)

Q: I just wanted to know if the district planned on having a community budget meeting at McKinley? A lot of our parents don’t drive. They would have a hard time getting to meetings anywhere else.

A: No, that's not planned. For all our proposed elementary school closures, we had an 8-day window to complete all the community meetings before the March 10 board meeting. We attempted to locate all of them in a regional venue that could accommodate attendees from all the elementary schools in the area that would be affected. (3/10)

Q: Is a K-6 program a possibility at Wainwright instead of closure?

A: No, that's not being considered. The discussion and decision on school consolidations and closures is being driven by a budget crisis that requires the district to look for cutbacks that save $13 million for the upcoming school year. Expanding Wainwright by adding a sixth grade level would add cost to the operation of Wainwright rather than save money. (3/10)

Q: If we don’t close the schools or move them and we still have to cut the budget in other ways, what happens next? I mean, how long can we stay like we are before we have to do something to save money?

A: To stay with the current plan of cutting $5 million in basic education-funded programs this school year without closing schools would require cutting programs in schools.

The goal, however, was to make school consolidation cuts this first year that -- while inconvenient for some students who would shift schools -- wouldn't make wholesale cuts to programs offered in the schools.

According to the superintendent's three-year plan, the district would still need to cut $7.5 million next year and $6 million more the year after that. So, putting off cuts now would mean much deeper staff and program cuts in the years ahead. (3/7)

Q: I live in the Bryant area and see now my kids will go to Stanley. How is Stanley doing and why are they under enrolled?

A: Stanley, like most low-enrollment schools, have seen naturally occurring demographic or economic changes in the make-up of their neighborhoods that contribute to declining enrollment. Stanley was just one of two Tacoma elementary schools to win the 2010 School of Distinction award for outstanding improvement in student achievement in reading and math over a five-year period. The Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE) and Phi Delta Kappa-Washington State Chapter sponsored the fourth annual School of Distinction award recognition in Washington state. (3/8)

Q: If Franklin closes, that neighborhood loses a school. What sort of impact is that on the community? What are the geographical impacts?

A: Tacoma Public Schools has closed or consolidated a number of schools over the years. General community impacts of school closures are difficult to define. In some neighborhoods, schools are a community's gathering point for non-school activities. The geographical impacts of closing Franklin are minimal. Redrawing school boundary lines to shift some students to Stanley and some to DeLong easily follow main arterials in the area. (3/7)

Q: How will school consolidations affect the autistic kids at Franklin?

A: Our goal is to move the programs as a whole (preschool-5th grade) from Franklin to another school building. We're currently evaluating the space available at other schools to find the best location for the programs. (3/8)

Q: How does transportation work for kids who live outside the boundaries of a school’s attendance area?

A: Students who opt to attend a school outside their home attendance area -- through the district's optional enrollment process -- do not receive transportation. Students who are in special programs, such as Special Ed, Highly Capable, English Language Learners, No Child Left Behind, McKinney-Vento (Homeless), receive transportation if it is outside their home attendance boundary. (3/7)

Q: Why are there four portables at both Lyon and Roosevelt if the schools are only at 65 percent and 63 percent capacity?

A: Enrollment shifts over time among schools and, as we’ve seen over the last few years, demographic changes have decreased enrollment by 4,000 students.

As a result, some schools that were once crowded and required portables may no longer have such a large population. Because there’s a cost associated with permitting and moving portables, they’re typically left in place until a need arises for them at another location. (3/7)

Q: Why are there no North End schools being looked at for closure?

A: Current enrollment and demographic trends of the three elementary schools in Northeast Tacoma indicate there are no opportunities for closure or consolidation. We conducted a focus group of six elementary school principals from Northwest Tacoma. Current enrollment and demographic trends of those schools indicated that any surplus space available would be best used to house special programs that may need to be relocated from the other schools chosen for closure or consolidation. (3/7)

Q: Wouldn’t current Franklin students be able to opt into the Montessori program after it shifts to the Franklin site?

A: If the parents of a current Franklin student wanted their child to attend the Montessori program, they could apply to opt in to the Montessori program after it shifts from Bryant to Franklin. (3/7)

Q: Has the district done any statistical, mathematical analysis on the impact of rising gas prices? Some parents wouldn’t be able to afford driving kids across town to school if the price of gas gets too high?

