Title: School Finance Boot Camp
1School Finance Boot Camp
- Margaret Buckton, IASB Assoc. Exec. Director,
Public Policy - Larry Sigel, IASB School Finance Director
2Welcome!!!
- Introductions
- Housekeeping breaks/restrooms, etc.
- What do you expect/what are the burning questions
you need to have answered before you leave? - Ground rules
- No dumb questions
- Please interrupt!
3Packet Contents
4Agenda
- Basic school finance overview
- Property tax basics
- Topics in school finance
- Counts (who, where, when)
- Allowable growth
- On-time funding
- Budget guarantee
- Special education
- Instructional support levy
- Spending authority
5Agenda continued
- Topics in school finance continued
- Solvency ratio
- Facility and other related levies
- Categorical Funds
- Funding professional development
- Summary/wrap-up/reflection
- Evaluation
6School Finance Basics
7School Finance - Background
- Dillons rule
- School districts only have those powers expressly
authorized by the Code of Iowa - Home rule
- Cities and counties can do anything not expressly
prohibited
8School Finance - Background
- The Bright Line in School Finance
- Educational program expenditures are funded and
equalized by the state foundation formula. - Facility expenditures are funded locally (with
some state assistance) and are not under the
finance formula.
9School Finance - Background
- The school foundation formula relies on two
sources of revenue - State General Fund appropriations
- Locally raised property taxes
10School Aid - Basics
- Purpose of the foundation formula
- Code of Iowa, 257.31
- equalize educational opportunity, to provide
good education for all children of Iowa, to
provide property tax relief, decrease the
percentage of school costs paid from property
taxes, and to provide reasonable control of
school costs.
11School Aid - Basics
- Foundation formula - ceiling vs. floor
- The foundation formula results in a maximum
expenditure per pupil and therefore a maximum
amount a district can raise and spend (note not
every district has the same ceiling) - Other states school aid formulas have created a
minimum spending per pupil - This has led to lawsuits nationwide
- Iowas Constitution does not guarantee
educational equity
12Operation of Foundation Formula
- Three components
- Uniform Levy - Property tax levy of 5.40 per
thousand of taxable valuation - State Foundation Percentage - Amount the state
pays in excess of 5.40 - varies by district
(87.5 of cost per pupil) - Additional Levy - Property tax levy which funds
the difference between the Combined District Cost
and the sum of the Uniform Levy and the State
Foundation Percentage
13Operation of Foundation Formula
14Operation of Foundation Formula
- Two factors affecting district Regular Program
budgets - 1. Enrollment - increases or decreases in
enrollment affect district budgets - 2. Combined district cost changes (Allowable
Growth) - Changes in growth in valuations - uniform levy
rate (5.40) or foundation percentage have no
effect on Regular Program
15School Aid - Basics
- Basic Calculations - District Costs
- Regular Program District Cost - budget enrollment
times district cost per pupil. 608.4 students x
5,333 3,244,597 - Combined District Cost - sum of Regular Program
plus special education, ELL, media services. - What happens if less is spent? Carries forward
as unspent budget authority - can be used in
future (one-time).
16School Finance - Weightings
- Why Weight?
- Some populations have higher costs than others.
Two choices pay more per student or count
students at value greater than 1 - Special education has three weightings .72,
1.21, 2.74 depending on severity - These are in addition to the 1.0 weight
17Spending Authority
- Schools must keep two sets of books
- Normal Fund Balance set of books (think audit).
- Spending Authority set of books
- What controls school district spending cash or
spending authority? - Both are important, but spending authority is
vital.
18- Any questions before we transition into Iowas
property tax system???
19Understanding Property Taxes
- Handout Chapter of New School Finance Manual
Property Taxes - Taxing authorities
- Taxing districts
- Basic equation
- Rate x Value Taxes Paid
- Tax rates
- Expressed in dollars per thousand
20Understanding Property Taxes
- Assessed value
- Classes of property
- Residential
- Agricultural
- Commercial/Industrial
- Gas and Electric
- Railroad
- Market value
- Productivity value
- Equalization
- Taxable value
- Rollbacks
- Credits
21Understanding Property Taxes
- Figuring your property taxes
- Assessed value
- Times Residential Rollback Percent
- Equals Taxable Value
- Less Credits
- Equals Net Taxable Value
- Net Taxable Value x Tax Rate / 1,000 property
taxes levied. - Example - 100,000 home
- (100,000 x .44545) - 4,850 39,695
- 39,695 x 13.4120 / 1,000 532.39
22Exercise 1
- Figuring your property taxes
23Understanding Property Taxes
- Property valuation characteristic of school
districts (why we care) - Property Rich
- Property Poor
- How is it calculated?
