Frequently Asked Questions
Considerations being given to the closure of Lincoln Elementary school
In order to communicate with the community in a more effective manner, a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document was created. This FAQ addresses the many questions circulating about in the community regarding the consideration the Board is giving to the closure of Lincoln Elementary.
Question:
We have heard rumors and there have been several articles in the Fairfield Ledger that the Board is considering closing Lincoln Elementary School. Is this true?
Yes, the option is being considered. The Board’s Finance Committee met on Friday, January 15th. This was a recommendation that was brought before this committee and discussed. The committee felt there was enough merit to the suggestion that it should proceed on to the board workshop already scheduled for Monday, January 18th in order that the full board could discuss the recommendation.
Question:
Why was the closure of an elementary building brought to the Finance Committee (1/15/2010) and then later to the full Board (1/18/2010)?
The recommendation came from the superintendent and administrative team. Public school finances have been a discussion at every board meeting. This has also been a major concern of the Iowa Legislature and Governor Culver as the State of Iowa also grapples with some of the same difficulties. In the State of Iowa, approximately 65% of the state’s budget is spent for K-12 public schools and higher education. Approximately 80% of the Fairfield Community School District budget is spent on personnel.
One of the solutions to the current finance crunch for school districts is to not just look at next year’s budget but to look forward three or four years. When projecting our budget for FCSD forward, we see financial difficulties in 2012-2013 and 2013-14 school years. These fiscal years are predicted to end with a
- $735,921 and a -$2,416,505 unspent authorized budget. The District must be proactive in taking action now in order to avoid seeing this scenario become reality.
The District’s leadership has taken steps to contain expenses. Last year the District contained expenses of just under $500,000 for the current fiscal year. Among other items, this includes operating Fairfield Community School District with 7 ¼ less certified teachers than the previous year. Most of this reduction balanced our staff to match a declining enrollment (other schools in S.E. Iowa also are seeing the enrollment decline). The items on last year’s list are repeatable savings, meaning that we save $500,000 this year, and again next year, and each future year. However this cumulative savings is already figured into our prediction. It has helped but as one can see, it was not a solution. The administrative team has proposed a salary freeze on administrative salaries for 2010-2011. The Board of Directors accepted the recommendation and also went on to support the superintendent’s and business manager’s recommendation that the Board also freeze support staff salaries for 2010-2011. The licensed staff salary for next year is controlled by a master contract and must be negotiated.
The closure of a single section elementary building is estimated to save over $300,000 a year. By the 2012-2013 school year with a closure occurring in 2010-2011, the deficit of -$735,921 would become a positive number of $164,079. It does not solve the problem though as the 2011-2012 school year would still be in the red at -$1,216,505. Even if a single section school building is closed, more cost containment must be done by district leadership prior to the 2011-2012 school year to avert a financial crisis.
Question:
What are the Options Instead of Closing an Elementary Building?
It would be handy if making all the financial decisions for the district were as easy as going through a cafeteria serving line and selecting different items at one time for lunch. The administrative team is bringing to the board cost containment ideas as they can be developed. Events outside the control of the district such as Governor Culver passing his recommended budget to the Legislature on the last legal day, January 31st, and the probability that the Legislature will not establish a budget until the last day of their legislative session further complicate our process. Other examples include that the Board will not be able to accept the retirements of staff members under early retirement incentive policies until the April 2010 board meeting and thus any long term savings in these positions will not be known for sure until then. Although this attrition of staff and subsequent reorganization might result in more efficient use of this resource, this will occur towards the end of the fiscal year. The administrative team is trying to look at all options and bring those with merit to the board of directors for their attention. It is probably not realistic or practical that a smorgasbord of possible reductions can be laid out and then all reductions for the next four years be selected at one time. Some reduction actions need more time to be put into place. In addition, there are many items still ongoing that will impact education funding such as state income tax revenues and sales tax revenues. It is still possible that additional revenue funding cuts will be coming down from either the state or federal government. If this were to happen, our prediction model would have to include these reduced revenue figures which in turn would increase the projected deficit. If the Board wishes to retain local control, they must be proactive in dealing with our projected deficits.
