Corbett School Alumni Association

Winter 2009

What a winter it has been thus far. Record snow, record winds, late snowfalls, and that's just the weather!

Winter sports have wrapped up. I hope that you had a chance to see the communicator regarding the exploits of basket ball teams, wrestlers, swimmers and academic decathletes. It all adds up to much reason for pride in our kids and our schools.

My own agenda has been interesting full these past few weeks. Maybe it is a story that is worth telling (though you can decide whether it is worth reading).

Against the backdrop of the ongoing task of the annual creation of a viable fiscal plan for the Corbett School District, several factors showed up in concert this year to make life more complicated than it might otherwise have been.

First, the United States and the State of Oregon encountered economic troubles that were at least as severe and unusual as was this year's weather. This year's budget news made the woes of 2001-2002 (the years that inspired the iTax) look like 'the good old days'. And this year's shortfall, which will be record-setting by all accounts, is only a foreshadowing of next year's budgetary woes. When the State of Oregon's Democratic governor suggests that teachers should work for free, you know that it has gotten pretty extreme.

Next, one of our neighboring districts, from which a good number of students currently attend Corbett Schools, announced internal budgetary problems that were actually bigger than that caused by the shortfall, resulting in them taking a devastating blow. Among their fiscal corrections was the announcement that they were going to allow students from only three grade levels to continue their studies at Corbett. The end result of this course, consistently implemented would be the total elimination of transfers to Corbett in two years. Another neighboring district announced last year that no new transfers would be approved. A third district concluded that all students who were exiting grades 6, or 8 would be required to return home. This would eliminate middle school transfers in two years, high school transfers in three years, and elementary transfers over five year.

Fully implemented, these policies would deprive Corbett of about 170 students, and they would deprive those students of the opportunity to continue attending the school that they had been part of for up to 10 years.

The fiscal impact on Corbett School District would have been a 15% reduction in revenues (from the loss of students) on top of a nearly 5% shortfall this year and a projected shortfall of up to 20% next year. Conservatively, Corbett would be down about a million dollars next year. That is the equivalent of about 14 teachers, from the current staff of about 38. Why not cut other things? Because we already have. Corbett has one full-time administrator. We have no counselors, elementary p.e. or art specialists, no reading coaches, librarians, no auto shop or home ec program. The classified staff has been reduced by over 25% and the administrative staff by 50% over the past few years. Even among the teacher ranks, there are fewer teachers today than there were 10 years ago when there were 100 fewer students. We are funded at $500.00 less per student than the state average. These are things that we cannot change.

None of these numbers are news to those of you who have been reading along throughout the last decade, but they might help add context to those who are more recently concerned.

At its last open board meeting, the Corbett School District Board approved the application of Corbett Charter School. The Charter School is not a district initiative. It will enter into a contract (thus, charter) with the district wherein the Charter School will rent space and purchase services from the District and will operate a school in the district facilities in accordance with its contract. The children will notice that their class rosters have been impacted and that some schoolmates are in different classrooms (this happens every other year in our current configuration, so only half of the kids will even experience this change). The alternative would be for them to notice that many of their classmates are no longer allowed to attend school in Corbett at all. Those are the two options. Please stop to notice that the status quo is not among them. Whatever else happens, there is no foreseeable way that next year will replicate our current year. It can't be done.

And for those who are intimately familiar with our ongoing budget conversations, you know that even the status quo wasn't sustainable, as we have been spending down reserves in order to make ends meet this year.

So people may have concerns, anxieties, or questions regarding the current developments. But the bottom line, and I believe that it is a bottom line, is this:

We are facing unprecedented funding shortfalls, and we have no room to make further cuts without significantly reducing the opportunities that we have become accustomed to offering Corbett kids. Given the task of balancing the budget, we have exactly three possible courses of action. We can work exclusively on reducing spending, we can work on increasing revenues, or we can work at both.

We have been engaged in working on cutting costs while attracting out-of-district transfers in an attempt to improve both sides of the ledger. We have had significant success, but our neighboring districts have essentially removed the second strategy from our book.

We made another run at working on the revenue side when we went our for an operating levy. It was defeated 2 to 1 by the bare majority of voters who voted at all. Another 45% of the voters voiced their 'no' vote by staying home.

So here we are. We've cut. And cut. And cut. And we have built up the revenue side by offering outstanding school opportunities to residents of neighboring districts. And those districts have responded by clearly stating their intent to eliminate that source of revenue. They made the announcement well into this current year. Orthodoxy regarding charter school start-ups says that it takes from a year to 18 months to plan a charter school. So when a charter seemed like the best way through this dilemma, there was no time to go about it at a leisurely pace.

In my capacity as a concerned citizen, I gathered a small group and created a non-profit organization. We are in the middle of applying for 501(c)(3) status. Anyone else could have done the same. Anyone else still can. We have paid all of our own expenses, including licensing and application fees. None of us is taking a salary or any other form of compensation. None of the Charter School Board members will take any compensation.

We are estimating that the Charter School will contribute some 1.8 million dollars to the Corbett School District. The fiscal goal of the Charter School is to break even and maintain fiscal viability. That is all.

