Highlights of Lincoln Board of Education Work Session: July 17

The Lincoln Board of Education held the second summer work session on the budget on Tuesday, July 17, in the Bryan library media center at Hawthorne, reviewing the proposal and asking additional questions.

Board member Kevin Keller gave the LPS administration a challenge.

He said he sees vast changes coming for public education in the coming years. "It seems to me that we're on the cusp of some significant changes.... sweeping, over-arching changes...maybe not about what we deliver, but certainly about the how.... And it seems to me that in the midst of these significant changes it's going to require resources.... and that's a challenge for us."

He pointed to the $250,000 in the budget for next year allocated for beginning to implement the strategic planning goals. "I'm glad to see that seed money...to begin to look at some of those things...but it's not enough."

He challenged school district administrators, leaders, teachers and staff in the coming years to look at existing programs at LPS with a critical eye in consideration of re-directing and re-purposing funding.

Superintendent Steve Joel agreed, noting that LPS cannot look at transformational change without major funds. He said the school district will investigate partnerships and grants, but "we'll also have to ask if our current resources can be better utilized...There are no easy answers...We are going to create some of those difficult conversations...But it won't happen without some noise."

The public hearing and final budget forum on the preliminary 2012-13 Lincoln Public Schools budget will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 14, at the Lincoln City Council Chambers, 555 South 10th St. The agenda for the Board's regular

6 p.m. meeting on August 14 will include first reading of the budget.

In review: The preliminary $330 million 2012-13 General Fund budget for Lincoln Public Schools calls for the lowest tax levy in the past 40 years for the third consecutive year. The budget represents a 2.86 percent increase over last year.

For more information go to: http://www.lps.org/about/budget/.

QUESTIONS: FTE at LPS District Offices/Class size

A series of common questions and answers about the proposed budget will be added to the LPS website after the July 17 work session.

A few of those questions:

1. What is the number of FTE (full-time equivalent) employees at LPS District Offices?

2009-10: 433.92 FTE employees

2011-12: 411.40 FTE employees

2. How does the class size from 2003-04 compare to today?

• Median LPS kindergarten class in 2003-04: 19 students
• Median LPS kindergarten class in 2011-12: 21 students
• Median LPS third grade class in 2003-04: 19 students
• Median LPS kindergarten class in 2011-12: 22 students
• Median LPS fifth grade class in 2003-04: 23 students
• Median LPS fifth grade class in 2011-12: 23 students

Middle school class size distribution:

• Less than 20 students, 2003-04: 32.7 percent
• Less than 20 students, 2011-12: 23.1 percent
• 20-29 students, 2003-04: 62.9 percent
• 20-29 students, 2011-12: 66.7 percent
• 30 or more students, 2003-04: 4.4 percent
• 30 or more students, 2011-12: 10.2 percent

High school class size distribution:

• Less than 20 students, 2003-04: 38.2 percent
• Less than 20 students, 2011-12: 36.2 percent
• 20-29 students, 2003-04: 55 percent
• 20-29 students, 2011-12: 55.5 percent
• 30 or more students, 2003-04: 6.8 percent
• 30 or more students, 2011-12: 8.3 percent

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Published: July 17, 2012
Updated: July 18, 2012