Frequently Asked Question: "How Much Did PowerSchool Cost the District?"
Published: September 7, 2010
Over the last month, I have been asked about the transition to PowerSchool and, specifically, how much it cost to move from SASI to PowerSchool.
First, the following statement was part of a Board presentation in January 2010. It is important in that it gives a short history and reason why we had to move away from SASI:
Since 1997, Visalia Unified has used the School Administrative Student Information (SASI) system. The SASI system provides staff with access to student demographics, attendance, schedules, discipline, and grades. On June 16, 2008, Pearson Education Company announced their “SASI Customer First Program” which granted free licenses to existing SASI customers to move them over to their new PowerSchool Premier program. This is the second of three (3) updates on the transition from SASI Software to the PowerSchool System. The new system will be fully functional in the fall 2010.
We looked into and considered delaying our move from SASI to PowerSchool and/or purchasing another product, a competitor. The cost to purchase PowerSchool for our district would have been $468,000. Pearson waived the fee for PowerSchool since they were in essence forcing a conversion by not continuing to provide support for SASI. In researching other systems, the initial upfront purchase ranged from $500,000 to $750,000.
All products require one-time start-up data conversion and training costs. Some costs are included in the upfront fee and some are not. It really depends on the company, and that is why there is a variation in costs when you purchase a new system. (The $500,000 to $750,000 variation in upfront costs.)
Our cost, total for both training and implementation, at all schools is $177,000. This is a one-time cost, and we chose to fund it out of a Microsoft technology fund rather than use general fund.
The ongoing yearly maintenance fee for PowerSchool is virtually the same. Actually, I think it is a few thousand dollars less than it has been for SASI--$117,000 per year.
So, if the question is how much did it cost to transition, I would say about $177,000 and that we funded it with restricted technology funds. The truth is that if we went with another product or waited a year or so and passed up the Pearson transition offer, it would have cost us about $500,000 to $750,000.
Craig Wheaton, Ed.D.
Superintendent
cwheaton@vusd.org
You're Invited to VUSD's Public Budget Study Session #1
Published: August 11, 2010
Dear Staff, Parents, and Community Members:
As you know, our public schools continue to face difficult times in the midst of the ongoing national and state economic recession. We want to thank all who contributed to our budget planning during the last school year and invite you to our continuing public review of the VUSD fiscal conditions.
The last two years have been very difficult budget years. Our current adopted budget is actually $20 million less than it was this time two years ago! We have continued to keep the impact of budget reductions away from the classroom, services, and programs to students. We are able to do this because of the modest reserve, continued cautious spending practices, and on-going spending reductions. I am very proud of the work that we have accomplished, but we are currently in deficit spending.
Our current estimate is that we need to reduce our spending by $11.4 million by July 1, 2011. That will not be an easy task. Last night, the School Board reviewed and accepted a Budget Reduction Planning Process for the 2011-2012 school year.
The School Board is holding our next Public Budget Study Session this coming Tuesday, August 17, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. in the VUSD Board Room. District staff will present an update of our current fiscal conditions. Staff will also share an overview of the projected target for budget cuts in VUSD for 2011 and the process planned to make those budget reductions. Finally, we want your input on how best to manage the required budget cuts while preserving our commitment to students, staff, and the community.
We expect the meeting to last between one and two hours; but if your schedule only permits you to be there for part of the time, you are still strongly encouraged to attend. Please mark your calendars now, and we hope to see you there!
Craig Wheaton, Ed.D.
Superintendent
cwheaton@vusd.org
2010-2011 Budget Adoption
To view a copy of the 2010-11 Budget Adoption PowerPoint Presentation which was presented to the Board of Education at the regularly scheduled June 22, 2010, Board Meeting, click here.