The early drafts of the Charter Budget, still to be finalized, includes payment of $30,000.00 per classroom for annual rent. These are classrooms that are not necessary to the operation of the Corbett School. This will net the District $390,000.00 per year...equal to the proposed sale price on the Old Corbett Grade property, every year. Corbett Charter will also pay the entire cost of 13 teachers...out of 42 positions proposed for the District next year. This includes payment for 9 teachers in grades K through 9 who work in self-contained classrooms (like those that are currently in place) and 4 high school teachers (fully a third of the high school staff!). This is already a 1.3 million dollar annual payment to the District, and there are other expenses that the Charter School will compensate the District for. The details will be in the final budget and Charter Agreement, but just these broad strokes should make it obvious that the revenue impact of the charter is absolutely vital to Corbett School District.

Even so, the fact that change is occurring and that some people had more intimate knowledge of the change than did others will always cause misgivings. So the Corbett Charter Association gave very careful consideration to the selection of the Charter School Board of Directors. If you know Corbett Schools, the names will be familiar. If you don't know the names, please do ask around. They reflect the very best of the school and of the Corbett community, and their willingness to serve in this capacity is a source of tremendous joy. They are professionals, parents, active community members...they share in common a passion for Corbett schools and a commitment to real solutions. They are: Charlie O'Neal, Holly Elvins-Dearixon, Lori Luna, Phil Pearson, Derek Jaques, Chris Matheson, and Nancy Gyerko. Four of them live in Corbett and are parents of current or former students. Four are Corbett School employees with a vested interest in the long-term health and success of Corbett School District. One is a veteran member of the Corbett School Board of directors whose lifelong commitment to Corbett is unquestionable and is lived out in his ongoing volunteerism and support. One is a parent of two current transfer students and one is planning to bring a kindergartner to Corbett next year. One removed two children from private schools in favor of Corbett Schools. They are current and former coaches, academic advisors, prolific volunteers and, frankly, experts in what makes a truly great school. These names should inspire the deep confidence of all who seek what is best for Corbett. And please, don't fail to ask the students what they think about these folks.

The founding of Corbett Charter School was a very rapid deployment of an idea that has been the subject of literally years of careful thought. There is nothing about it that is 'quick' or 'off the cuff'. The people involved are not driven by a last-minute interest in schooling or in Corbett. The Charter represents the best that many years of practice and careful reflection have revealed to a veteran group of committed educators. I believe that it will be wildly successful...maybe as successful of the Corbett School with which it will share facilities, teachers and philosophical orientation.

There are many details that this note will leave untouched. But while the details are not unimportant, they pale in comparison to an utterly compelling 'Big Picture'. If one fails to grasp the nature of 'The Big Picture', then there are not enough details in the world to qualm fears and put to rest misgivings of all sorts.

We can move forward. Or we can make cuts and lose hundreds of valuable relationships with students, parents and not just a few teachers. That's the big picture.

It's a solution. It can also be an unprecedented opportunity. Or it can be allowed to collapse into a dilemma. A wise parent once told me that the one choice that is always entirely mine is my chosen attitude toward what life puts in front of me. I believe it to be true. We all get to choose. I know that we will choose wisely.

November 24, 2008: Spending Freeze hits Corbett

Corbett Schools Lose $90,000 Overnight!

Many of you have seen in the news that the State of Oregon has made across-the-board cuts in the middle of the fiscal year. Those cuts translate to Corbett as a loss of nearly $90,000.00. Our current budget situation, even with the drop in revenues, is adequate for this year. The shortfall will impact our carry-forward into next year, which we currently project to be approximately $500,000.00. This carry-forward is a measure of our fiscal health, and it will be critical to our absorbing the cuts forecast for 2009-2011. In light of these circumstances it just makes sense to position ourselves as well as possible in order to manage the hard times ahead.

I am announcing, as of this date, a discretionary spending freeze for the remainder of the 2008-2009 school year. This means that while currently-budgeted items will continue to be funded, no new spending will be authorized without District Office approval. We will not authorize expenditures for the remainder of the year that are not part of our normal school business. New programming, new ideas for field study, new supplies and materials (other than the ongoing necessities of doing school) will not be considered until the next budget cycle.

For a decade now, Corbett Schools have run a highly cost-effective program, slashing budgets in areas that don't directly impact student achievement and funding those activities that create a positive school culture. Over the past two years, Corbett students have benefited from a partnership with the Corbett Booster Club. The Booster club has made it possible for the District to focus more of its general fund resources on student achievement while maintaining quality athletic programs. Regardless of our circumstances, we have always found a way to create a great school experience for kids.

EFFICIENCIES AT CORBETT SCHOOL DISTRICT The recent economic news has been troubling. Like everyone else, we have been impacted by rising costs in fuel, utilities, and nearly everything else! Fortunately for school people, student enrollment at Corbett is the highest it's been in a decade. There are 130 more students enrolled today than there were in 1999! That's a 20% increase. And in Oregon, school funding is driven by student count.

So with all of these new students, how many more teachers do we have? NOT A SINGLE ONE! We have exactly the same number of teachers on staff today as we had in 1999, and they serve 130 more students. In essence, the teacher workload has increased 20% during the past decade. How important are those additional 130 students to the fiscal health of the District? They are the financial lifeblood of the District. They generate nearly one-fifth of our annual operating revenue. Without their participation, the cuts at Corbett School District would render our schools unrecognizable.

May 2008: Key Communicators

This news list was sent to every District in the state. Notice the Oregon High Schools Ranked story. It is easy to imagine that what we do every day is ordinary. It is good to be reminded that the hard work of our students and staff are paying big dividends. Thanks for your support.

Bob Dunton
Corbett School District