A: We haven't conducted a statistical analysis or utilized any models in an attempt to project the impact on rising gas prices. However, one would anticipate that people will be less likely to drive their vehicles as a result of higher gas prices, although that isn’t always the case. (3/7)

Q: Why is the capacity at Franklin larger than Bryant?

A: The total number of rooms, including portables, at Bryant is 24 vs. 28 at Franklin. Also, the total square feet at Franklin is 60,957 vs. 44,187 at Bryant. (3/7)

Q: So, Franklin currently has 250 students. What happens to the 150 of those students that don’t live in the Franklin area? Where will they go to school next year?

A: Unless something changes, at this juncture, the balance of students currently attending Franklin from outside of the Franklin catchment area would either attend their home area school of attendance or apply for placement at another elementary school through the district's optional enrollment process. The current students who attend Franklin but live in the Bryant attendance area would either attend Stanley or could apply to enroll in the Montessori program at the Franklin site. (3/7)

Q: What is the benefit of closing Madison down and relocating everything there to Bryant rather than just simply mothballing the Bryant facility?

A: The thought is that the overall condition of the Bryant facility is superior to the Madison facility. Also, occupying the Bryant facility for educational purposes, it is believed, would be more welcoming to the Bryant community vs. a vacant/mothballed facility. Some of the same considerations have been raised for the Madison community, which is why the pros and cons of all the proposals are being carefully evaluated. (3/7)

Q: Stanley’s catchment/attendance area holds 900 kids. But 900 kids can’t all go to Stanley. Where do they go? Are they not important?

A: The number of student residents in the current Stanley ES catchment area is 424. Of that number, 211 currently attend Stanley. The proposed new Stanley ES catchment area would include approximately 950 students. Of that total number, approximately 518 currently attend their respective home schools -- Stanley, Bryant, Franklin. Under the proposed plan, it is anticipated that most of these students would attend either Stanley or the Montessori program at Franklin. In other cases, the parents would choose to optionally enroll their students in other elementary schools. (3/7)

Q: For families that live right across the street from Franklin now, where will their children go if Franklin closes?

A: Under the current proposal, a student located across the street from Franklin becomes a resident of the proposed new Stanley ES attendance area. (3/7)

Q: What is a “non-attendance area” or “program” school, which is how you’re describing the Montessori program if it moves to Franklin? Is that different than a catchment area school?

A: A "non-attendance area" or "program" school simply means that school has no attendance area with boundaries as other schools do. Instead, parents throughout the district could choose to send their children to that school because of its unique program. The Montessori program now at Bryant has an attendance area -- even though many of its students come from all over Tacoma. If the program shifts to Franklin, under the current proposal, it would not have its own attendance area. (3/7)

Q: On the map included with the community PowerPoint presentation, do the numbers printed there reflect the total number of students who live in the catchment or attendance area or only the number of students from that area enrolled at that specific school?

A: The community meeting presentation includes a “worksheet," which shows the approximate number of students currently attending respective schools who are residents of the school catchment area. In most cases, the current number of students attending school from their home catchment area is larger. For example, of the 310 students currently residing in the Franklin catchment area, 117 attend Franklin ES and of the 424 students in Stanley’s catchment area, 211 currently attend Stanley. The 211 students currently attending Stanley represents approximately 74 percent of the current total population at Stanley ES. (3/7)

Q: What are the dimensions of Franklin’s classrooms? In Montessori, children require floor space and lower shelves, so will that be taken into consideration at Franklin?

A: A typical Franklin classroom is 877 sq. ft. Any facility modifications required to effectively serve the program would be addressed in cooperation with the program administrator and staff. Funding for such modifications would be a capital expenditure rather than an operating expense that would take away from the general fund. (3/7)

Q: What is the maximum enrollment capacity at the new Franklin?

A: Based on current programs housed at the Franklin site, the recommended maximum program capacity is 475. The five classrooms currently serving special education programs could be used to house larger numbers of students in a Montessori format, which would yielding a recommended maximum program capacity of 500. (3/7)

Q: What is going to happen to the prime piece of Wainwright Elementary School property in Fircrest?

A: Should Wainwright be closed, the property would be managed following the procedures prescribed in Policy 6112, Real Property Management. This means it would be considered a “reserve” property until such time the district determines that it has no foreseeable need for its use. At this time, no plan is in place for the disposition of that property. (3/7)

Q: How much did the district spend on renovating Stadium High School?

A: $108 Million (3/7)

Q: While Montessori is popular, what is the commitment from the district to increase access to make this available to everyone? What’s their plan?

