The Hearst LSAT (Local School Advisory Team), comprised of parents and school staff, in cooperation with Principal Geoffroy, is seeking input from the Hearst community about Budget Priorities for SY 2020-2021. This survey will help the LSAT balance priorities when we receive our school's budget, likely sometime in February 2020.
As background, Hearst's budget in 2019-2020 was $4.9M, and includes 55 full-time staff members. This budget was increased approximately $400,000 over the 2019-2020 school year.
You can look at the final submitted Hearst budget for SY 2019-2020 here:
https://www.dcpsdatacenter.com/assets/docs/pdfs/fy20submittedbudget_Hearst%20ES.pdfThe vast majority of the budget is staffing. Indeed, the school uses funds budgeted for supplies to support additional staff members, and supplies are then purchased using PTA funds.
Naturally, some elements of the budget are fixed. Of course, classroom teachers at all grades and partner teachers in PK and K are required, as are CES teachers and aides, special education, English-language learners, and certain specials teachers, as well as some support staff. But the LSAT does have some limited flexibility in shifting around funds. For example, when the school has allocated 0.9 of an assistant principal, we re-assigned those funds to support other positions.
What this survey is mainly aimed at are your *priorities*. The LSAT will use your feedback on priorities to try to balance staffing for the 2020-2021 school budget, using the limited flexibility that we have. Of course, there are many things to keep in mind. The school budget could decrease, increase, or stay flat. Changing enrollment could impact staffing choices if we need to add additional classroom teachers to support larger grades. DCPS often mandates certain additional spending (sometimes without providing additional funds). Ultimately, the LSAT is an advisory body only and we will do our best, with your input, to support all learners.
