RECOVERY PLAN UPDATE Chester Upland School District

For the sake of the students,changes are required

to make this an excellent school district

Chief Recovery Officer Joseph P. Watkins

Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaDepartment of Education

7th Public MeetingNovember 7, 2012

Shiloh Baptist Church

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 1

We can’t continue on the same path

• Expenditures don’t match revenues– Short-term gap of $3.2 million– Gap grows to $196.1 million in 5 years

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 2

We can’t continue on the same path

• Academically, we are one of the poorest-performing school districts in the state– PSSA math results

• 44.8% of CUSD students performing below basic math levels

• Compared to 16.8% in Delaware County, 18% statewide

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 3

PSSA Results 2011-12Number

Scored MathAdvanced

Math % Advanced

MathProficient

Math % Proficient

MathBasic Math % Basic Math

Below Basic Math

% Below Basic Math

Chester Upland 1,335 156 11.7% 287 21.5% 294 22.0% 598 44.8%Delaware County 10,463 3,248 31.0% 3,387 32.4% 2,075 19.8% 1,756 16.8%

Statewide 317,329 97,635 30.6% 101,586 31.9% 60,810 19.1% 57,301 18.0%

We can’t continue on the same path

– PSSA reading results• 50.4% of CUSD students performing below

basic reading levels• Compared to 21.3% in county, 23.6% statewide

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 4

PSSA Results 2011-12Number Scored

Reading

Advanced Reading

% Advanced Reading

Proficient Reading

% Proficient Reading

Basic Reading % Basic Reading

Below Basing Reading

% Below Basic Reading

Chester Upland 1,344 87 6.5% 277 20.6% 301 22.4% 677 50.4%Delaware County 10,448 2,274 21.8% 3,778 36.2% 2,173 20.8% 2,222 21.3%Statewide 315,905 64,041 20.2% 113,481 35.8% 63,410 20.0% 74,890 23.6%

For students’ sake, district must change

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT

• PA Education Secretary declared CUSD “distressed” on Aug. 14

• CUSD is 1st school impacted by Act 141, passed on July 12• Purpose is to give students quality education while

getting financial house in order• Law calls for Education Secretary to appoint CRO

• Works with team of financial & academic experts• Develops plan to balance resources with expenditures,

improve academics• 30-day deadline has been extended twice

5

Education Secretary granted 2nd ext. to Nov. 15To give us time to gather info needed to create strong financial and academic recovery plan

–Still getting additional data–Better understanding of situation, challenges, opportunities

To seek input from community about their desires–Two public meetings - November 1 & 7–Meeting with high school PTO - November 5; want to meet with other parents – invite me!–Meeting with students – at their schools–Continue meeting with school board & administration

We will ask for your input–Also share with you the challenges we are facing, so you better understand why we must make changes

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 6

What's next

• Development of more data on the costs and impact of different numbers and alignments of schools

• Alternatives for staff configuration in a District currently experiencing lower enrollment

• Follow up on emerging information that could affect the plan’s assumptions, including 2012-13 enrollment figures and revisions to the 2012-13 budget

• More input from the School Board and community, with better opportunity for dialogue as more detailed cost information on options becomes available

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 7

Goals for CUSD Recovery Plan

To develop strong plan that gives students a quality education•Fundamental principle is to put children 1st•Every child deserves opportunity to succeed•Equip every child with skills to graduate and go to college or trade school

Make this an excellent school district•Bring students back•Grow the district

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 8

•

Interactions to date

Since my appointment August 17, met with:•School board and others in the education system•Public – this is 7th meeting•Students•Parents, grandparents•Widener University, other higher education representatives•Other educators•Health partners•Business community

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 9

Leadership is key to future

• I am committed to working with CUSD for long haul• We need permanent superintendent, a visionary to

lead the way to improved student performance and better, safer schools

• Superintendent will be accountable for ensuring students meet performance benchmarks

• Long-term contract to assure continuity, accountability

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 10

Leadership is key to future

– We need a chief financial officer to:• Develop an effective budget process• Increase accountability • Create plan for reducing deficit• Long-term contract to assure continuity, accountability

– Private funds should be raised and local resources tapped to supplement our budget and enhance our educational programs

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 11

Numbers tell us change is needed

The numbers tell us we will need to close schools and rightsize staffing–We have lost too many students to continue with the status quo

• Enrollment has plunged as students to charters and cybercharters– Hundreds have moved to cybercharters in recent years– 300 to charters from May to September

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 12

Rightsizing our faculty and staff

Currently district has 492 employees– 181 teachers, earning a median salary of $76,000– Maintaining a teaching staff at the same level as in

past does is not affordable when we have lost so many children from the district

– Some classes have student/teacher ratio as low as 11-1

– We need to raise ratio and match staff size to the number of pupils

– If we bring students back to the district, we can reverse the trend and add teachers

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 13

Schools are grossly underutilized

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 14

Use of facilities

– With the district schools at 35 percent of capacity overall, we must assess our facilities

– Determine which school to close based on: • capacity • condition• whether building sale can bring in much-needed revenue

– Reduce operating and capital costs by selling outdated buildings that the district has not used and is not likely to use again

– Establish a reserve fund to keep the school buildings we do use up-to-date and well-maintained

Key point: where education is offered is less important than what’s happening in schools

Education must be excellentACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 15

Bring back students from charters, cyberschools

– By making our schools better, we can bring back students who left for charter schools and cyberschools • When enrollment grows, revenue returns to

the district and teachers can be rehired• We can’t lose one more student!

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 16

Chester Upland SD = Excellence

• Our recovery plan aims to make CUSD a high performing district, a model for other urban districts in PA, US

• We must all work together to improve our schools • I am visiting students, asking them to commit to

excellence– Most powerful decisions they can make:

• Be world class citizens • Make this district excellent

• I ask you to do the sameACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 17

We need your commitment

• Sign up to get involved, make CUSD into an excellent district• Ask you to complete the form available tonight• Indicate interest in being involved• Give us guidance on what’s important

– In what ways can we attract more students TO our school district?– What would you like to see in place that is different for these

students?– What do our Chester Upland students need that they are not getting

through our school district?

To stay informed, visit us at:www.cusdrecoveryplan.org

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CUSD 18

The role of the community – working together for better schools_______________________________________

• I pledge to work with all of you – staff, parents, community leaders, school board members and administrator – to turn this district around

• It will take a collaborative effort over the long haul to bring academic excellence to our schools

ACT 141 RECOVERY PLAN FOR CHESTER UPLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT 19

We can do it, we must do it and we will do it - together - for the sake of our children.