A: Due to the popularity of the Montessori program among parents and the perpetual waiting list to gain access to the program at Bryant, the district has begun phasing in an expanded K-5 Montessori program at Geiger Elementary. This expansion should be able to absorb the demand for the program. (3/7)

Q: Why was it that the Bryant program was not required to follow the standard open/optional enrollment process? Why was the exception to that policy allowed?

A: Prior to Bryant’s change to Montessori, which began in 1998, its poverty rate (92%) was the highest in the district and the ethnicity was 59% minority. Enrollment was below 200 and test scores were among the lowest in the city. The District decided to transform Bryant by creating a “magnet program.” Montessori was selected as the focus.

The District applied for a federal magnet grant in 1998 to fund this initiative. In 2004, the school’s Site Council was granted permission to write a second magnet grant to form a PreK-8th grade school. Magnet grants were created by Congress to fund to assist school districts with desegregation efforts. Part of that process is to create innovative programs that attract students to the school. The other part of the process is to recruit “majority” students and encourage them to attend a racially and socio-economically isolated school.

When the second magnet grant was written in 2004, the federal magnet grant emphasis had evolved to include a focus on providing alternatives for “failing schools” (AYP) and improving student achievement. Because there had never BEEN a middle school at Bryant, it didn’t have an attendance area. So in order for students to enroll at Bryant, they had to proactively seek it out. We invited our own fifth graders to stay and recruited additional students to join the program for the middle years.

For years, every child who wanted to attend Bryant could do so, neighborhood or otherwise. Approximately two years into the second grant implementation (about 2006) it became clear that neighborhood parents were not as likely to enroll in Kindergarten or preschool until the fall, so a set number of slots were held back each year for September enrollment of neighborhood children. Over time, the program became so popular that the physical building was completely full, while demand continued to grow. It was at that point that a waiting list was created. (3/7)

Q: How much does Tacoma Public Schools charge for all-day kindergarten?
A: There is no charge for full-day kindergarten in Tacoma. All of our elementary schools offer free full-day kindergarten. (3/4)

Q: At a recent board meeting, a board member stated Tacoma Public Schools can’t control the release of students to other districts. Please clarify this. Is the district able to deny these requests and keep these students within the district?

A: RCW 28A.225.220, Chapter 392-137 WAC and Board policy #3140 and #3140R set out the requirements. Under the law, school districts are strongly encouraged to honor the quest of a parent or guardian to attend school in another district. A resident school district must release a student to a nonresident district if the non-resident district agrees to accept the student and the student demonstrates a ground for release. The grounds for release are:

If a financial, educational, safety or health condition affecting the student would likely be reasonable improved as a result of the transfer;
If attendance in the nonresident district is more accessible to the parent’s place of work or the location of child care; or
If there is a special hardship or detrimental condition affecting the student or the student’s immediate family which would be alleviated as a result of the transfer. (3/3)

Q: Why can the district reduce the number of employees working at the Central Administration building to save at least another $1 million or $2 million? Why can’t the administrators take furlough days or a percent cut since most of these administrators are making well over $100,000 per year?

A: We are in the process of discussing the possibility of freezing wages, taking furlough days, reducing or eliminating professional development options, etc. with all bargaining units, including administrative staff. (3/3)

Q: Tacoma Public Schools allows wide-open optional enrollment so students can attend any school in the district if there’s space available. If the district stopped this practice wouldn’t it save a huge amount of money?

A: No, not necessarily. The current optional enrollment policy has, to some extent, contributed to small schools (six elementary schools under 300 enrollment); however, a review of current population demographics shows that if students were only allowed to attend their “home attendance area” school, the resulting number of schools under 300 enrollment would actually increase and three of the largest elementary schools would increase to populations over 600 vs. the current range of 550-600. Consolidation of small schools and careful management of the optional enrollment policy, we believe, is the most prudent approach to economizing. (3/3)

Q: Where were these enrollment projections showing steep declines in high school enrollment when the 2001 bond issue was passed by voters so each high school could be remodeled for increased capacity?

A: Since approval of the 2001 bond issue, almost a decade ago, a number of major events have occurred both in the national and world arena, including the economic “meltdown” among other factors that have contributed to changes in the way respective community populations have developed.

In addition, most experts agree that demographic projections are about 50 percent science and 50 percent art; hence, the further in the future one is forecasting/projecting, the greater the risk of inaccuracies. In this case, high school enrollments have declined more than had been projected.