- Total Property Valuation / enrollment
- Interaction High value lower property tax
rate - Low value higher property tax rate
- A map, perhaps?
24(No Transcript)
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26Understanding Property Taxes
- Tax Increment Financing
- Municipalities define an economic development
need could be business, residential, or city
property - TIF freezes a property tax base for length of
the TIF (all recent TIFs sunset) - Taxes applied to all growth (increment) in the
area pay for economic development improvements or
provide revenue stream to municipalities
27Understanding Property Taxes
- Tax Increment Financing School Impact
- Costs the state 34 million this year to pay for
loss of taxes generated by 5.40 levy (looks
like increased school funding) - Shifts taxes to other property tax payers in the
district since TIF taxes on the increment go to
the city (management, cash reserve, instructional
support and additional levies) - Loss of revenue to districts with capped levies
(PERL levy or levies capped by either board
promise or politics) - Debt levy is exempt and PPEL levy may be exempt
28Property Taxes what can you do?
- Follow legislation and tell your districts
story. - Lobby against eroding the property tax base.
- Lobby for school district participation and
accountability in the TIF process. - Explain school district limits on authority (the
state made you do it). - Point out the difference between property tax
relief and real school spending increases within
the funding formula.
29- Questions about taxes before we go into the
detailed topics in Iowa school finance???
30Detailed Topics in School Finance
31Counts/Enrollment
- Why important?
- Each enrollment category has associated revenue
- Determines total spending authority
- Terminology
- Regular program
- Weighted enrollment
32Counts/Enrollment
- Headcount October 1
- Basic v. budget enrollment
- Always use prior year enrollment for setting
budget - Special education weightings
- Levels
- Weightings
- Supplementary weightings
- English Language Learners ELL
- At-risk
33Counts/Enrollment
- Weighted enrollment
- Budget enrollment
- Supplementary weighting ELL
- Supplementary weighting At-risk
- Special ed weighting
- 0.72 weight
- 1.21 weight
- 2.74 weight
34Counts/Enrollment
- Doing the math
- Facts
- October 1 (2), 2006 headcount 672.6
- Special Education
- 6 Level I
- 9 Level II
- 4 Level III
- Supplementary weighting 12.82
- What is my weighted enrollment?
-
35Counts/Enrollment
36Enrollment the Punch line
- In preceding example, even though serving about
672 children, the funding formula generated
almost 712 children for the funding formula. - Why important? Remember the credit card analogy?
- Our limit is being multiplied by 712 and not
672 40 additional students. - Weighting of students provides additional dollars
to cover their unique needs.
37Allowable Growth
- What is it?
- Amount per pupil spending may increase
- Percent increase gt increase
- Generates spending authority
- Tells us how much our credit card limit can go up
by - What isnt it?
- Doesnt differentiate funding sources
- Doesnt guarantee budget increase
38Allowable Growth
- Current year state cost per pupil
- 5,333
- Allowable growth rate for FY 2009
- 4.0
- FY 2009 cost per pupil?
39Allowable Growth
- Basic Calculations
- Last years minimum District Cost Per Pupil
(e.g., 5,333) - Allowable Growth Rate 4.0
- This years district cost per pupil growth .04
x 5,333 213.32 - rounds to 213 - 5,333 213 5,546
- If District Cost Per Pupil is higher than
minimum, only get the fixed dollar - not 4.0.
For example, 5,408 213 5,621 - Not 5,408 x 4 5,624
40Allowable Growth
- Basic Calculations (cont.)
- Differing District Costs Per Pupil
- Slightly over 50 of districts have a cost per
pupil above the minimum although the deviation is
less than 4.5. - Differences will be reduced over time.