BOARD CONTINUES NECESSARY BUDGET ACTIONS Last night, the VUSD Board continued reviewing and acting to reduce the VUSD general fund expenses in accordance with our two-year plan to reach a balanced budget. You may recall that we are currently operating in the red. The state has cut VUSD funds by $10M through 2010 and is proposing an additional $5M for 2011. The Board adopted a plan to spread these cuts (now $15M) out over this year and next to ease the impact. We are using a combination of one-time district reserve and one-time federal stimulus to cover our red ink while we gradually make the cuts in ongoing expenses. Last night, the Board reviewed a list of several state categorical programs (Tier III flexible) that have now been changed by the state to be used for general fund deficits. This was a first reading of proposed changes to these categorically funded programs for 2010 that would allow VUSD to capture some of these categorical funds as part of the plan to balance the general fund. The list includes programs like GATE, Cal-Safe, summer school, extended day, textbooks, ROP/ROC, SIP, 10th grade counseling, medical reimbursement services, PAR, Arts & Music Block Grant, adult education… All of these funds will be under constant review throughout the 2010 and 2011 budget years. We must determine how much of these program funds are needed, in combination with other district cuts and savings, to balance our general fund. The first actions were taken last night to begin to restructure programs and try to still provide some level of service while cutting costs. Among the most frustrating things for local school boards is that the state originally set up these program funds with all the strings attached. This was a result of pressures from various interest groups to have restricted money funnel into their programs. For decades, local school boards have asked not to set up all of these special programs but rather provide districts more general fund money and allow local boards to decide the best programs for their schools. Now that the state is broke, they are removing the strings from all these funds but not mandating elimination of the programs. Instead, they have shifted the fight to local communities by saying, “If school boards need to use this money to fill their general fund cuts then they can decide which programs to cut if they need these funds to help balance their budget.” Not very fun . . . Stan A. Carrizosa You will recall that our Board adopted a two-year budget reduction plan in response to the $10M cut by the state in our school funding. The Board took action in December to implement $5.5M in general fund budget cuts for VUSD effective July 1, 2010. We are now going through the process of taking the required Board actions to implement these cuts. At our Board meeting last night, the Board adopted resolutions authorizing the elimination of administrative, management, and classified employee positions. They also took action on the annual release of all “temporary” certificated employees effective June 30, 2010. Any non-re-elections or pre-cautionary layoff notices for certificated staff will be presented for Board action at their regular meeting on March 9, 2010. Additional personnel actions will continue on the Board agendas through the spring as we continue the process of implementing the cuts by the state. Stan A. Carrizosa
Published: March 10, 2010
Superintendent
Visalia Unified School District
scarrizosa@vusd.org
Board Actions That Follow Budget Cuts
Published: February 24, 2010
Superintendent
Visalia Unified School District
scarrizosa@vusd.org
Remind Me About Restricted Funds One More Time!
As we shared earlier, we receive restricted funds from the federal and state government that, even as we cut the general fund, can only be used for specific purposes. A couple of examples are as follows:
Visalia Charter Independent Study (VCIS) is in the process of moving from their current location on Murray Avenue to a different site near Mooney Boulevard. Rather than pouring money into an annual lease, as is the case now, they used their reserve as a down payment to purchase their new property. They will also use their annual revenue, generated by their student ADA, to pay their annual mortgage. The new facility will allow them to grow and accommodate students currently on their waiting list and, consequently, generate more revenue. This will have no impact on our district general fund.
A second example is our plan for federal stimulus funds. Most of this money is earmarked this year and next year to help cover our current general fund red ink while we complete our cuts in ongoing revenues to balance our budget. Because we have to spend this money in this limited period of time, we are also investing in improving district sprinkler and air conditioning systems. Both of these projects will improve our cost efficiencies in the use of water, indoor air quality, and electricity, producing future ongoing savings to our general fund. These projects have been planned and will get underway this summer.
Stan A. Carrizosa
Superintendent
Visalia Unified School District
scarrizosa@vusd.org
VUSD Board to Adopt Budget Reductions for 2010
Published: December 7, 2009
The VUSD staff and school board have been gathering input and preparing for budget cuts for the past several months. Due to a state cut of $10M to VUSD’s general fund, severe reductions will have to be made. The board has outlined a two-year budget reduction plan that will cut $5.5M on July 1, 2010, and another $4.5M on July 1, 2011.
District and site administration have targeted a 3% reduction in general-fund revenue across the board to capture the first $5.5M. Meetings have been held to gather input from teachers, site staff, principals, and district administrators. In addition, the school board held four Public Budget Study Sessions for parent and community input. These study sessions started back in May of last spring and concluded this fall in October. Hundreds of comments and ideas have been submitted, and staff have been working to draft a proposal for board action.
The school board will hold their regularly scheduled meeting tomorrow (Tuesday, December 8th) at the Visalia Convention Center in the Charter Oak Ballroom (A, B & E). The facilities there allow for better seating and parking for larger audiences. This meeting is set for 7:00 p.m. The board will hear the second public reading of a presentation from district staff on proposed budget reductions and then take public comment. Board policy allows for speakers to address the board for no more than three minutes per person. The board will discuss the proposal and take action tomorrow night so that all mandated due process steps can begin in January 2010. Proposed budget cuts will be fully implemented effective July 1, 2010. If you would like to view the meeting, we will be webcasting on our VUSD website.
