NASD Enrollment Growth, Salary & Benefits

Enrollment History

Student enrollment at Nazareth, for many years was between 200 and 300 students per class, which placed overall enrollment in the area of 3250. During the housing boom in the area, class sizes swelled to as many as 450. Next year will mark the third consecutive year that enrollment has declined.

From 1998-99 through 2001-02 enrollments were slightly above 4000, then it jumped to 4350 in 2002-03. Each consecutive year saw a jump of close to a hundred until the peak year of 2008-2009 when enrollment was 4919.

Since the peak we’ve had three declining years and our enrollment is now 4628, equal to the levels from the 2004-05/2005-06 school years.

Cost Per Enrollment

Ten years ago, 2001-02 school year, the cost per enrollment was $9,225 and for five years, through the 2003-04 school year, the cost per enrollment was kept close to $9,000 give or take a few hundred.

Why does it today cost $5,944 more per student, a roughly 69% increase, than it did 10 years ago?

Staff Increase

It stands to reason if you have an increase in students, you will need to have more staff to support them.

Comparing staffing levels from 01-02 to 11-12 you find(4126 enrollment to 4628):

Year	Staff	Teachers	Admin	Teamsters	Support	IU
01-02	457	269	20	53	82	34
11-12	562	342	27	62	122	9
Growth/Loss	23%	27%	35%	17%	49%	-74%

A 12% growth of enrollment resulted in a 23% increase in staff.

Comparing staffing levels from 05-06 to 11-12 when the enrollment was equal you find (4699 to 4628):

Year	Staff	Teachers	Admin	Teamsters	Support	IU
05-06	521	319	24	55	107	17
11-12	562	342	27	62	122	9
Growth/Loss	8%	7%	15%	13%	14%	-47%

The second set of numbers represent the number of additional staff required today to educate the same number of students 6 years ago.

One goal for the NASD ought to be staff allocation to identify how we can return to levels closer to 05-06 school year. Some balance of admin (most costly), teachers (greatest quantity), and support (most expendable) cuts could save close to $2M, or 3% of the proposed budget. Read below on these costs.

Salary & Benefits Increase

Looking at our three points in time:

Year	Staff	Salary & Benefit	Total Budget	Percent of Budget	Avg. Per Staff
2001-02	457	$23,611,000	$38,015,000	62%	$51,665
2005-06	521	$30,009,577	$49,510,862	65%	$57,600
2011-12	562	$43,871,006	$68,834,445	64%	$78,062

The average staff salary and benefits increased 51% over ten years, or 5.1% per year. This is significantly higher than inflation and much higher than private sector compensation.

Now consider the 41 additional positions we have to educate the same number of students. If we cut 20 positions, considering the average cost per staff member, we’d save $1,561,240 per year and still have 21 more staff than we did in 05-06.

Administration

Salaries and benefits for administration (section 2300) was $2,089,292 (5% of salary and benefits) or $87,054 per administrator in 05-06, and $3,170,717 or $117,434 per administrator in 11-12 (35% increase).

In 7 years our average administrators’ salary and benefits has increased 35% or 5% per year. As noted above, this exceeds inflation and compensation in the private sector.

The reduction of two administrators would save $234,868 per year, and we’d still have one more administrator than we did in 2005-06.

Another consideration regarding compensation is that each of our three elementary principals had their responsibilities reduced when the new building configuration was implemented. Each is now responsible for two fewer grades, meaning less teachers and students. My guess is that their compensation was not adjusted accordingly.

Teachers, Teamsters, Support, IU

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a line item specific to Teachers, Teamsters, Support and IU, but I could find Personnel Services Salary and Benefits in the areas of: Regular Education, Special Education, Other Instructional Programs, Pupil Personnel Services, Instructional Staff, Pupil Health, Business Office Services, Operations & Maintenance of Plant Services, Student Transportation Services, Information Services, and Student Activities.

Regular & Special Education

Since I can’t accurately align staff with cost, I’m simply going to compare Regular and Special Education Salary & Benefits then and now, after all, this is the reason we have a school system.

In 2005-06 salary and benefits for Regular Education (1100 section) was $18,528,316 or 38% of total spending.

In 2011-12 salary and benefits for Regular Education (1100 section) is $25,723,859 or 37% of total spending.

In 2005-06 salary and benefits for Special Education (1200 section) was $3,120,079 or 6% of total spending.

In 2011-12 salary and benefits for Special Education (1200 section) is $5,652,165 or 8% of total spending.

Taken together, Regular and Special Education salary and benefits accounted for 44% of total expenses in 05-06 and 45% in the proposed budget.

Regular and Special Education total budgets equal 52% of total expenses in both years.

As noted above, some staff cuts, which keep us 20 teachers ahead of 05-06 and one administrator more could save 3% from the budget alone. It seems there are a few ways to save costs including, evaluate staff allocation, re-assess administrative salaries based on responsibilities, better align annual increases with the private sector, and consider increased employee contributions toward benefits.

Posted via email from Ross Nunamaker