Plano ISD Budget

April 4, 2011
Filed under News

After severe budget cuts from the state, Plano Independent School District faces a daunting task. With vastly reduced state funding and a growing deficit, students, staff and administration are concerned about what the future holds. While changes are already being made to accommodate this, the district is in a difficult situation.

As the Superintendent of Schools for PISD, Dr. Doug Otto has a unique position in these tough times, overseeing the district’s decision-making process.

“My main role is to make sure we go through a lengthy, thorough process to arrive at reduction decisions,” Otto said. “It’s a little early to know for sure how our district will be affected. We know that we will have a significant shortfall.”

The roots of this budget deficit lie in 2006 when the state cut school property taxes, which are a large portion of public school funding. Following this, the economy began to deteriorate and since then, Texas has experienced a shortfall of $27 billion. PISD faces a projected shortage of about $60 million, depending on how Texas chooses to deal with its deficit. To put the number in perspective, $60 million is equivalent to the combined budgets of nine elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools and one senior high. As a result, campuses across the district as well as the state will face reductions, according to Associate Superintendent for Business Services, Richard Matkin.

“It is a statewide education funding crisis,” Matkin said. “All districts will have a lot less money. Education gets 44% of state dollars, and therefore, education is short an estimated $9 billion for the next two years.”

The scope of this shortfall depends on several variables which the state controls. For instance, the use of the Rainy Day fund, which is essentially backup money that the governor can choose to use in certain situations, is an issue that is being contested among the state’s legislature. Because the district has no way of knowing exactly what the shortfall will be until this summer, they have already taken preemptive measures to soften the blow. School principals have been working with the Board of Trustees to cut costs since January, and Skip Jenkins, President of the Board of Trustees, is thankful that the district has been planning ahead for this transition.

“Plano ISD has managed growth, budget variables, and change for decades and we will weather this budget crisis successfully, but not without some reduction in funding,” Jenkins said. “The district has always managed to flex facilities and maximize capacity to keep class size appropriate and student life at our campuses meaningful. That will not change.”

The district has already indentified about $25 million that will be reduced by the 2011-2012 school year and in the coming months, they aim to increase that number to $35 million. So far, these reductions have included maintenance, custodial, travel, energy, landscaping, paper and air conditioning. However, every area district-wide will experience a decrease in funding.

“All areas are being considered for possible reductions and ways to deliver services and instruction in the most efficient manner while maintaining a standard for excellence,” Jenkins said. “Although we are heavy-hearted about the difficult choices ahead, as a trustee, I know that our colleagues across the state may have fewer options.”

Principal Kathy King recognizes that given the severity of the funding crisis, public education in Texas will end up looking quite different.

“I believe in equity, and all students of Texas should have sufficiently funded education,” King said. “But the funding just isn’t there. The state no longer funds public education like it used to.”

Due to the lack in funding, even the reputable Plano schools will have to struggle to maintain their standing. While the district is determined to make sure these standards are met, with fewer resources and less money, it will be a challenge.

“The major change for PISD to consider is that we have always been a program-rich district,” Jenkins said. “Historically, our district has been about meeting every request and every educational wish of the student and family. That may not be possible any longer.”

King echoes Jenkins’ concerns about the reality of the high standards that Plano schools will be expected to uphold and acknowledges the difficulty of the task with such a significant reduction in money.

“I worry about my staff because I know they want to continue to do exemplary work to benefit the students, but that’s a lot of weight to carry with less support, less resources, and less funding,” King said. “The expectation is exemplary, not adequate. But there’s a real discrepancy between exemplary expectations and less than adequate funding.”

The next two years are crucial in this process, and students should expect to see changes. At West, King advises every member of the Wolf Pack to be more frugal and urges them to follow the money issues to stay informed and aware.

“Expect that next year, we will have to do more with less to meet the expectations, which we understand are high, from our students, our staff, and our community,” King said. “We need to prioritize and spend money effectively and efficiently to ensure student success.”

While PISD continues to decrease their spending, they await the news that holds the unknown number from the state legislature’s decision this summer. Until then, we will be bracing ourselves for the changes we know will come. With this large of a deficit, there are no easy solutions, but students should be aware that the district is working hard to ensure a stable transition.

“I hope we can keep most things the way they are, but it will be tough,” Otto said. “Our state has never faced a deficit of this size. Consequently, our schools are also staring at a scenario that is unprecedented.”