When D.C. Public Schools released its budget Monday, the news seemed pretty good — a catastrophic $150 million shortfall had been partially plugged by extra funds from the mayor, but a shortfall remained nonetheless.
Many schools, particularly at the middle and high school levels, saw their budgets shrink. Terry Lynch, vice president of the Schools Without Walls Senior High School’s PTA, and Linwood Jolly, president of the Home & School Association, detailed the implications in letters to City Council Chairman Kwame Brown and Mayor Vincent Gray on Friday.
“…I am struggling to see how the school can provide first-rate education to its students — who come from all eight wards, many of whose parents have not gone to college but come with the goal of themselves getting to college,” Lynch wrote to Brown. “I am committed to helping them get there, but this cutback will result in teacher cuts in math, science, arts, humanities, and college counselors and reductions in AP courses.”
To Gray, Jolly said: “The magnitude of this reduction will mean cutbacks of front line teachers in almost all course disciplines, and the resulting reduction of course offerings including Advanced Placement (AP) courses, a hallmark of our college preparatory success. In addition to larger class sizes, support staff for college guidance, special writing and professional preparation programs, and administration, will also be reduced.”
Of the 11 traditional, or “comprehensive,” DCPS high schools, seven saw budget reductions in the proposal for fiscal 2012. Walls is considered a specialty high school, with magnets like McKinley Tech, Ellington School of the Arts, and more. DCPS’s initial allocation for Walls is $4.02 million, down about $811,000 from this year’s $4.84 million.
At a recent press briefing, Acting Chancellor Kaya Henderson said many cuts resulted from removing temporary, just-introduced positions to smooth schools through transitions, but didn’t specify which schools.
The D.C. Council will hold a public hearing on the school budgets this Monday. Read the full letters below:
I wanted to bring to your attention that Phelps and Walls have been proposed for cuts of $750,000 and $810,000 respectively from their current budgets.
This represents a 17% cutback for both – very damaging.
As you may know, I am the Vice President of Walls Parents’ Association, and I am struggling to see how the school can provide first rate education to its students – who come from all 8 wards, many of whose parents have not gone to college but come with the goal of themselves getting to college. I am committed to helping them get there, but this cutback will result in teacher cuts in math, science, arts, humanities, and college counselors and reductions in AP courses.
I can imagine the damage the cut will have on Phelps’ program.
I understand there is a public hearing Monday at Eastern where the Mayor is taking testimony on the proposed DC budget; no schools have been hurt like Phelps and Walls.
Hopefully you can help to address this situation to allow these schools to continue to provide outstanding programs to our youth.
Best regards,
Terry Lynch
Walls Home and School Vice President
…
We are writing to you to bring to your attention the dramatic, and in our opinion damaging, budget cutback proposed for DCPS School Without Walls Senior High School (SWW).
As you know, SWW is a specialty academic magnet high school serving students from all wards of the city. The school is more diverse than most DCPS high schools (58% African American, 9% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 26% white), and 18% qualify for free or reduced lunch. This year SWW was recognized by the US Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School and the SWW faculty is among the most highly qualified in DCPS. As a result, SWW students regularly achieve the highest level of academic success and the school was recently granted Autonomous Status by DCPS in recognition of its many innovative approaches to academic excellence.
SWW has had a unique mission for a number of years – to prepare students from all corners of the city, many of whom have few resources, for college. The goal at Walls is that each child can and will succeed at the next level – and the school is fully committed to assuring that they have the necessary academic preparation needed. The school also works tirelessly to help identify financial resources and scholarships that fit each student’s needs – the school sees that all of its graduates are accepted to college and works to support their families as they undertake that challenge.
Despite this success and the tireless work of the school’s leadership, teachers, staff, parents and students, the school’s budget allocation for SY 2012 has been cut by $810,919 – from $4,835,633 in SY 2011 to a proposed budget of $4,024,714 a reduction of 16.8%. Walls is also expected to take on additional students this year despite these cuts, and the per pupil allocation has been reduce from $10,581 in SY 2011 to $8,455 in SY 2012, a 20% reduction.
This is by far the largest cut in real dollar terms of any high school in DCPS and the second largest cut in terms of percentage of total budget – for one of the highest performing schools in the District and in the nation as we are nationally ranked as #112 by Newsweek.
As officers of the SWW leadership bodies, we must inform you there is simply no way the school can absorb these cutbacks and maintain a high level of excellence. The magnitude of this reduction will mean cutbacks of front line teachers in almost all course disciplines, and the resulting reduction of course offerings including Advanced Placement (AP) courses, a hallmark of our college preparatory success. In addition to larger class sizes, support staff for college guidance, special writing and professional preparation programs, and administration, will also be reduced.
We fully understand the city faces a financial shortfall. Closing budgets should not come at the price of reducing the intellectual and professional preparedness of our youth. Indeed, these types of cuts only cost the city more in the long run.
We urge you to work closely with us and the leaders at DCPS to restore to the extent possible the current funding for School Without Walls so we can continue to foment the success of our students.
Please act to maintain quality education at School Without Walls and in the District of Columbia.
With Kind Regards,
Linwood C. Jolly
President, Home & School Association, School Without Walls