41Allowable Growth
- When is 4 allowed growth not 4?
- Common perception is all districts receive 4
increase in budgets. - FY 2004 2 allowed growth resulted in 32.4 M
new money (1.4) of which 27.5 M was due to the
budget guarantee. - FY 2005 2 allowed growth resulted in 39.2 M of
new money (1.7), of which 31.1 M was due to the
budget guarantee. - FY 2006 4 allowed growth resulted in 71.7 M of
new money (3.0), of which 18.8 M was due to the
budget guarantee. - FY 2007 4 allowed growth resulted in 88.3 M of
new money (3.7), of which 18.8 M was due to the
budget guarantee.
42Exercise 2
43On-time Funding
- Basic Calculations - On Time Funding
- Principle - Districts with increasing enrollment
have a way of capturing growth. Due to a year
delay in enrollment count in funding formula -
districts with increasing enrollment have
shortfalls - Calculation
44On-time Funding
45Allowable Growth
- Basic Calculations - Budget Guarantee
- Principle Districts receive what they received
in the prior year for the Regular Program Budget
regardless of enrollment changes. - Base Calculation
46Budget Guarantee Phase-out
- Legislature phasing out the 100 Budget
Guarantee beginning in FY 2005 and completely
phased out by FY 2014. - Created two alternate calculations
- Scale Down calculation
- 101 calculation
- Not a choice, automatically get greatest of the
two calculations.
47Districts Receive
- If a district is eligible for some form of
Budget Guarantee in FY 2005 or thereafter - Greater of scale down v. 101 option
48Big Picture
- Scale down calculation was created to bring those
with a lot of budget guarantee down slowly (soft
landing/crash). - The 101 calculation gives an additional year
when lose enrollment. - Relationship between allowable growth and budget
guarantee Enrollment lost greater than
allowable growth rate less guarantee.
49Policy Implications
- Districts must plan and forecast into the future!
- Will result in decreases in budgets from one year
to next especially coupled with low allowable
growth - How do you plan?
50Exercise 4
51Special Education
- Revenue determined by weightings
- Iowas system unique
- If you spend less than the weightings generate
have to send back (gt10) - What happens if spend more?
- Creates a deficit
- Does not cause long term spending from regular
education - Deficits may be recouped from property taxes
52Special Education
- Are weightings sufficient?
- No, special ed deficits growing statewide
- Number of kids increasing
- How solve
- Adjusting weightings more state s
- Adjust annually less sticker shock
53Instructional Support Levy (ISL)
- Local levy to increase regular program district
cost per pupil - Two questions
- How much do you want to increase (max 10)?
- How are you going to fund (property tax, income
surtax)?
54Instructional Support Levy (ISL)
- How do we get it approved?
- Board action for up to five years
- Subject to reverse referendum 30 of voters in
last board election or 100 signatures whichever
is greater - Voter-approved for up to ten years
- Simple majority vote
- Series of board actions and resolutions
- Must be approved and in budget by April 15 work
backwards to get timelines late January or
early February is latest can start
55Instructional Support Levy (ISL)
- Uses
- Any General Fund purpose except
- Dropout prevention
- Talented and Gifted
- Physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL) uses
- Management levy uses
- Special education deficits
- May be more restrictive in use, but not less
56Instructional Support Levy (ISL)
- Funding
- Property tax not rate limited limited on
amount of expenditure - Income surtax surtax on state income tax
maximum combined surtax rate of 20 - State aid frozen 14 million annually, thus
prorated. Current shortfall is 43 million. - Split statewide 51 property tax, 41 income
surtax, 8 state aid
57Instructional Support Levy (ISL)
- Who has it?
- 340 of 364 districts have it in place
- Generates 173 million
- 80 of districts generate full 10
- Increased use of income surtax
- 284 out of 40 have the surtax
- Average surtax is 6 to 7
- Lightens load of property tax
58- Any questions before we move on to spending
authority?
