Comments on: What Governor’s action, May 19 vote mean to Albany

By: Ira

Ira — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:56:20 +0000

If AUSD is making money on additional students, then why is there a severe budget shortfall? I would have to see the accounting before I am going to believe that one.

Given that there was a 31% increase in enrollment compared to seven years ago and there was also a parcel tax since then (I believe), how come the addition of 911 more students is not leading to overflowing coffers?

Now we face the problem of the state providing less money than before. Moreover, there is overcrowding, so additional students means the need to construct more classrooms or else there is a diminished educational experience for Albany children. Interestingly, at the elementary and middle schools there was a sharp drop in out of district students this year.

Sadly the school district wants to build two pools and have an even bigger operational deficit instead of doing the rational thing and spending a lot of money on classrooms.

I agree that there is also an issue with University Village students. I did not raise the issue in the previous email because I did not want to make too many points in one email. The UV students have a right to attend AUSD classes. I also agree that the school district needs to receive more in return from the state/UC in exchange for providing University Village students with a top level education.

The thing is, why are we guessing about the economic issues? AUSD needs to be providing data and explanations. Perhaps at Monday’s meeting a community member or reporter can raise these issues. Now that AUSD wants even more tax money, they are under some pressure to explain why they need to keep on asking for money. Given how they dealt with the Measure E issue, right now I am reluctant to vote for another tax.

2001-2002 2008-2009 Percent Increase
resident 2308 2871 24.4%
non-resident 311 633 103.5%
UV 286 312 9.1%
Total 2905 3816 31.4%

By: Peg Healy

Peg Healy — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:40:27 +0000

I have been told by both former supervisor Willie Wong and former Bd of Ed member Charlie Blanchard that out-of-district students bring in more state money than they cost the district. I don’t think that takes into account the severe overcrowding.

By: KJ

KJ — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:34:27 +0000

I have two kids entering Albany kindergarten this year, and I’m feeling very disillusioned. I’ve always believed in the public school system, and the schools are a big part of the reason we bought an Albany home, but I am now thinking I’m doing a disservice to my children sending them to any California public school. No music? Bigger class sizes? Where does all the income in this state go? And why doesn’t Albany get more funds for the schools from UC Village?

By: Andrew Austin

Andrew Austin — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:50:23 +0000

Ira,
I spoke with Charlie Blanchard about classrooms at a pool meeting. He says the average cost for a teacher to be in a classroom is about $75K. The amount the state gives per student is above $4K, sorry I forget the number I used $4K and he said a number much higher, if there are 30 students in the class the district gets a net income.
So if a classroom has 29 students and Willie Wong allowed another into the district he would have $4K more to spend. So to him it made sense.
Now yes your right the parcel taxes gets spread out, less for each student on average.
But if you spread the $4K out it is more per each student than the parcel tax spread out.
Why did you not put this on the Albany yahoo group? Have you been kicked off? We could use you on the pool committee.
In Peace,
Andy

By: Ross Stapleton-Gray

Ross Stapleton-Gray — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:08:50 +0000

“…but why should people with no children support additional taxes on themselves?” One argument there is that by maintaining Albany’s status as “the place to go for the schools,” it helps to maintain home values, economic vitality, etc.

I believe that the push to add non-resident students related to optimizing revenue: once you’ve sunk investment into facilities, and other fixed costs, filling the schools provides the best return.

I wonder if the situation is a bit worse than you’ve described, though, as residents who are residents of UC Village are Albany citizens, but tenants of an entity (UC) that doesn’t pay the same taxes as other landlords. How, if at all, does UC and its properties relate to a potential parcel tax?

I’ve also wondered, though, if there isn’t an interesting area to explore, vis-a-vis UC, by having them establsh a charter school at UC village, as a kind of pedagogical incubator: give the UC departments related to education (including the iSchool) a testbed to experiment with educational innovation, jointly with AUSD.

By: Ira

Ira — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:04:53 +0000

Does anyone know why the Albany Unified School District has 633 NON-resident students? That is about twice as many as there were earlier in the decade.

With the state budget cuts, I hop that someone can explain the economics behind admitting so many non-residents and why Albany parcel tax money should go to educate students who do not live in Albany.

Also I see parents saying it is cheaper to pay high Albany taxes than to send their children to private schools. I appreciate that honesty, but why should people with no children support additional taxes on themselves?

By: Karen Larson

Karen Larson — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 05:51:05 +0000

Barbara, thank you for a thoughtful and informative — albeit depressing! — article.