Click here to view Board Meeting Agenda for 12/8/2009.
Stan A. Carrizosa
Superintendent
Visalia Unified School District
scarrizosa@vusd.org
Board Meeting Highlights - November 10, 2009
Published: November 13, 2009
On Tuesday, November 10, 2009, the VUSD Board heard the first public reading of a proposal to balance the district general fund budget. The district has a two-year plan to cut $10M between now and July 1, 2011. The first $5.5M of that was proposed Tuesday night to be cut on July 1, 2010.
The meeting was held at the Visalia Convention Center, and an estimated 175 people attended. District staff presented a PowerPoint presentation outline of an estimated $5.7M in cuts. The proposal was the result of an input-gathering process throughout the district in which all staff were asked to offer ideas to cut 3% across the board. All grade levels and departments were included in the process and are affected by the proposal. The highest percentage of cuts from changes in staffing come from administrative/management positions. For more details from the PowerPoint, scroll down to additional news items on this page. The second and final reading for Board action will take place at the regularly scheduled meeting of December 8, 2009, at the Visalia Convention Center.
Scroll down to the "Related Files" section of this page to view PowerPoint Presentation Outline.
Stan A. Carrizosa
Superintendent
Visalia Unified School District
scarrizosa@vusd.org
VUSD Board to Adopt Budget Reductions for 2010
Published: November 3, 2009
The VUSD staff and school board have been gathering input and preparing for budget cuts for the past several months. Due to a state cut of $10M to VUSD’s general fund, severe reductions will have to be made. The board has outlined a two-year budget reduction plan that will cut $5.5M on July 1, 2010, and another $4.5M on July 1, 2011. District and site administration have targeted a 3% reduction in general-fund revenue across the board to capture the first $5.5M. Meetings have been held to gather input from teachers, site staff, principals, and district administrators. In addition, the school board held four Public Budget Study Sessions for parent and community input. These study sessions started back in May of last spring and concluded this fall in October. Hundreds of comments and ideas have been submitted, and staff have been working to draft a proposal for board action. The school board will hold their next two meetings at the Visalia Convention Center. The conference room there allows for better seating and parking for larger audiences. The next meeting is set for Tuesday, November 10, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. The board will hear a presentation from district staff on proposed budget reductions and then take public comment. Board policy allows for speakers to address the board for no more than three minutes per person. The board will discuss the proposal but not take action until their next regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, December 8, 2009. This meeting will also be held at the Visalia Convention Center and will allow for public comment. As difficult as the budget reductions will be, the board will take action at the December meeting approving cuts to be implemented effective July 1, 2010. Stan A. Carrizosa
Superintendent
Visalia Unified School District
scarrizosa@vusd.org
Stimulus Funding Planning Update At the October 13, 2009, Board Meeting, we shared our planning process for use of federal stimulus funds. We are eligible for the ONE-TIME funds in our specific areas. To date, VUSD has not received all of the funds and has not spent much of it but an outline for each is provided: 1. Stabilization Funds: By federal formula, we are eligible for and have received $10,163,353 in ONE-TIME funds. These monies must be spent to backfill for state-budget cuts and improve facilities and system efficiencies for future savings. We are holding most of these funds to cover our red ink in this year’s budget as we prepare for the first round of cuts to our ongoing general fund for next year. We have used some of this funding to pay off the employee retirement incentive offered last year and to cover increased health premium costs for all employees in 2009-10. By offering last year’s early retirement, we saved 45 FTE in this year’s budget. We are also using some of this funding to cover red ink from cuts to state grants such as CTE, school safety, and gang intervention services.We are researching the costs for one-time facilities improvements that will create ongoing cost savings, including technology improvements, automated irrigation systems, solar panels for high-energy uses, management systems for AC & heat, artificial field surfaces for safety and longevity, equipment and automation to support staff reductions, and additional possible modernization projects. To date, we have upgraded the VUSD website and TeleParent messaging system for improved staff and parent education and communication. 2. Title I Funds: By federal formula, we are eligible for $5,390,058 in ONE-TIME funds and have received about half. These monies must be spent in accordance with current Title I regulations focusing on improving student achievement. We are allocating each eligible school their share of Title I funds to be spent in accordance with their school site plans. These school site plans must be approved by their SSC. Districtwide, we are focusing these funds on quality staff development in curriculum, positive discipline, and learning engagement strategies. We are also funding student interventions and instructional coaching support and staffing. We are funding middle school intervention/after-school programs. 