59Big Picture Spending Authority
- Schools have to keep two sets of books
- Normal fund accounting set of books (think Audit
or Certified Annual Report) - Spending authority set of books (think credit
card balance)
60Spending Authority
- Two key concepts
- Spending authority
- Is the maximum a district could spend in a year
if it chose - Unspent balance (unspent budget authority)
- Is the difference between a districts total
spending authority for a year and what they
actually spent
61Spending Authority
- Concept
- State gives each child a credit card with 5,333
for FY 2008 - The funding formula decides the mix of property
tax and state aid to pay the bill - If spend less, carries forward and added to next
years credit card
62Spending Authority
- Spending authority is the sum of
- Combined District Cost
(property tax and state aid) - Miscellaneous income anything not above
- Unspent balance from previous years
- Why important?
- Districts cannot exceed spending authority
- Not a measure of cash
- Why allow districts to carry forward unused
spending authority? - http//www.youtube.com/watch?vSrjpgnvusBI
63Building Blocks of Spending Authority
64Spending Authority vs. Cash
65Unspent Balance vs. Cash
66Solvency Ratio
- What is it?
- Unreserved/undesignated general fund balance
divided by total revenues - Measures the ability to pay off an obligation at
the end of the fiscal year - Good measurement for bondholders
- Measure of cash and not spending authority
- Only one part of the financial health of district
- Consider trend to determine if health is improving
67Solvency Ratio
- Packet refer to handout on Solvency Ratio
- Questions
- Your district receives notice that state aid will
be cut by 2.5 - reductions are impossible. What
happens to your solvency ratio for the current
fiscal year? - What does it mean for the upcoming fiscal year?
68Facility Related Levies
- Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL)
- Debt levy
- School Infrastructure Local Option Sales Tax
(SILO)
69Physical Plant and Equipment Levy
- Two levies
- Board approved PPEL maximum of 0.33 property
tax approved annually by board (cannot borrow
against) - Voter approved PPEL maximum of 1.34 property
tax/income surtax approved by voters (50) - Maximum 10 years
- Can borrow against property tax portion of
proceeds - Must have at least 1 of property tax
70Physical Plant and Equipment Levy
- Allowable uses
- Purchase grounds, construct sidewalks, roadways,
athletic fields, lighting, and demolition work - Construction of schoolhouses or buildings
- Purchase, lease or lease-purchase of buildings or
single unit of equipment or technology gt 500 - Repair/remodel/reconstruct facilities
- Transportation equipment
- See Iowa Code Section 298.23 for full details
71Debt Levy
- Voter approved levy for construction and
renovation of school buildings, sites and other
school facilities - Two ballot measures
- One-time election if want to go from 2.70 to
4.05 - Ballot language approving bond
- Both require 60 for approval
72School Infrastructure Local Option (SILO) Tax
- Maximum 0.01 additional sales and services tax
- Maximum 10 years (sunset 12/2022)
- May be extended before expiration (simple
majority voter approval) - County-wide
- School district(s) representing at least half of
the population of the county - 50 plus one simple majority to pass
73School Infrastructure Local Option (SILO) Tax
- Distributed on per pupil basis
- Your districts county resident enrollment/
- Total county resident enrollment of funds
- Distributed monthly reconciliation payment in
November - Only start July 1 or January 1 and no sooner than
90 days following election - 99 counties currently have passed a SILO and 2
have extended - 100 of sales are currently taxed
74SILO Tax changes from 2003
- Expanded Purpose Changed the definition of
infrastructure to include PPEL (e.g., buses,
technology, repair) and Public Education and
Recreation Levy (PERL) purposes. - Revenue Purpose Statements Allows a revenue
purpose statement (how are you going to spend the
funds.) The statement is specific to each
district in the county. Timelines for revenue
purpose statements - Deliver to County Auditor 60 days prior to vote.
- County Auditor publishes in newspaper 10 to 20
days prior to election. - County Auditor posts at polling places.
75SILO Tax
- If miss any of these deadlines or choose no
Revenue Purpose Statement, must use funds for
property tax relief (debt service, PPEL and
PERL). If those are fully bought down, then use
for any lawful purpose. - Can change revenue purpose statements with a
district-wide election. Requires a 50 plus one
majority to change purpose. - Make sure statements are in harmony with ballot
language and state purposes no broader than those
contained on ballot.
