Superintendent Rosa Blackwell presented a budget for the 2006-07 school year of $428,554,470 for Cincinnati Public Schools — a reduction of $22,430 from last school year's budget, which represented the district's lowest spending level in several years.
This budget focuses on launching CPS' new five-year strategic plan, Building Futures, while continuing to focus resources on the district's primary mission of increasing student academic performance. This budget also continues the successful implementation of CPS' Fiscal Responsibility Plan.
Honoring a commitment made to voters in the November 2004 operating levy renewal campaign, the district — with the support of employee union leadership — undertook aggressive efforts to dramatically lower costs and bring staffing in line with enrollment.
Cost-reduction and staff rightsizing measures implemented by Cincinnati Public Schools are reflected in this budget with 313 fewer teaching positions, 11 fewer administrative positions and a reduction in the Central Office.
Department heads used a zero-based budgeting process again this year for all non-personnel budgets in preparing centrally controlled budgets. Each budgeted expenditure was subject to a justification process to ensure the spending was necessary to support vital district operations.
Through these measures, the district is able to keep spending below last year's budget. The cost-reduction measures also make it possible for Cincinnati Public Schools to extend the life of its last new operating levy, which was approved in November 2000 and projected to last four years. The district continues to honor the commitments promised through that levy, including smaller class sizes in the primary grades, improved building maintenance and additional resources for neighborhood schools.
The budget reflects a strong commitment to academic best practices and continued fiscal responsibility, with special emphasis on several priorities to be implemented through continued or redirected funding:
Expansion of the Instructional Support Teams, to provide ongoing professional development for classroom staff.
Development of a standards-based curriculum, with benchmark assessments in science and social studies, model lessons in all core subjects and expansion of the reading textbook adoption, along with replenishment of textbook-related materials from previous adoptions, such as workbooks.
Expansion of the district's Montessori program, with training for more teachers and creating more Montessori classrooms.
Launch of a more family-friendly approach to bus transportation, to provide stability for students who move during the school year.
Implementation of a Universal Breakfast Program, to be offered free daily at all K-8 schools.
Deep appreciation is expressed to members of the district's Budget Commission for their thorough consideration and input to the budget process. This advisory group, comprised of parents, teachers, principals, Central Office administrators and union leaders, provided valuable feedback on the Superintendent's Preliminary Budget Recommendations.
During the coming school year, we will continue to work with parents and community members as well as district staff to further strengthen fiscal planning in Cincinnati Public Schools.