| What is the difference between a site council and a parent-teacher organization (PTO)?What educational expenses are mandatory or fixed?What education expenses are discretionary?How can I influence decisions about school budgets?How can I influence decisions about the district's budget?Are there differences between how charter schools and schools within the Saint Paul Public Schools are funded?What authority do site councils have at each school?How can I get a copy of a school's budget?Why do some schools receive more money than others, even if they have the same number of students?Who are administrators?What is a levy?What is a referendum?What is the breakdown of staff at each school?What is the difference between a site council and a parent-teacher organization (PTO)?
Site councils and PTOs are important to the success of Saint Paul's public schools. However, they play different roles within each school. Every school has a site council comprised of the principal, staff, parents, community members and sometimes students. Site council members are volunteers who work together to:
- shape school missions
- develop school continuous improvement plans
- change and develop conditions for success
- provide input into the selection of school leadership teams
- provide input into the selection of school staff
- plan and prioritize school budgets
Site councils receive training and guidance from the school district's Office of Leadership Development. For more information about site councils, visit http://leadership.spps.org/sbi.html.
Most schools have active PTOs comprised of parents, community members and staff. PTOs work to support schools through:
- fundraising
- volunteer coordination
- activity planning
It is important to note that when both organizations are actively involved in a school they need to meet and discuss their individual roles and responsibilities. This eliminates any misunderstanding and helps to take advantage of the skills in each group.
More information about PTOs is available at www.spps.org/Schools.html. |
What educational expenses are mandatory or fixed?
Saint Paul Public Schools receives funding from three primary sources - the state government, local property taxes and the federal government - each of which has its own requirements for how the funding is used.
The state provides general appropriations which can be used at each district's discretion, and program-specific funds which state law requires to be used for specific purposes. In Saint Paul, program-specific funds help pay for such programs as special education, English Language Learners education and compensatory education.
The school district is generally required to use local property tax funding for specific purposes which are outlined in state law. However, school districts are allowed to use funding from voter-approved referendums for many purposes. The Saint Paul Public Schools uses revenue from referendums passed in 2000 and 2002 to provide students with more learning time and better access to technology.
Federal funding is usually appropriated for specific purposes, including Title I, which must be used to help schools with high numbers of students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch; Title III, which helps pay for educating English Language Learners and Title IV, which helps pay for educating special education students. |
What education expenses are discretionary?
In general, most of the revenue from the general appropriations, also known as the General Fund, can be used in any manner that schools and districts decide. In the Saint Paul Public Schools decisions about how to allocate General Fund dollars for each school are shared nearly equally between schools and centrally funded offices.
Schools have direct control over their budgets and can determine how to best allocate those dollars to meet their students needs. Other resources are allocated to schools through centrally funded office programs. |
How can I influence decisions about school budgets?
Principals, with support and input from site councils, make budget deciions at each school. Parents, staff, community members and students can participate in the school's budget development process by joining its site council. For more information about site councils, visit http://leadership.spps.org/sbi.html or contact individual school offices. |
How can I influence decisions about the district's budget?
The Saint Paul Public Schools budget development process usually begins in January when the Board of Education sets its budget calendar. Throughout the year, there are many opportunities for parents, staff and community members to help shape the budget, including:
October to June: the Citizen's Budget and Finance Advisory Committee (CBFAC) reviews the district's budget.
February to May: when the State Legislature considers school funding options you can share your education funding priorities with lawmakers.
March: when centrally funded programs develop their budgets, you can make your voice heard during the public comment portions of the monthly Board of Education meetings.
May: the Board of Education seeks public comment through online surveys and community forums. |
Are there differences between how charter schools and schools within the Saint Paul Public Schools are funded?
Both charter schools and schools within the Saint Paul Public Schools - neighborhood and magnet - receive the majority of their funding from the state, and some funding from grants and other sources. Schools within the Saint Paul Public Schools also receive funding from the federal government and local property taxes. Charter schools do not have the authority to collect local property taxes. |
What authority do site councils have at each school?
Site councils and their principals work collaboratively. While principals have the ultimate decision-making authority at their schools, site councils act as important advisory councils. For more information about site councils, including their authority, responsibilities, and accountabilities, visit http://leadership.spps.org/What_can_site_councils_do.html |
Why do some schools receive more money than others, even if they have the same number of students?
Distribution of funds is designed to provide students with an array of educational opportunities and help individual schools meet their students' needs. While enrollment is a major factor in determining how much money a school receives, many other factors influence each school's total allocation, such as:
Poverty level: Schools with a large percentage of students who ar eligible for free and reduced-priced meals receive more compensatory education revenue and Title I revenue.
First Grade Preparedness: Schools that participated in an original pilot program for all-day kindergarten continue to receive funding for first grade preparedness as part of the program.
Magnet Base Status: Schools that were part of the school district's original Desegregation Plan continue to receive funding based on their magnet status.
Formula Phase-out: In 2002/03 the school district began a plan to fund schools on a per-pupil basis. While the change will make the allocation of funds more equitable, some schools will receive significantly fewer dollars. To ease the financial burden on these schools, the district is phasing in the new plan over several years, allowing them to slowly make the necessary reductions in expenditures. |
Who are administrators?
According to the definition used by the Minnesota Department of Education, administrators are personnel who have administrative and managerial duties, including:
- school board members
- superintendents
- directors
- principals
- managers
- supervisors
According to the Department of Education, the average percentage of budgets that Minnesota's school districts spent on administration in fiscal year 2003/04 was 4.87%. In that same year, Saint Paul Public Schools spent 3.5% of its budget on administration. |
What is a levy?
A levy is a tax against the value of property. The property tax levy is the revenue a local school district raises through real and personal property taxes. State law authorizes school districts to levy for additional funding. |
What is a referendum?
A referendum is a levy that must be approved by the voters. There are two types of referendum levies:
Operating Referendum - Funds raised from operating levies are used for educational and support programs, including teachers and technology. In calendar year 2002, the district passed an operating referendum that raised approximately $18 million a year for four years.
Capital Referendum - Funds raised from capital referendums are used to pay the debt service on district bonds. Bond proceeds are used to build new schools and other related capital projects. |
What is the breakdown of staff at each school?
Each school in the district receives a base allocation to pay for essential staff such as a principal and clerk. Schools also receive funding based on how many students are enrolled and the needs of those students. Principals, with support and guidance from their site councils, decide how to staff their building.
School employees fall into one of five categories:
- Administrative (principals and assistant principals)
- Instruction (all classroom teachers)
- Instructional Support (all teachers on special assignment and other licensed, non-classroom staff such as counselors and nurses)
- Non-Licensed Support (paraprofessionals)
- Clerical Support (clerks and technology support)
See specific school budgets for staff numbers at http://businessoffice.spps.org/BudgetReport.html
Specific staffing decisions, such as what areas are staffed (science, math, music, etc.) and how many teachers to hire, are made at each school. Specific information about staffing at each school can be found on the Minnesota Department of Education web site at http://www.education.state.mn.us/ReportCard2005
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