Arts and other cuts in Fayette schools? Here are some reasons why. | Opinion
There seems to be confusion about who is making budgetary decisions at Fayette County Public Schools. As a former school board member and board chair, let me help clarify the budget process.
The school board, made up of five elected individuals, determines the staffing allocation for each school during the budget process. Additionally, while the School Based Decision Making Councils (SBDM) make site based decisions, the school board can give them direction, incentivized with funding. For example, the board could say they value arts and want an arts educator in every school and will give schools an additional sum of money to cover the position above the staff allotments. The SBDM would then have to make the decision to accept the funds and the extra position. In absence of enough funding, SBDMs must make difficult decisions, like in the case of Cassidy, the SBDM determined that many of their students have exposure to arts, but not language, and the arts position was cut.
The Superintendent is employed by the School Board. The School Board sets the strategic plan and provides the funds to support it. The Superintendent implements the plan. The district budget office, under the supervision of the Superintendent, builds a budget using the guidance given to them by the board. The board then approves the final budget. There are multiple meetings each spring to determine the board’s funding priorities and discuss the preliminary budget, throughout the budget building process.
With increased property assessments and higher property tax bills, many are wondering where the money is going. The 2023-24 budget included significant pay raises for current teachers and increased starting salaries for new teachers. In addition, the district rebranded and removed “It’s About Kids” from every vehicle, sign, and piece of paper. Teachers deserve higher pay. Unfortunately, the 2023-24 budget was irresponsible. It was passed using funds from the fund balance, with no long-term plan for revenue to offset this ongoing expenditure increase. Here we are, one year later, cutting arts, language, and other classroom expenditures to build a balanced budget.
In addition to the removal of foreign language and arts in our schools, there are other budgetary actions this board has taken that need to be questioned. Why are we building a new elementary school in Chairman Murphy’s district, when there are empty classes in elementary schools throughout the district like Ashland and Julius Marks? There are enough classrooms in Fayette County currently for all Fayette County elementary students. We do not need another elementary school. We need leadership and a bold redistricting plan. I am not advocating for increased class sizes, I am advocating for pooled resources, reducing administrative and facility costs, allowing more funds to flow to the classrooms.
Three of the five board positions are up for re-election this year. We need bold leaders, with fiscal knowledge, who care about kids, to run for these positions. The filing deadline is 4 p.m. on June 4, 2024 for the November 5, 2024 election. Additionally, parents and community members (you don’t have to be a parent) need to attend school board meetings and become involved with the SBDM and PTA/PTSO at their schools.
Stephanie Spires is a former member and chairman of the Fayette County Public Schools and the mother of five.
