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Know your district
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Goal: You will have a clear understanding of the impact of state and federal action on your district based on the characteristics of your students, families, economic interests and region.
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Work with your school district staff in order to prepare a report on the key facts about your district, compared to state and regional averages. Examples of items to include are as follows:
- Current enrollment, trends and projections;
- Characteristics of students and the impact on special needs and program costs, including special education, low income or at-risk, limited English proficient, vocational/career and technical education, transportation costs, and turnover;
- Student achievement measures: state and local assessments, graduation rates, college and career preparation;
- Curricular and extracurricular programs offered by the district, and special programs and services (preschools, virtual schools, alternative schools and others);
- Joint programs and services provided with other districts, local government, higher education, the military and others;
- Budget trends: total and per-pupil spending, major categories of revenue and expenditures, state aid versus local revenues under current formulas, federal funding;
- Employees, salaries and benefits, teacher contracts;
- Budget allocations: district spending on major budget categories (instruction, student and teacher support, administration, operations and maintenance, transportation, food service, capital expenditures and debt service, cash balances and reserves);
- Potential changes in district structure: change in number or use of existing buildings; district consolidation or cooperative agreements with other districts;
- Economic trends in your district: population change, employment, major employers, impact of schools.
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