2010-2011 Budget
Mar 28th, 2010 by Kim Whitworth
Eckstein Middle School Mission
Eckstein is a community of life long learners working together to help students reach their full potential.
Eckstein Middle School Vision
Graduates are emotionally healthy, self-confident, resilient, and responsible world citizens ready for high school and beyond. By the time they leave Eckstein, all students will read, write and do math at standard or above.
Every Student Achieving, Everyone Accountable.
Eckstein spent the month of March working through the budgeting process for the 2010-2011 school year. Eckstein’s Building Leadership Team (BLT) reviewed the allocation for this year and built a budget that would maintain our current programs.
The purpose of the budget is to support our goals as a community that is outlined in our vision. We reviewed our vision and prioritized our programs to maintain the following budget components: staffing, additional compensation for gap-closing work (stipends, professional development time), supplies for learning, and additional support to students who are not meeting standard.
Weighted Staffing Standards is the allocation model used by Seattle Public schools. The WSS model:
- defines and funds “core” staffing standards for administrators, secretaries, counselors, nurses and other basic staff at elementary, middle and high schools;
- Increases funding for non-staff expenditures, such as supplies
The combination of lower staffing allocation and the loss of I-728 money means we are forced to displace 5.0 teaching positions. Three long term substitutes will not be given contracts; some staff have elected to reduce their contracts; and 1.6 teachers will be displaced.
The effect of this on our building will come in the form of more classes that are full. This year we have sixty-six class sections with twenty-four or fewer students and many of these are class sizes in the teens. The school district budget allocation assumes a thirty to one student teacher ratio and our budget and staffing for next year is based on that.
After much discussion and with the full awareness that this budget forces cuts to valuable programming BLT recommends approval of this budget by the full staff. BLT will work with staff to develop a list of priorities in the event there are additional funds in the fall.