Question:
It sounds like the decision to close a single grade elementary building has already been made. Is this true?
No, this is not the true. January 15th is when the board finance committee first heard this suggestion. They felt it was an option worth full board consideration. The full board first heard the suggestion for the first time on January 18that a board work session. The board will have further discussion of the issue on a work session scheduled for Monday, January 25th. As superintendent, I am expecting the Board to set times for public and staff input at their February 8th regular board meeting if they desire to continue to consider the possibility of closure of a single section elementary building. I would also expect the Board to request that the subject be presented again at the February 8th Board meeting in order to have a public setting that is carried by FPAC, a station carried over cable on the local TV, and a meeting that media (such as the Fairfield Ledger) regularly covers.
Question:
I know all the staff heard about the possibility of a closure on Friday, January 15th. How did they learn of it, yet the public was left in the dark?
The administrative team felt that if the Finance Committee wanted to refer the item on to the full board work session, that building principals should let the district’s staff know that it was discussed and was being referred on to the Board. Meetings were scheduled in all buildings for after school Friday, January 15th, to notify staff that it was discussed that morning by the Finance Committee and would be referred to the full board. Members of the Finance Committee also felt this was the proper way to proceed. In this way, the teachers and support staff heard first hand that it was being considered and not from rumors or second hand through the media. At this point, all individuals of the board of directors were not aware of the suggestion any more than the general public. They were brought up-to-date at the work session on Monday, January 18th.
Question:
If the above is true, how did the local newspaper cover the story in the Monday afternoon edition of January 18th?
I don’t know if I can answer this question. It could be that they picked up the story from staff members that attended the informational meetings after school on Friday, January 15th. The article did not have a ‘by-line’ or author listed as most articles would have. The Fairfield Ledger can best answer that question.
Question:
Why is Lincoln Elementary being heard as the single section building being closed over Libertyville Elementary?
The administrative team did a comparison between the two buildings and does feel that it makes more sense to keep Libertyville Elementary open. There were many reasons for this but some of the main considerations were that an area career academy is being considered and that Lincoln Elementary, being on the edge of the older industrial section of Fairfield and yet close to Fairfield High could be ‘recycled’ for this use. In addition, the home school assistance program could move to Lincoln at some time in the future if it has to move from the warehouse behind the high school. It might also provide the opportunity to be used for an expanded Opportunity Center, the district’s alternative education program as the district works to ensure that all of our students can receive a high school diploma. These are some of the reasons discussed. The members of the board in attendance at the Finance Committee meeting did not disagree with the logic and felt that the staff and public needed to be aware that Lincoln Elementary was being considered for possible closure over Libertyville. I am sure this will be discussed in greater detail during some of the meetings that will occur for public and staff input and at informational meetings.
Question:
Does the Board of Directors of Fairfield Community School District have the authority to close an attendance center without a vote of the public?
Yes, Iowa Code gives the elected board of directors this authority. At the same time, the Board has transparency as one of the goals. This is why the Board will be setting up times and methods to collect input from the public and staff on this issue. I believe the Board will want to establish the times and input methods at their regularly scheduled February board meeting, February 8th, at 7:00 p.m. in the High School Commons.
In addition, board members are elected to represent the general public in this capacity.
Question:
Are the work sessions of the Board of Directors open to the public and can we attend and give input then?
Work sessions of the Board are open to the public but they are for the board members to discuss and work on issues among themselves.
Public input may be given at the February 8, 2010 meeting of the Board but as discussed earlier, the Board will be establishing set times and methods that the public and staff can have the full and undivided attention of the board too. Anyone wishing to address the board during one of the regular board meetings just needs to fill out a form and give it to the board president prior to the start of the meeting.
Question:
Where would the students go if Lincoln closed as a K-5 attendance center?
