Budget Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - 1.21.2010

BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES

January 21, 2010

Attending:  H. Hank Hurd, Carolyn L. Olivarez, Jennifer S. Bennett, Savannah Vanhook, Tracy Bell, Dr. Alvera Lesane, Dr. Terri Mozingo, Michael Palmer, Dr. Emmett L. Gill, Jr., David Sneed, David Hawks, Tom Crabtree, Fred Williams, DeShawna Gooch, Camille Marlowe, Julie Spencer, Renee Wilburn, Gwendolyn Johnson, Drew Cummings, Angela Terry, Mary Jane Palmer, Marella Croom, Sandi Bates, Rob Lamme, Hugh Osteen, Steve Toler, Mike Muirhead, Kathleen Fogelsonger (for Kristy Moore-DAE), Stephanie Humphrey (for Victor Velaquez), Ron Wahlen and Elaine Roark.

Jennifer S. Bennett opened the meeting at 6:15 pm with a welcome to all in attendance and provided an overview of the meeting’s structure and introduced the presenters.

Interim Superintendent Hurd offered opening remarks regarding how the handling of this year’s budget is critical to the successful management of the budget for 2011. He mentioned upcoming meetings where he will solicit the help of the Executive Leadership Team, principals, departmental heads and their staff to come together and brainstorm ways to dissect the existing budget to free up resources and funds to satisfy the anticipated requests of future cuts from the Governor.

Rob Lamme, BOE Representative asked, “What plans does DPS have to communicate to parents regarding the budget problems.”

Interim Superintendent Hurd responded, “We will provide the same information to the principals that we discuss tonight, and the principals will be asked to talk with parent groups and their facility regarding budget problems and solutions.  The BAC will meet again on Feb 4, to discuss the budget in more detail.

OVERVIEW OF 2009-2010 BUDGET (Handout provided)

Jennifer S. Bennett, Executive Director of Budget & Management Services, began her presentation with a review of the following criteria:

1. The North Carolina General Fund Budget $19.0 Billion – FY2009-10 and the percentages funded by State resources
2. K-12 Education as percentage of State General Fund Budget and how although the total appropriations for public schools continue to increase, public schools are receiving less of the General Fund appropriations.
3. Typical sources of funds for education (local, federal, and state)
4. Budget for 2009-2010 as per November 2009 amendment and FY funding loss
5. New Federal Funding-Federal American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, how stimulus helps
6. Unfunded mandates for exceptional children, limited English proficient and academically gifted caps, DPS is over all funding caps
7. Budget “Drivers” (average daily membership ADM, salaries & benefits)
8. The percentage of instructional-school based funds compared to other expenditures

OVERVIEW OF INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES (Handout provided)

Dr. Terri Mozingo, Chief Academic Officer, led her staff’s presentation by stating how they plan use efficiency as a focus to meet the challenges of the school.  By supporting high quality and engaging instruction through the use of several elements, instructional services will continue to offer programs that help schools meet student needs as well continued staff development.

1. Dr. Mozingo’s handouts revealed districts instructional metrics with targeted goals
2. David Sneed, Assistant Superintendent of Research, Development and Accountability reported that his department accelerates the upward trajectory, through the use of grants, research, data dashboards, school scorecards, data profiles, state and local accountability programs to conduct research or collect student data for analysis.
3. Dr. Mozingo explained strategies used to improve achievement strengthening for elementary grade levels.
4. She briefed how important it is to prepare students for 21st century living and learning through rigor, relevance and relationships.  She continued to point out that with the combine efforts of student services, support services, community education and student assignment plays an important part for student support.
5. Dr. Lasane, Sr. Director of Professional Growth & Development, added a final note for instructional services and expressed that in an effort to transform professional learning for students success the department uses a number of avenues which includes district accreditation, focused leadership, National Board Certification, Take One, Online opportunities, professional learning communities and tracking, staff development center and teacher leadership programs.

OVERVIEW OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES (Handouts provided)

Human Resource Services

Fred William, Executive Director of Teacher Recruitment & Retention, delivered how the transition to the new HR Assistant Superintendent, Jacqueline B. Ellis, has lead the department to a more efficient focus and several changes:

1. Staff relocations caused by reduced state and local funding
2. Fully implemented the Substitute Calling System
3. Hiring process was improved through the use of the Human Resource Management System
4. New benefits provider, enhancing options and services for employees
5. Continue process to image past employee records
6. All licensed personnel trained on the new North Carolina teaching standards and observation instrument

Operational Services

Hugh Osteen, Assistant Superintendent of Operational Services, talked about doing more with less and how consolidations in Facility Services continues to keep costs down. 

• His department reduces consumption and cost with energy incentive programs. Several school received checks for low electric bills. 
• Absorbed additional facility space at multiple school locations. 
• Transportation reduced cost through route efficiencies while covering new programs
• Several capital improvement planning - implementing major bond programs, updating long-range facilities plans, utilizing performance contracting to gain million in capital improvements through utility savings, coordinating with the County on capital needs, goals and projects

Administrative Services

Mary Jane Palmer, Executive Director of Administrative Services, offered a review of Purchasing, Fixed Assets, Textbooks, Warehouse and Records Center functions.

1. The purchasing department review and release 11K Purchase Orders/Year, down  from 20k
2. Last adoption was K-5 Math –implemented 2009-2010, no new adoption for  2010-2011 due to budget reduction
3. Duplicating department averages 909K copies per month
4. Courier Mail Services deliver 60 locations, deliver unit assessments practice test  weekly and deliver packages to Board members
5. Internal Services deliver cafeteria food, deliver & pick-up science kits and surplus
6. Receiving/Distribution – average about 40 to 50 shipment daily
7. Record Center, shred program implemented – aver 24000lbs monthly, average record center request, 96 daily to 2100 monthly

Financial Services (handout provided)

Executive Director of Financial Services, Carolyn L. Olivarez, continues to improve operations to ensure efficient and effective services by using sound managerial principles in an environment that stresses teamwork and cooperation to all.  She went on to explain that:

1. The accounts payable section prints 2,000 checks each month, for vendors and  contractors
2. The payroll section produce 7,000 checks each month.

Additional services the finance department provide is cash management, general ledger, financial statement preparation, liaising with auditors, construction accounting, school accounting, internal auditing and cash flow projections.

Information Technology Services  (handout provided)

In closing, Mike Muirhead, Executive Director of Information Technology, revealed three key objectives of his department:

1. To align IT services with the current and future needs of the business and its  customers
2. To improve the quality of the IT services delivered
3. To reduce the long term cost of service provision

He talked about several accomplishments for his department: cable project, additional computer security measures, involvement in several school renovations and expansions. 
He included a discussion regarding on going project that included: deployment of share point environment, consolidation of Fuller Data Center into Hamlin Rd., new release of online magnet application, IP-based video surveillance implementation and implementing the response to the Business Risk Assessment, Computrace and application portfolio analysis.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:15 pm.