76SILO State Equity Funds
- Supplement Funding
- Starting in FY 2005, supplement funding
appropriated along with funds from districts
above the average which passed after 2004 to
bring districts up to 560 (or to a level the
fund can support). - The math
- If funds are available to bring everyone to 560
77School Infrastructure Local Option (SILO) Tax
- Allowable uses (limited by ballot)
- Any permissible debt levy use
- Payment of bonds either new or old property tax
bonds - Can borrow against proceeds
- NEW Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) or
Public Education and Recreation Levy (PERL) uses
and Demolition - NEW implied property tax relief for PPEL or PERL
taxes including income surtax relief
78School Local Option Tax Equity Issues
- Local per pupil sales tax revenue ranges from
just under 200 to over 1,300 per pupil - No relationship between sales tax capacity and
property tax capacity still have property and
sales tax poor areas - Districts in multiple counties have to pass
multiple votes - Long-term equity depends on retail rich counties
approving SILO for second ten years, sufficient
state appropriation, or a statewide penny
79School Local Option Tax Other Issues
- Certificate of Need required for using
supplemental funds for districts below 250
enrollment. - SILO revenue must be on hand to lower debt
cant anticipate next years revenue - Timing issues supplemental and reconciliation
payments after June 30 - Cant anticipate supplemental amount for bonding
purposes equal distribution is still not equity
for students without the state penny
80Other Levies Available to Districts
- Management levy
- Levy amount determined annually by the board for
following purposes - Unemployment benefits
- Liability insurance/judgments/settlements
- Early retirement benefits
- Dollars levied go to Management Fund not General
Fund
81Other Levies Available to Districts
- Cash reserve levy
- Levy amount determined annually by the board for
cash flow purposes - Used to fund spending authority but does not
create spending authority - Limitation total cash reserves cant exceed 25
of expenditures for the prior fiscal year
82School Aid Formula Understanding the System
83School Aid Formula Understanding the System
- Observations
- The foundation formula provides student equity on
the instruction side of the equation - The foundation formula provides some taxpayer
equity - The additional levy causes the most taxpayer
inequity for the foundation formula
84School Aid Formula Understanding the System
- Is this all the taxpayer inequity?
- Instruction side - ISL
- Facilities
- PPEL Debt service
- PERL
- Even though rate limited, because property taxes
are not equalized, rates may be higher than
otherwise would be the case - Other
- Cash reserve levy
- TIF
85School Aid Formula Understanding the System
- Student inequity
- Regular program - Differing costs per pupil
(about 4) - Facilities
- Debt service, PPEL and PERL generate
approximately seven times the amount in the
property richest district as property poorest - Local option tax generates over six times in the
sales tax richest to the sales tax poorest
(adjusted to 2.3 times due to state supplement)
86School Aid Formula Understanding the System
- Helping make sense of all this
- Data tools and calculators on IASB Finance
Website - New Dashboard style reports
87Categorical Funds
- Appropriations from the State
- Strings must spend a certain way and account
for the spending and report - Outside of bargaining
- Dont tend to increase with inflation
- LIFO last in / first out at risk during tight
budget times.
88Categorical Funds
- ISL - 14 Million (33 M short)
- Educational Excellence Phase I II 54.7 M
- Class Size/Reading - 29.3 M
- Teacher Compensation
- Basic allocation salaries 141 M
- Professional development - 20 M
- Market factor - 3.4 M
- Grants for nurses, counselors, librarians 1.0 M
- At-risk grants - 12.6 M
- Property tax equity payments - 12 M
89Many competing needs staff, students, heat,
technology, buses, football, copiers, lockers,
etcHeres one of the most powerful ways you
should spend some money
How to Spend all that Money????
90Quality teaching is the biggest factor
contributing to student learning.Quality
professional development is the best way to
improve the quality of instruction. Budget
pressures traditionally result in less resource
for professional development.
Funding for Professional Development Why?
91How Much is Enough? Benchmarks
?
