The Education Budget: An Analysis

A recently published table showed that town education costs had grown by 71.3 percent between 2000-2010 and 2010-11. The table adds no context, overstates growth and implies that today’s costs are growing faster than is the reality. 

The presentation did not note that the 10-year analysis period spans three distinct growth eras. Enrollment surged during the 1990s until the early years of this decade, slowed toward the middle, and now appears to be declining, according education statistics.

School population grew from 4,858 students to 6,327 between 1991 and 2001.  Over the next five years 623 new students enrolled, while over the second half of this decade only 73 entered. The budget under discussion forecasts 7,023 students in the fall, a 44.6 percent increase over 20 years.

Broken down, this was 30.2 percent growth during the 1990s, followed by 9.9 percent during the first half of this decade, tapering to 1.1 percent over the last five years.

The surge necessitated a sizable capital investment in facilities. Every building was expanded or renovated in 2000. , the biggest elementary school in the system, was opened in 2003, and all Pre-Kindergarten services were consolidated into a single facility – - in 2005. And now, as the end of 1990s growth reaches high school, is being updated and expanded.

Adding these facilities played a major role in pushing up costs by 38.1 percent between 2001 and 2006. Much of this was one time costs required to fit out the new space, buy furniture, hire teachers and administrators and provide text books, computers and software, library books and day-to-day supplies. Since then the rise has been only 16.8 percent, slightly more than inflation. 

Also during the past five years, system wide enrollment declined twice, and elementary enrollment is smaller now than it was five years ago. Trumbull may be looking ahead to another era of shrinking enrollment.

Viewing the budget as a whole, administrators have minimal day-to-day flexibility because almost 95 percent of the school’s expenses are necessary items purchased under contracts.

Personnel costs comprise about 85 percent of the total budget. Most all employees are bargaining unit members. The largest is teachers and accounts for half the system’s costs. Teachers will begin working under a new three year contract that starts with no salary or step increases for the upcoming year. Their contract has become the benchmark for other groups.

Teachers’ salaries have averaged four percent growth since mid-decade, a bit more than inflation. While some taxpayers have noted that their salaries are “high,” the average teacher receives $78,000 – as a part of a 100 percent-college educated work force, most with Masters degrees and an average of 15 years experience in our system. 

Senior teachers earn more, but these are the ones who began 30 years ago at $15,000.

Keeping the doors open requires purchases of bus and phone service, fuel oil and gas, electricity and a long list of other items. Energy costs declined by 26.2 percent by instituting the use of cost capping contracts. Bigger savings may be available once capital improvements such as replacing single pane windows and weatherizing buildings can be performed.

The district will enter into a new bus contract this fall under which the service provider becomes responsible for fuel cost increases. This contract raises the cost 4.3 percent from this year. Given what is happening to fuel costs, that should accrue to Trumbull’s benefit. 

The items over which the administration has the greatest day-to-day discretion are those our students use in their classrooms. Textbooks and classroom supplies were eliminated from this year’s budget. Many computers are over five years old, no school offers a wireless network throughout and there are fewer custodians in buildings than there were before the 90,000 square-foot Frenchtown school was added. The list of maintenance tasks grows longer rather than shorter.

And as budget discussions continue, all non-tenured teachers have been officially notified that their positions are in jeopardy, secretarial head count is under review, and even custodial headcount may decline again. 

Energy costs are being brought down by the conversion of the schools’ buildings from oil to dual fuel so the less costly natural gas can be used. Purchases of both fuels are made under agreements that cap district costs.

The effort is paying off, as next year’s energy costs are budgeted at 15.3 percent below this year’s. The conversion program continues.

Yet every year the district is required to fund more and more state and federal mandates: No Child Left Behind, special education and a long list of others.  

The district continues its non-mandated commitment to provide every non-special education at risk elementary school student with intervention services to help him or her view school more positively, learn more, perform better and so realize greater opportunities in life. At the same time, intervening early saves the district money in the long run.

Meanwhile, the budget continues under pressure. Restrictions in recent years have impacted the discretionary five percent that funds classroom computers, software, textbooks and supplies, positions have been pared and maintenance has gone undone.

Looking ahead, the worst case scenario plays out if budget increases fall below the rate of growth of mandated costs over a period of years, as this could negatively affect the general education program.

The preceding does not necessarily represent the views of Trumbull Patch.

Roy Fuchs enjoyed a long business career in a variety of industries, from IT to paper manufacturing to commercial banking to management roles in three Internet start ups.  

He was active in Westport, as an elected member of its Board of Finance, an appointed member to school and teen related committees and a member of the South Western Regional Planning Agency.