Key findings from the Community Advisory Committee for Investing in Educational Excellence

Committee goals

After working together for eight months, a community advisory committee - comprising 14 civic and business leaders - released a report that analyzed the district's finances and educational standings.

The committee states its goals are to be known "as the district that closes the achievement gap (between white and minority students) and delivers academic excellence for all," working from a philosophy that high student expectations will result in improved academic performance.

The committee held public meetings and collected input from email, postal mail, focus groups and a telephone survey to inform its work.

Current fiscal realities

The district will accumulate deficits of $15 million, $25 million, $41 million and $44 million annually over the next five years.

Key drivers for the deficits are transportation, facilities, special education, bilingual services, salary escalations and limitations of state funding.

Committee observations and assertions

Washington Assessment for Student Learning scores have improved over the last five years and Scholastic Assessment Test scores are above national and state averages. But the district will not accept a system with a 59 percent graduation rate and a 22 percent dropout rate. The district will not accept a system with uneven school equality, and a structure that faces multi-million dollar deficits.

Recommendations

Fundamental to the approach was a view that academic achievement goals should form any successful fiscal strategy.

Leadership and Management

Strengthen leadership through improved governance and leadership capacity.

Ensure academic priorities influence dollars spent on a rigorous strategic planning and budgeting process.

Regain public confidence by enhancing community outreach and expand data-based decision making that informs instructional practices.

Academic Investments

Put a major focus on teacher hiring, development and retention and add system-wide curriculum consistency.

Improve student-teacher ratios and reduce class sizes.

Fund six-period days and provide adequate remedial assistance and enhance community and family involvement.

Fiscal Viability

Close schools to eliminate wasteful spending on buildings that are not full, and maximize the revenue potential of the district's real estate.

Reduce the gap between transportation services provided by the district and transportation funding from the state by charging reasonable fees.

Support alternative school programs while bringing costs into balance.

Call upon the state to meet its constitutional duty to fully fund basic education.

Where will change come from?

More forceful direction from the superintendent and greater unity and cohesion from the school board.

Greater mission clarity and more focused strategic plan.

An organizational culture-shift that values creativity and fosters adaptability, demands accountability and rewards innovation, teamwork and risk taking.

Source: Community Advisory Committee For Investing in Educational Excellence; final report.