No Images? Click here Budget UpdateApril 21, 2017Dear Families, In the effort to be as transparent as possible, we would like to share some critical information about UDA’s budget, programming, and class sizes. For many of you, this is not news, since we have been meeting with representative parent groups (the Network and the School Advisory Council) and shared updates at the Coffee Socials; however, we want to ensure everyone is informed. As we previously communicated, UDA is moving into really tight budget times, as are schools across California such as San Diego Unified School District. Again, UDA’s budget challenges largely have to do with changes at the state level, increasing costs for our 14th Street facility (an added $300,000 next year, part of our bond finance debt schedule), and the extensive enrichment programming and other services offered in grades K-8. Unfortunately, it comes down to the following: we still need to fill a gap of over $400,000 to meet our cash flow requirements in the 2017-18 school year, even if we meet or even greatly exceed our lofty annual $100,000 fundraising goal. For the last few months, our administrative team, finance advisors, staff, board members, and other community partners have aggressively explored a plethora of options for how to sustain the innovative and successful programs offered at UDA. We have reached out to prospective large donors, written grants all year, shaved the budget where possible, and explored opening another school site and increasing daily attendance, among other creative ideas. None of these options have panned out to be fruitful and reliable enough for us to fill the large budget gap next school year and into the future. The bottom line is:
As a result of the budget scenarios we face in out years, UDA is exploring adding additional students beginning in the 2017-18 school year. We are currently looking at adding an average of 2-3 students per classroom to help offset the budget challenges. Although nobody, especially staff, wants to increase student:teacher ratios, this is the only feasible option for maintaining both fiscal viability and programming. When compared to other schools, these increased ratios are still better than most schools. Lastly, although the above enrollment scenario will help us break even, we are seeking other solutions to provide more flexibility in our budget and ensure a more solvent long-term plan. We will likely add an additional “bubble” class to help generate revenue. This class will either be an additional kindergarten class that moves through each grade level or, if we can work within given legal parameters and SDUSD approval, we are exploring the possibility of adding a TK (Transitional Kindergarten) program for students who meet specific age eligibility requirements (age 5 or turning 5 between September 2 and December 2). At the next board meeting, we will review solutions and next year’s budget in detail. We will also keep you informed of plans throughout the spring. Additionally, we hope to gather feedback from all of you in upcoming surveys and through representation by our School Advisory Council. We know this news comes with mixed feelings from our families and staff; however, we have explored all options and believe these are the best solutions for maintaining fiscal solvency while not detrimentally cutting the programs and opportunities that make UDA great. |