Projections for high school enrollment currently show a continued decline over the next decade; however, this too is subject to change depending on a number of other factors, such as local/state/nation/world events. (3/3)

Q: Will teachers be eliminated with school closures?

A: The consolidation of schools is more focused on saving administrative, support services, and operating cost of the smaller schools. There may be some efficiencies gained in teaching positions through the consolidation of buildings, but that is not one of the primary reasons for closing schools. Practically speaking, as students shift to new schools, the demand increases for additional teachers at those schools. (3/3)

Q: According to the OSPI web site, Tacoma’s Central Administration Budget has increased by $4 million since 2006. Can you explain how this happened and why?

A: The Central Administration costs were $19.7 million or 6.34 percent of total general fund expenditures in 2009-10. This is actually less than we were spending in 2003-04, which was $20 million or 7.58 percent of expenditures.

However, we did have a significant reduction is Central Administration costs in 2006-07, which lowered costs to $17.5 million or 6.25 percent of expenditures. Part of the district’s strategies for addressing the projected budget shortfalls for the next few years is reducing administrative costs. (3/3)

Q: What specific cuts are you considering in the Central Administration? Are you considering doing a position-by-position review of all non-classroom jobs to ensure that cuts are going to have the least impact on the classroom? Are you considering freezing travel and training budgets for the entire district? The district has added several high-pay, high level administrators in recent years are you considering eliminating any specific administration positions rather than across the board cuts to departments?

A: The administrative staff have been ask to find savings through administrative and operational efficiencies in the amount of at least $1 million. In addition, we will be reducing costs and full-time-equivalent positions through the $8 million loss of temporary federal stimulus funds that run out at the end of this school year. (3/3)

Q: Can’t we tighten the budget for transportation costs – both buses for students and mileage reimbursement for staff? What are we paying in these two areas? I see a couple full-size buses pull up to our school every day and fewer than six kids get on, which doesn’t seem like a good use of district funds.

A: During the last 10 years, the number of district bus routes have been reduced by 22 percent and reduced transportation support staff by 38 percent. During the 2009-10 school year, transportation costs were approximately $10 million. Some buses are at less than capacity due to federal programs such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), McKinney-Vento (homeless) and special education requiring unique transportation services resulting in low ridership.

In most instances, when someone observes a “light” bus load, the second component of the route being served by that same bus is near capacity. In short, the dynamics (timing, distance and other factors) involved in bus routing often makes it difficult to maximize passenger capacity; thus, an “appearance” of inefficiency. (3/3)

Q: Has the district explored any other funding sources for education, such as naming rights to the three stadiums, ads on busses, even sponsorship of classes? Why can’t we have The Weyerhaeuser Construction Trades class or the Boeing Class of Machining, or The Columbia Bank Class of Finance?

A: We are currently engaged in the process of reviewing potential sponsorships for athletic events as well as the idea of possibly allowing advertising at events, on our website, and at particular sites. The possibility of naming rights on fields, at stadiums, for technology labs, libraries, etc. have been discussed, but we are taking it very slowly to make sure it is done right and in a very tasteful manner. (3/3)

Q: What is the cost comparison between a Montessori classroom vs. a regular classroom? Can you cite any research that shows the cost/benefit of the Montessori program as compared to the traditional education model? What is the total cost to the district for Montessori education?

A: Here's a general overview of Montessori expenses.

1. The initial outlay to begin a Montessori school is very high, about $35,000 per classroom for materials. However, the materials do not have to be replaced nearly as often as textbooks. In fact, if well cared for, they can last more than 20 years. There is no curriculum adoption cycle.

a. Bryant’s materials were funded by two magnet grants.
b. Geiger’s are being paid for with capital projects funds associated with our new school construction.

2. Teacher training is another initial expense, approximately $5,000-$8,000 per teacher for preschool-6th grade. For secondary Montessori training, it’s more in the range of $25,000 per teacher. This is because there only two training centers in the country for secondary. In Cincinnati and Houston; so the travel costs are noteworthy.

a.       Bryant’s teacher training up until very recently was done with magnet grant funds.
b.      Some discussions with Pacific Lutheran University have occurred to explore creating a West Coast Montessori training center where students could be trained here in Tacoma.
c.       If we hire teachers who come to us with their training already completed, the expense is eliminated.

