By DR. CATHERINE MAGOUYRK
Manassas Public Schools Superintendent
There’s been a buzz going around the city about the schools’ and city’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and the MCPS budget process. As I thought about my column this month, I was reminded of something I mentioned in my first message to the community, “no school system thrives without community support.” This truth has become more evident with each passing day of the budget process.
The MCPS and city staff recently completed a lengthy process to create a five-year CIP for the division and city infrastructure improvements. We are now seeking public support to finance the much needed improvements to our school and city infrastructure. The community’s financial support will also help attract businesses and homeowners which, in turn, impact the city’s economic development and real estate values.
The fact that the City of Manassas has the lowest tax rate in the Northern Virginia region opens the door for the community to lend its support for the schools and city’s CIP. Although our primary purpose is to serve more than 7,200 children everyday, we cannot overlook the division’s infrastructure that supports them.
Practical things like HVAC, paving, tracks, security cameras, roofs, and painting are important for preserving what we currently have. A new Baldwin with the addition of a school within a school, and in the future years, a new or renovated Dean Elementary are also components of the CIP to prepare us for our projected future growth.
Instead of following a path based on what we have always done, MCPS is going through a zero-based budgeting process. Many times, businesses and governments start with the current year budget and go from there, preserving what already exists. With zero-based budgeting, you start with nothing and justify every allotment, program, and service to determine need and value. For MCPS it’s an important exercise that provides accountability for spending and ensures that revenue is focused on students’ needs.
I have been asked by many members of the community to address our cost per pupil which is $1,000 higher than neighboring Manassas Park and Prince William, but lower than the average in Northern Virginia. The staffing allotment and zero-based budget process are being used to determine how to best utilize our resources to increase student achievement and to answer the cost per pupil question in the community.
In December, principals were provided with their staffing allocations based on current MCPS class size structure. During this process, 111 positions were identified as being above what the state funds. Principals were asked to work with their staffs to develop their instructional plans and identify the instructional needs for their schools for next school year. I understand how at first glance a change of 111 positions in preliminary allocations can be unsettling and misunderstood; however, they were not identified as positions to be cut, but positions to substantiate in our budgeting process. I remain sensitive to the feelings and concerns to what this preliminary allocation number means as we move forward. I want to assure our parents, students, staff, and community that class sizes have not increased and that our students remain at the center of all our decisions. I do accept that budgets can be contentious and unnerving, but I must also make sure that our students not only have the best and brightest teachers, but the resources, experiences, and technology that will provide them prosperous futures.
As we seek staff and community input during the budget process, I understand that each person looks at spending priorities through their own lens. Teachers and taxpayers have different perspectives as do guidance counselors, the State Department of Education and parents of children with special needs. We need parents, elected officials, business leaders, and the community supporting the hard-working staff at MCPS to make our schools safe, efficient, and high achieving.
As we go through the process, we will continue to work together to develop a fiscally responsible budget that allocates our limited resources in a manner that supports student achievement and our strategic goals and priorities. I will present the proposed budget to the School Board at their regular business meeting on February 26, 2013 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. I welcome you all to attend and appreciate your support.
Public Input on the budget is scheduled for March 12, 2013. Click here for our current budget development calendar: FY 14 Budget Calendar