3. Special Education Funds: Currently, we have been notified by TCOE that we are eligible for an estimated $2.3M in ONE-TIME funds. These monies must be spent in accordance with current special education regulations focusing on improving student achievement. We have conducted a thorough program review by an outside auditor of our total Special Education program. Preliminary findings have been shared with district administration, and the written document will be arriving soon. This will serve as a master plan to restructure special education services throughout the district for improved efficiency and delivery of services to students, staff, and parents. To date, we have hired four additional special education interns in an effort to improve instructional support to students and teacher training for staff. 4. Food Services Equipment: We are eligible for equipment replacement funding and will use the approximately $189K of ONE-TIME funds specifically for that purpose. VUSD Budget Planning - Frequently Asked Questions In these tough budget times, how are we able to continue to fund staff development and employee training? This is another case where restricted funds from the state and federal government can be used only for these purposes. Federal funds include Title I, Title II (staff development), and some of the one-time federal stimulus funds. While we are getting cut in our general fund, we have to spend these monies for these specific purposes. These two areas are part of our district-wide focus to improve student achievement and are appropriate expenditures for our restricted funds. Engagement strategies (Kagan) meet the needs of all learners in all grades and academic levels, including ELD and Special Education. We are committed to this effort, and it will take a couple years to complete all the training and support opportunities for a district our size. To date, over 1,000 teachers and all site administrators from 29 schools have been involved in some level of training. We are bringing the trainers to our district to avoid travel costs, and it is costing about $100 per participant for each session. Stan A. Carrizosa
Published: October 14, 2009
We have been having a lot of training in "learning engagement" strategies and "English language development." How much is all of this costing our district?
English learners are one of our most challenging student sub-groups, and we are concentrating our support for teachers in this area. This training (Cheryl Caldera) is also being provided in our district to avoid travel costs. To date, 325 teachers and site administrators from 13 elementary schools have been served by this ELD training and our costs total about $92 per participant.
Superintendent
scarrizosa@vusd.org
VUSD Invites Public to Budget Study Session #3
Published: October 12, 2009
As you have so often heard by now, the state has cut our district general fund by $10M this year. We are currently operating in the red but have established a two-year plan to address these budget cuts. We will use a combination of VUSD reserve funds and one-time federal stimulus funds to soften the landing over a two-year period and cover our deficit until we successfully reduce our general fund expenses. Our plan calls for us to cut 3% across the board by July 1, 2010. This will total approximately $5.5M in general fund cuts. VUSD staff has been engaged in a process to gather input that will inform the School Board of staff recommendations on this first round of budget cuts for July 1, 2010. Additionally, our plan calls for a second round of cuts of approximately $4.5M in general fund expenses by July 1, 2011. We may be forced to adjust our year-two target if we get mid-year or any further cuts from the state.
Meetings are currently underway in all district departments and all school levels. District administrators and site principals are gathering input from staff and will be forming recommendations to be brought to the School Board in November and December. VUSD is also holding public Budget Study Sessions to inform the public of district processes, update our community, and gather public input. The third and final public Budget Study Session is scheduled for Tuesday, October 20, 2009, at 6:00 p.m. in the VUSD Board Room. We encourage your involvement and input!
Stan A. Carrizosa
Superintendent
Visalia Unified School District
scarrizosa@vusd.org
District Plans for Staff Development
Published: October 5, 2009
VUSD has been striving to continue our plan for teacher staff development and employee training despite the current crunch in the general fund budget. We want to make a couple of important clarifications and distinctions. We have a freeze on district-paid travel and conference, because the “paying expenses per-person” approach is one of the most costly formats for training. Instead, we have been aggressive in trying to use the expertise of our district staff and also bring professional trainers here to Visalia. This allows staff to attend afternoon, half-day and full-day sessions in larger groups without the cost of overnight travel. This includes inviting our own teachers to present best practices in important instructional areas. The benefits are more than cost savings, because we get to collaborate with our colleagues from our site and across the district and build our own capacity. We still fund these trainings with dollars that are restricted specifically for staff development. These funds are different than the state budget cut in our general fund. They do, however, allow us to offer teachers and staff continued training support through these difficult budget times.
