Resource Symposium The School District of Philadelphia

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Resource SymposiumThe School District of
Philadelphia

• Dr. Arlene Ackerman, Superintendent
• Improving School Budgets

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Imagine 2014 Phase 1 Implementation
World Class Operations Improve Business
Processes in order to be good stewards of the
School Districts financial resources
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Who We Are
Ellen Steiker Deputy Chief Business Officer
Finance Wayne Harris Director of Management and
Budget
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Background
Enrollment School Facilities School Choice School
Districts Budget for Schools
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Philadelphia Public Schools Enrollment Has
Declined Slightly Over the Past Decade But
Charters Make Up a Greater Share of

Total Public School Enrollment
The total enrollment of the Philadelphia School
District has declined by 8 over the past decade,
from 213,000 to 195,411. Charter School
enrollment has increased dramatically over the
same period. In 2008-09, more than 1 out of every
6 public school students in Philadelphia attends
a charter school.
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Where do we educate our children? The School
District of Philadelphia Educates its students in
347 schools
Note Some Philadelphia schools operate in more
than one building. In a few instances, more than
one school operates in a single School District
Building
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The School District of Philadelphia
Has Been
Expanding School Choice
In 2002 the School District of Philadelphia
sponsored 39 charter schools. In 2008 the
District sponsored 61 charter schools, offered 17
city-wide magnet schools and 5 regional magnet
schools. Over one-third of Philadelphias schools
are now operated under non-traditional management
structures Educational Management Organizations
or Charter Schools. In 2002 there were 38 high
schools in the Philadelphia School District, with
an average student population of about 1,700. In
2008 there were 61 directly-operated Philadelphia
high schools, and 20 charter high schools, with
an average student population of 723 half of
Philadelphias high schools have a student
population of 500 or less.
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How does the SDP spend its money?The Districts
Budget Supports Schools
Total 3,186M
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Improving School Budgets
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Chief Business Office - Needs

• Document Current School Budget Process
  Completed
• Recommendations for Improvements to the School
  Budgeting Process Implementation team to examine
  current budget process and recommend use of
  weighted student funding formula.
• Study vendors Resource Distribution Analysis
  and understand nationwide best practices.
• Develop methodology for weighted student
  funding tailored to conditions in Philadelphia
  with recommendations on how to phase it in
  beginning in FY 2010-11.
• Design a community engagement process, modeled on
  what worked elsewhere.
• Work with responsible academic and regional
  offices to link school based budgeting to school
  academic plans and report card measurements.

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Chief Business Office - Needs

• Budgeting to Support School Choice
• Refine school budget process to accommodate
  various school models (such as EMOs and
  Contracted) and autonomy levels.

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Goals Objectives

• Increase equity in per-student funding across
  schools provide resources to match individual
  student needs and increase transparency of how
  each school is funded and how resources are
  spent.
• Accommodate various school models (such as EMOs
  and Contracted) and differing levels of autonomy.
  Upgraded grant management, recordkeeping and
  control systems consistent with best practices
  and grantor requirements, particularly for
  federal funds.
• Increase percentage of schools receiving weighted
  student funding
• Increase equity in per-student funding across
  schools with weighting for key characteristics
• Increase transparency on how schools are funded
  and how resources are spent
• Increase overall satisfaction of parents and
  increased percentage that agree that the childs
  school effectively engages parents and values
  their input
• Increase student achievement
• Increase number of families that feel they have
  access to quality school options
• New models of School Choice accommodated in
  school-based budgeting process

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Methodology

• Initiative coordinated through the Chief Business
  Office
• Requires interaction with all components of
  District administration and school operations
• Implementation team includes the Chief Business
  Office, Superintendents Office, Office of
  Management and Budget and a number of program
  and operational units, principals and teachers,
  and regional superintendents.
• Outside vendors may be brought in at different
  times to work on analysis of options, data
  gathering, community engagement, documenting
  policies and procedures and other projects as
  needed

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Requirements

• Selected company must have
• direct experience working with school districts
  on weighted student funding formulas,
  particularly with large urban districts, similar
  to Philadelphia
• strong experience and demonstrated proficiency in
  analysis, process design, written policies and
  procedures, and implementation and training
• Knowledge of community engagement
• The specific staff having the demonstrated
  experience and competencies must be assigned to
  the project

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Resource SymposiumThe School District of
Philadelphia

• Dr. Arlene Ackerman, Superintendent
• Improving School Budgets