The administrative recommendation is that Pence Elementary would become a K-4 attendance center comprised of three sections of each grade of Kindergarten through fourth grade. Washington would house one Pre-Kindergarten section and two sections of each grade K-4. Libertyville Elementary would house K-4. The classroom of PK at Roosevelt Recreation Center would remain at that site. Fairfield Middle School would continue to house sixth, seventh, and eighth grade but would also become the attendance center for all fifth grade classes, making it a 5-8 middle school.
Question:
Are there other middle schools operating with four grades levels of fifth through eighth?
Yes, below is a list of schools operating as 5 through 8 middle schools.
Schools who currently Function under a 5-8 or similar setting.
13 of 385 middle schools in the state that we are aware of.
Independence
Center Point Urbana
Decorah
Audubon
LaSalle MS CR
Mount Vernon
West Delaware
Monticello
Camanche
Shenandoah
Alta
Question:
Won’t this be too many students for Fairfield Middle School?
In the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 school years, 501 students attended sixth, seventh, and eighth grades at Fairfield Middle School. Projected enrollment with fifth grade being added to Fairfield Middle School is as follows:
| Projected Enrollment | |||
| Year | FMS Attendance (Grades 6 - 8) |
5th Grade | Total |
| 10-11 | 386 | 114 | 500 |
| 11-12 | 375 | 116 | 491 |
| 12-13 | 361 | 125 | 486 |
| 13-14 | 350 | 122 | 472 |
| 14-15 | 358 | 107 | 465 |
In addition to having the free classrooms, the student enrollment numbers appear to support this possibility.
Question:
Is it wise to mix fifth grades with the older children, especially grade eight?
It is possible to have a separate bus drop off and pick up point as well as a separate entrance for the fifth graders at Fairfield Middle School. The administrative team has also looked at specials, such as physical education, music, art, and adequate room for lunch, etc. when reviewing the possibility of having fifth grade at Fairfield Middle School. There is adequate space to continue these programs. It is possible for fifth grade students to have their own ‘after lunch recess areas’ as well as being separated from grades 6-8 for lunch. These additional details will be explained and input sought as the board establishes the meetings for this purpose as discussed earlier.
Question:
I want to know all of the details right now, such as where my child who attends Lincoln will be placed, what teacher my child will have, their bus pick up time, etc. Are these details available?
Not at this time. The administrative team did pull together a lot of data and did a lot of discussing prior to taking the suggestion to the Board’s Finance Committee. We did not go into this level of detail. The administrative team is continuing to pull together information requested by board members or additional information needed to continue to ‘drill deeper’ into the issue.
Question:
So the closure of Lincoln Elementary and moving all fifth graders to Fairfield Middle School is just a matter of saving money?
No. The discussion started when administrators were reviewing space allocations and realized there was unused space at Fairfield Middle School and that it might be possible to move all our fifth graders to this site. At this point in the research and discussion, the administrative team focused the discussion on students and staff. Was there adequate room, not just for the classrooms, but also for the specials? Could separation be provided for the fifth graders during entering and exiting, bus pickups, lunch, physical education/recess, and specials? Only when this was complete and seemed feasible did the administrative team return to the dollars to look at possible savings. The administrative team did develop a list of pros and cons during their discussion that will be shared with the public as this discussion goes forward.
Question:
Are there plans for other cost reductions for the district in the future?
We continue to look for ways to reduce costs, especially ways to accomplish this without losing programs for students. A reduction from three elementary principals to two elementary principals was part of the discussion over the closure of an elementary school but will probably be recommended for consideration even if the final decision is to retain the present four elementary school configuration. Trying to cut millions of dollars is not an easy matter. For example, beginning teachers with a BA degree earn $28,931 in salary alone. We would have to release over ten teachers to reach $300,000. We could cut all extracurricular activities and save only $260,000. Neither of these ideas sound like rational solutions towards avoiding a $2.4 million deficit in four years. As educational leaders, we will continue to look for solutions that are realistic and feasible while having the least impact on our student programs and services.