3. Classroom assistants are the single most expensive ongoing cost for Montessori. Properly delivered, there is an assistant in each class to provide supports to the classroom. These supports include:

a.       Preparation of materials (ongoing, as the environment is key to the model)
b.      Monitoring students while the teacher is giving individualized lessons
c.       Recordkeeping tasks associated with the individualized curriculum
d.      Observation of students

4. On the positive side of that equation is this: Montessori pedagogy states that larger class sizes are preferable, which creates an environment in which students must learn to be independent problem solvers.

Montessori Research:
We have posted several research studies on the Geiger Elementary website:
http://www.tacoma.k12.wa.us/sites/schools/geiger/montessori/Pages/MontessoriLinks.aspx
(3/3)

Q: Who has access to the Montessori program? What’s the enrollment process? The reality is you have to buy your way in. It’s systematically not available to neighborhood kids.

A: The cost of tuition for pre-K (ages 3 and 4) students is currently $600 per month. Once enrolled in the pre-K program, K-8 enrollment is guaranteed. There are few kindergarten spaces remaining once those in the pre-K program have enrolled. (3/3)

Q: With all the interest in Montessori, how many people pay for the preschool? Are the schools generating income from out-of-Tacoma students?

A: At Bryant, there are no pre-K out-of-district students; 16 pre-K tuition-based students are currently enrolled at $600 per month.

Q: What are the dimensions of Franklin’s classrooms? In Montessori, children require floor space and lower shelves, so will that be taken into consideration at Franklin?

A: Franklin has slightly smaller classroom dimensions.

Franklin ES – typical classroom interior space = 877 sq. ft.
Bryant Montessori – typical classroom interior space = 923 sq. ft.
Geiger Montessori (current) – typical classroom interior space = 874—931 sq. ft.
Geiger Montessori (proposed new) – typical classroom interior space = 945 sq. ft.

Other considerations, such as counter heights or other design elements, can be accommodated through small renovation projects as needed. (3/3)

Q: In Tacoma Public Schools, to get extra pay for extra work for a department head, the school must meet the required number of staff in the department. SAMI does not meet this threshold yet the department head gets extra pay. Why?

A: SAMI department heads do the same work that is done in larger schools. They receive a smaller stipend due to the smaller size of the school. (3/3)

Q: How exactly will we save $2.8 million by closing Foss? What specific categories of expenditures are you including in this total?

A: The following costs were considered in the closing of Foss high school:
School Principal and Office Personnel: $870,000
School Security: $90,000
Food Service: $220,000
Custodial: $420,000
Library, Health, Counseling: $515,000
Athletic Program: $360,000
Non-employee related costs: $75,000
Teacher Stipends: $77,300
Utilities: $250,000
Total savings: $2 million (3/3)

Q: On the list of potential cuts in staff and programs funded by one-time money, the district appears to be keeping six instructional coaches. Can you please explain why the district needs six instructional coaches?

A: For the 2010-2011 school year, Tacoma Public Schools has three elementary literacy coaches, 29.5 elementary math coaches, 2 secondary literacy coaches, and 1.5 secondary math coach. These 36 FTEs are funded with Title I and federal stimulus funds, which run out after this school year.

There are six coach FTEs in the budget for the 2011-2012 school year. Based on other expenditures that are preserved for next year, only six FTEs can be afforded. Coaches are important to our system because they provide daily support to classroom teachers and principals. They contribute greatly to the success of our new math program implementation, and they assist new teachers. Coaches provide job-embedded professional development that is focused on how students are learning. Coaches facilitate common planning meetings with teachers, observe teachers, co-teach, and tutor students. Teaching so that all students get their needs met is demanding and complex work. Our coaches provide support to increase the quality of teaching so we can attain our district’s mission—Every Child. Every day.

A strong academic program for students is supported by personnel such as coaches. Some people think of their value using Tiger Wood’s story. Tiger is one of the best golfers in the world—and he still benefits from 3 professional full-time coaches. (3/3)

Q: Why are we providing bus transportation to any high school? Can’t we stop this service to save money?

A: We provide high school students the same transportation as all other students. Students are eligible for bus transportation if they live beyond a one-mile radius from the school in their attendance area. To reduce transportation costs, students at some schools receive Pierce Transit passes. As high school students begin to drive to school, the number of bus routes is reduced.

Discontinued bus service for high school students would reduce the transportation program budget but not without increased consequences – namely, increased safety risks and on-site traffic and parking congestion as a result of increased private vehicles. (3/3)

Q: I was wondering what the future of free all-day kindergarten and the highly capable program will look like with the upcoming budget cuts. Will both be available in the upcoming years? After having one child in half-day kindergarten and another in the full-day program, I see the benefit of full day. I have a child who will be in kindergarten in 2012 and a child currently in the highly capable program. I am hoping that these programs will still be available in the coming years.