Stan A. Carrizosa
Superintendent
scarrizosa@vusd.org
Frequently Asked Questions - VUSD Budget - September 24, 2009
- How much did the state cut in VUSD funding this year?
The current state budget cut VUSD’s General Fund by $10M in 2009-10. - Is VUSD running in the red now?
Yes, because we are receiving $10M less in General Fund than we did last year and must start to reduce our General Fund expenses to balance our budget. - Do we have a plan to manage this funding cut?
Yes, our Board has adopted a two-year plan to cut $10M. We will use one-time district reserve funds and one-time federal stimulus funds to cover our red ink over this year and next as we work to reduce cuts to our General Fund expenses by $10M over two years. - What is our budget cut target for 2010?
We are currently gathering input from throughout the district to propose cuts of 3% across the board or $5.5M to be implemented July 1, 2010. This will reduce approximately half of our red ink. We will use one-time reserve and stimulus again in 2010 to cover our deficit. During 2010, we will repeat the budget reduction process and propose cuts of an additional $4.5M to be implemented July 1, 2011. We may need to cut even more if the state budget continues to worsen and more cuts are made to public schools.
Stan A. Carrizosa
Superintendent
scarrizosa@vusd.org
Frequently Asked Questions - VUSD Budget - September 23, 2009
- Did the VUSD salary freeze apply to all employees this year?
Yes, the Board took action in late spring to freeze all management (including the superintendent) salaries and through contract negotiations ratified a salary freeze for all other district employees this year. - How are we buying the Social Security Building when our budget is being cut by the state?
VUSD was one of many public agencies eligible to apply for this low-cost building three years ago. The money was set aside at that time from our Restricted Facilities Fund and the Board took action to try and compete for this public facility. We now have an additional asset and facility to serve the needs of students, staff, and parents. - Why are we proposing to open a new charter school (Visalia Technical Education Center Charter – VTEC) during these difficult budget times?
Our VUSD Board has always been supportive of career technical education and more educational options for our diverse students. The Board directed staff to develop a charter school proposal as a way of securing more state funding (charter revenues) to serve our kids. This charter school proposal is developed to be self-supporting through special state grants for charter school start-up, facilities, and student enrollment.
Stan A. Carrizosa
Superintendent
scarrizosa@vusd.org
VUSD Budget Information
Published: September 23, 2009
The staff of Visalia Unified School District is engaged in input gathering to inform the recommendations that will be made to the School Board for budget cuts in 2010. A series of site level, district level, and public meetings are being held to inform all parties of the budget facts and gather feedback and input. The sequence of slides below contain facts and information that are being consistently shared throughout our school community as part of this process. The “Budget News” link on this website will have ongoing and up-to-date budget information throughout this school year. To view the slides below in a PDF file, scroll to the bottom of this web page and click on 2009-10 Budget Information File.
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Public Budget Study Session
Published: September 21, 2009
The state has cut our district general fund by $10M this year. We are currently operating in the red but have established a two-year plan to address these budget cuts. We will use a combination of VUSD reserve funds and one-time federal stimulus funds to soften the landing over a two-year period and cover our deficit until we successfully reduce our general fund expenses. Our plan calls for us to cut 3% across the board by July 1, 2010. This will total approximately $5.5M in general fund cuts. VUSD staff has been engaged in a process to gather input that will inform the School Board of staff recommendations on this first round of budget cuts for July 1, 2010. Additionally, our plan calls for a second round of cuts of approximately $4.5M in general fund expenses by July 1, 2011. We may be forced to adjust our year-two target if we get mid-year or any further cuts from the state.
Meetings are currently underway in all district departments and all school levels. District administrators and site principals are gathering input from staff and will be forming recommendations to be brought to the School Board in November and December. VUSD is also holding public Budget Study Sessions to inform the public of district processes, update our community, and gather public input. The next public Budget Study Session is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, 2009, at 6:00 p.m. in the VUSD Board Room. We encourage your involvement and input!
Stan A. Carrizosa
Superintendent
Visalia Unified School District
scarrizosa@vusd.org
Balanced Budget Proposal - November 10, 2009
(pdf file - 559kb)
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- 2010-11 VUSD Budget Adoption PowerPoint Presenation - 2010-06-22
- VUSD Annual Budget Summary 2009-10
- Association of California School Administrators
- California Legislative Analyst's Office
- California School Board Association
- California Teachers Association
- National School Board Association
