Board Budget Lessons Continue

Two-thirds of the Hartford Board of Education showed up for a “Committee of the Whole Meeting” this past week, assuming we count Member A.J. Johnson, who signed in near the end of the meeting by mobile, but assured everyone he was entirely engaged while listening to the meeting during karate class.

The meeting consisted of further discussion and updates on the district’s 2023-2024 budget.  What did we learn from this discussion?

• With mitigation and applying COVID relief funds for budget relief ($9.2 million), the previously expected $24 million dollar deficit for 2023-24 could be slashed by $22 million.  During the Board’s January 17th Regular Meeting, a budget presentation revealed that every year since the 2015-16 school year, HPS has had to employ budget mitigation efforts of over $20 million each year, except for the COVID year of 2019-20, in order to balance the budget.  Poor state funding is the lead culprit when explanations for the continuous over-budgeting are given.

• For this year school year (2022-2023), HPS is saving $8.6 million due to the high level of vacant positions, certified (238) and non-certified (209).  Thus, going forward, the fewer teachers Adams & Knight are able to recruit with their Twitter posts and Indeed ads, means a savings for HPS.  Hartford’s plan going forward is to eliminate 35 or more, certified and non-certified vacant positions.

• Hartford welcomed 500 fewer students from the suburbs than they had planned for during this school year, which means a loss of $6.7 million.  Hartford’s enrollment numbers have dropped, on average, nearly 700 students a year for the last 7 years (“Are the Policies of Hartford’s School Superintendent Driving Students Away from Hartford?”).  Are they overestimating, year after year, the number of suburban kids who will come to Hartford?  Going forward, if the Connecticut Legislature plays ball and has the state pick up district tuition costs, Hartford may not be seeing this money any longer, beginning in 2025.

• The Superintendent stated that CREC increased the cost of Hartford students attending their schools this school year by $900 (increases another $800 in 2023-24), and 300 more Hartford students opted for CREC schools than what was budgeted for, an increase of $270,000.  HPS has paid nearly that amount to Adams & Knight to find teachers!  Legislators are reading bills as we speak, which will eliminate most or all of this cost beginning in 2025.

• HPS paid $22 million for student transportation in 2022-23, and for next year it is expected to increase to $27 million.  The main driver of this cost is for transportation of special education students. Legislators are reading bills as we speak, which will eliminate most or all of the special education portion beginning in 2025.

• In 2023-24 there is expected to be a $1.4 million increase in “instructional supplies,” which Chief Financial Officer Phillip Penn states is due mainly to a new K-5 math curriculum from 2021, and a new math curriculum for grades 6-8, and a new K-12 literacy curriculum (a cost that has been reduced by $2 million).   And yet, HPS is still without an elementary school world languages curriculum.

• The new Esports lab at University High will play a role in a $1.2 million dollar increase in “Internet, Printing and Marketing” expenses.  What Chief Penn didn’t mention, is that there are 2 additional Esports labs headed for an “Aye” vote at this month’s Regular Meeting, which have yet to be factored into this expense item…unless Chief Penn has safely assumed the “Aye” vote, and therefore he has them factored in despite not yet being approved.  Due to the health issues associated with Esports, if these 3 programs are eliminated, it would save the district $280k today, while preventing brain damage in students tomorrow.

• Next school year’s projected expenses, $431.4 million, are at a level not reached in the last 6 years.  A level attained by the spending of fresh, nice smelling Benjamins printed by the federal government for COVID relief.  Also, this expenditure number has increased by $9 million from the $422.7 million number given at the January 17th budget presentation.

• Out of 400 certified and non-certified positions which are currently vacant, the district will eliminate 35 vacant teaching positions.

• For 2023-24, HPS has determined that there has been $3 million in expenses within Central Office that is easily eliminated, including personnel positions (assistants and assistants to the assistants) and non-personnel items (conferences, trips, Chinese takeout, etc.).

• A new state Tuition Offset Grant, for districts within the Sheff region, will save the district $3million in tuition costs next year, an assumptive estimate that Chief Penn is comfortable with.

• Providing in-district support services for special education students rather than sending them out of district, even with additional support staff brought on, would save the district roughly $50,000 per student.  In 2021-22, Hartford outplaced 338 students for a cost of $82,554 each.  However, HPS has had in-district servicing issues with special education students before this year, which this letter in 2022 makes clear.

• In 2021-22, HPS spent $156 million on special education costs.  HPS receives $60.9 million in special education aid, leaving a $95 million gap in what they spend on special education, and what they receive in aid for special education.

• There are about 200 folks on the HPS payroll who are being paid through ESSER funds (COVID relief money), totaling $25 million.  These funds will be no more after September 2024.  Chief Penn stated that HPS had been “cautious” in using ESSER funds for hiring staff.

• Superintendent Torres-Rodriguez advises “caution” in using COVID funds to cut the budget deficit for 2 reasons: (1) The funds must be used for their intended purpose, and it may be “problematic from a compliance standpoint” to use those funds for deficit mitigation.  (2) Using the funds to cut deficits and normal expenses only “steepens the fiscal cliff” in later years when no COVID money is available.

• Superintendent Torres-Rodriguez states that a late approval of the district’s budget, in March rather than February, will not affect HPS’ ability to enter the teacher hiring market in the spring: “We can still stay competitive in the market.”  With over 200 certified positions still vacant, and teachers being brought to Hartford from Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, it’s a stretch to have ever considered HPS as a “competitor” in the hiring market.

• Board Member Browdy stated that there are parents, who are members of a HPS School Governance Council (SGC), and who are stating that they are being left out of the budget process.  The Superintendent stated that the district has been very “explicit” in sharing information, and like KC Chiefs Coach Reid, she’s going to get to the bottom of this.

• Board Member Walker stated that the budget ought to be shared in outside meetings with the public.  Keep watch for another public forum so that the public is better informed on the final budget.

• It is hoped that the final budget can be presented to the Board during the February 21 Regular Meeting for approval.