A: No decisions have been made yet. However, the superintendent’s proposal to the school board would continue to provide for full-day kindergarten. Upgrading Tacoma’s kindergarten offerings from half-day to full day has resulted in a marked improvement in student achievement.

The State of Washington provides roughly one-third of the funding for Tacoma’s highly capable programs. According to the Superintendent’s proposal to the board, Tacoma would continue to offer programs – in some form – for highly capable students in the future. (Jan. 26)

Q: Is Foss closing for the 2011-2012 school year?

A: No decisions have been made. The potential temporary closure of Foss High School, the potential closure of some low-enrollment elementary schools, the potential increase in class sizes and layoffs of 75 to 100 district employees are the primary options under consideration and discussion. The district also is interested in hearing your ideas for other cuts the we can make. (Jan. 26)

Q: As a former Henry Foss student I would like to ask why Foss is under the gun to be closed? And what happens if all the Foss students have to be crammed into other high schools, which are full as is? Why not switch some of the other students from other high schools to Foss so you can keep it going?

A: Foss came up for temporary closure consideration due to its low and declining enrollment. Projections show the Foss enrollment will likely decrease more by next fall to an estimated 1,088 students. Foss is the smallest of Tacoma's five comprehensive high schools.

High school enrollment in general in Tacoma is experiencing a steep decline. Enrollment has declined by 800 students since 2001 and is projected to decline another 500 students through 2016. That means we have capacity at the other four comprehensive high schools; they aren't full.

Part of the reason for considering any schools closures is to save money on the administrative and overhead costs that come with running a school. For Foss, that would amount to $2 million a year. If we simply shifted students from other high schools to Foss, that would not save any money. (Jan. 26)

Q: Why does the district have to close Foss High School? That will mean that we will have only 4 high schools. Many students are planning to attend Foss this upcoming year. They were looking forward to the IB program. Foss is a great school with great teachers. If you move the IB program to a different school, it will affect the current students from achieving their goals. They can't finish the program because what if they can't attend the high school that the IB program will be transferred to? Other than the district is losing money, why close an amazing school, where ALL students are comfortable and are always excited to go to school?

A: No decisions have been made on any of the proposed budget cuts. The district is looking at a wide range of budget cuts, including temporary school closures, because of a dramatic cut in K-12 funding by the State of Washington and the end of federal stimulus funding.

If Foss were to close, the goal would be to transfer the International Baccalaureate program intact to another high school and allow the students to continue with the program.

The only reason the district is considering any of the local budget cuts is due to the loss of state and federal funding.

Hopefully, students in all Tacoma schools believe they attend an amazing and comfortable school and are excited and passionate about it. (Jan. 26)

Q: How much money would the district save by asking the teachers to give up their "optional" days and, instead, have a few waiver days throughout the year for professional development that aren't optional?

A: Teachers are currently allowed seven optional days as defined in their collective bargaining agreement. The district budgets $6 million dollars for the seven days. If the district were to reduce all seven days, the basic education savings would be $4 million dollars and categorical programs (e.g. grant funded positions, Title I funded positions) savings would be $2 million. (3/3)

Q: Have you thought about moving the IB program at Foss to Mt. Tahoma and using Foss as an alternative school for both High school and Middle Schools? You could close Oakland. Don't know if this would make much of a difference. But if Foss is closed, how much will it cost to reopen it and keep it maintained while closed?

A: Yes, if Foss is closed, the goal would be the transfer the International Baccalaureate program intact to another high school. Mt. Tahoma would be one of the candidates.

One plan under consideration is growing the Oakland population to a middle and high school program on its current site. Because Oakland doesn't have many of the athletic programs and activities you would find at Foss, it doesn't make economic sense to relocate Oakland's programs to a facility with accoutrements the alternative school doesn't need.

The annual savings from closing a high school, after the mothballing costs are subtracted, is estimated to be about $2 million. (Jan. 26)

Superintendent Arthur O. Jarvis, Ed.D., ajarvis@tacoma.k12.wa.us
Superintendent-Elect (Interim) Carla Santorno, csantor@tacoma.k12.wa.us
Central Administration Building, P.O. Box 1357, Tacoma, WA 98401-1357, 253.571.1000

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