Declining enrollment, cutbacks, holdbacks, and concern for the future of education is something that Birch Grove Community School has in common with our county’s traditional district, ISD 166. I understand and appreciate the tough decisions that Superintendent Schwarz and the school board members have to make, as we too, are in the same position.
As a charter school, we receive per pupil dollars, as do traditional districts. Per pupil aid is the majority of our funding. When student numbers drop, or when the state holds back or cuts funding, this has an obvious negative impact. And, unlike a traditional district, charter schools are not able to levy. There is no one to rescue us. One of our board members is famous for saying, “It is what it is” and so, we must live within our budget, or we cease to exist.
Our options are the obvious: cut expenses and/or increase income. What isn’t so obvious is how we do that and maintain a quality educational program. Here is what we have done at Birch Grove Community School.
Three years ago, the school board cut 10 percent from the wages/salaries of all school staff including administration, teachers, paraprofessionals, cooks and bus drivers, with the understanding that the 10 percent would be reinstated if criteria/ goals set by the board were met. Everyone took a cut. No one was left out, as we are all members of a team that contributes greatly to the growth of our students. This cut was made knowing that our staff is on the low end of the pay scale compared to other Minnesota schools. All wages/salaries still currently reflect the 10 percent cut today, although last fiscal year the 10 percent was given back to staff as the budget met the criteria/goals.
Additional measures have been taken such as cutting administrative costs and paraprofessional hours. Additional duties have been added to our teachers and director. Programming not absolutely essential has been reduced, and other budget lines have been eliminated altogether (such as library books). We also sold our school bus and purchased a smaller, used 14-passenger bus and changed routes accordingly. All of these changes have had little effect on our educational programming. Our programming remains intact.
Some cuts have been offset in different ways. For example, having to change our bus routes involved the understanding of our parents and the help of school staff to supervise students before and after official school hours. Without willingness to try something new and the time and effort from our staff, this change may not have been possible.
Some cuts and expenses are supported by outside sources. Purchasing classroom/ library books has been supported by the Library Friends and Scholastic dollars gained from our annual book fair, and the Birch Grove Foundation donates expenses such as janitorial services.
Our participation in the Quality Compensation program has allowed us to pay for training and continuing education for our teachers as well as additional pay for academic school and classroom goals reached. Contributions and programs such as these are greatly appreciated and help us to keep our program strong.
Last year, with support from Dennis Rysdahl and Bluefin Bay, Birch Grove Community School held its first fundraising event, the Gala for the Grove – wildly successful and fun! We plan on the Gala being an annual event to take place in May of each year.
New this year is a spectacular program called the Patronage Reward Giving Program created by the North Shore Federal Credit Union that gives local nonprofits an opportunity to receive from the community. What a wonderful idea!
The Birch Grove Foundation has also established an endowment fund for our school-thank you for your continued support! Other income options are being explored as well, including a donation drive, special events, and a few “out of the box never been tried before” ideas. We welcome partnerships with individuals, organizations or businesses that would like to contribute in any way to our school.
This is a tough time for most schools in Minnesota; we are not alone in this. Birch Grove Community School has a fund balance for cash flow and a line of credit if we need it. We will wait impatiently until the state pays the holdback money while we continue to closely monitor our budget and make appropriate choices for our school and its students. I have trust in our school board members and school staff to make thoughtful, responsible choices.
In our seven years of operation, we have accomplished much and it is our intention to maintain a quality educational program for Pre-K- 5th grade. Thank you to our school staff, have maintained the “team” philosophy and for believing that our kids come first! You are true teachers!
Thank you also to all who have supported Birch Grove Community School in the past and those who continue to believe and support education in Cook County. Please keep it up. You put the word community in Birch Grove Community School!
Each month a representative of our local schools will offer thoughts in Issues in Education. This month’s contributor is Diane Blanchette, Director of Birch Grove Community School.
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