- Iowa Schools
- Phase III 744 per teacher (FY02), 306 per
teacher (FY03) 0 (FY04) 588 per teacher (2007)
or 41 per pupil - NYC School District 2
- 3 percent of budget (equivalent of 42.2 million
or double Iowas traditional Phase III
allocation) - Japan new teachers have reduced class load and
mentors 60 days of professional development - Massachusetts in 2004 was required to spend 124
per pupil in PD ( 60 M in Iowa)
92How Much is Enough? Benchmarks
?
- National Staff Development Council
- Recommends 15 days annually
- Iowans for a Better Future/2010 goals - 20 days
of PD - Teacher Quality/Student Achievement Act -
Originally proposed 2 days annually until 10 were
funded, now 20 M with no days (goal of one day)
Must follow Iowa PD Model - Each day costs about 10 million per diem plus
expenses
93Iowa Trend Line
- Increase commitments to professional development
days, despite loss of Phase III appropriations. - Use of the additional day
- 309 Iowa school districts added an extra day.
- 31 districts added extended hours to different
days. - 25 districts added weekend time or multiple
methods for separate buildings. - Average days of professional development
- 2001 4.20 days
- 2005 5.38 days
- 2006 6.63 days
- 2007 ???
94Where to look for
- Title I (Reading and Math) carve out portion of
regular staff development for Title 1 teachers - Special Education TAG
- Mentoring Program link to
Professional Development - Early Childhood Intervention
Class Size - State federal (K-3) Title V - Grants eg., Reading First federal
95Where to look for
- Vocational Education
- Empowerment and Decat funds
- Instructional Support Levy (board or vote)
- Dropout prevention allowable growth (requires
approved plan and SBRC request) - Direct teacher quality state appropriations
requires TQ committee agreement
96Where to look for
- Alter your schedule
- Back-to-back pre/study group time
- Double-up non-core classes so core teachers can
work together - Team teach (allows practice, observation,
modeling and feedback) - Early Outs (explain to parents it cannot be
perceived as time off for teachers) - Late starts? Is this easier on
kids/parents/teachers?
97Free up General Fund
- Use of SILO PPEL buses,
equipment, lease-purchases below 500, energy
efficiency to save GF - Use of management fund property, casualty
loss insurance, equipment breakdown insurance or
early retirement - Review Master Contract in light of teacher
quality law and elimination of Phase III - Make energy efficiency improvements
w/energy bank loans - Participate in pooled purchasing
programs
98National Data School Spending on Professional
Development
- Natl average 3.3 of total general fund (200
per pupil) on instructional staff support - Slight growth in 1990s (3.07 to 3.31)
- Controlled for geographic cost differences
- Iowa is slightly below average (2.9 before
elimination of Phase III that was 23 million
compared to 20 million state funding now) - Source Journal of Education Finance 28 (Summer
2002) School District Spending on Professional
Development Insights Available from National
Data (1992-1998), Killeen, Monk Plecki
99Tough Choices
- Policy question
- A is it better to preserve teaching jobs (class
size) at the expense of quality professional
development? or - B is it better to fund quality professional
development at the expense of teaching jobs
(class size)? - How do you know?
100Why Professional Development?
Source Greenwald, R., L.V. Hedges, and
R.D.Laine (1996) The Effect of School Resources
on Student Achievement, Review of Education
Research 66 (3), pp. 362-396
101How do you know?
- Measure the impact of professional development
and initiatives - Use research based PD and make estimates/goals of
student achievement increase - Regular reports on implementation
- Set expectations and reward/acknowledge
improvements - Cost benefit analysis
- IASB growth tool determine cohort growth
related to classrooms of early vs. late
implementers
102IASB Recommended Priorities
1 SILO Repeal/Penny Replacement 2 Foundation
Formula Tax Equity 3 Professional Development
State Funding 4 State Content
Standards/Assessment 13 Allowable Growth 14
Formula Addresses Enrollment Changes
103School Aid - Web Resources
- IASB www.ia-sb.org
- Dept. of Education www.state.ia.us/educate/index.
html - Legislature - bills, amendments, etc.
www.legis.state.ia.us - Legislative Fiscal Bureau http//staffweb.legis.
state.ia.us/lfb/ - Dept. of Revenue and Finance www.state.ia.us/gov
ernment/drf/index.html
104Summary/wrap-up/reflection
- Please fill out your Evaluations!