2016-17 Legislative Priorities

Academic Year 2016-2017 Fairbanks North Star Borough School District

Legislative Priorities

Our mission is to provide an excellent, equitable education in a safe, supportive environment so all students will succeed and contribute to a diverse and changing society.

$8.67 million #1 Budget = Class Priority Size Cut from the 2015-16 budget -39.4 full-time equivalent positions Human Resources Non-Departmental

+$68,848 -$100,000

Special Education Instruction -$224,259

Student Activities -$241,292 Elementary RTI -$265,284 Charter Schools

-$301,315

Student Support Services

The first priority for the district 201617 budget is class size. Our students achieve academic success when their diverse needs are met with appropriately allocated resources, including caring and qualified staff.

-$1,121,541 Classroom Instruction (Budget Reduction)

-$1,226,023 Classroom Instruction (Enrollment Reduction)

External Challenges

1

-$3,854,127

2

We urge a review and update to the Fairbanks Cost Factor as it is over ten years old and critical to the equitable distribution of funding.

Fairbanks has the same cost factor as Mat-Su at .07, despite significantly higher fuel and other costs in the Interior, while Kenai receives a .17 adjustment.

We believe the current cost factor does not accurately reflect local operating costs.

-$1,409,927

Administrative Center & Districtwide Instruction

Fairbanks Cost Factor

2

Transportation Costs

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Healthcare Costs

Under current state funding levels, escalating costs and limited service options will require the district to subsidize transportation services by over $2.5 million for fiscal year 2017.

The district estimates a $2.6 - $4.0 million impact from the excise tax associated with the Affordable Care Act. Plan adjustments will need to be put in place to mitigate the excise tax beginning in 2020.

Plan adjustments remain a financial priority due to trend implications and the overall cost of the plan to the district.

Priority Capital Project Barnette Magnet School Phase IV (Final Phase): $11,275,426

Barnette is one of the district’s oldest schools. Most of the structure is more than 50 years old and major infrastructure systems are wearing out.

• • • •

Not ADAAA compliant Does not meet all codes Structurally deficient (seismic and lateral loads) Building envelope in very poor condition

This will be the fourth and final phase to complete a much-needed renovation. Fairbanks voters twice approved expenditures for Phase I and II, and the legislature provided funding for Phase III. Phase IV will complete the renovation of the original 1960’s wing and demolish the 1970’s addition.

Efficiencies within our district Alternative ways the district is cutting costs.

Fairbanks BEST expansion In the past year, the district correspondence and homeschool program, Fairbanks BEST, has expanded to accept students from across the state and has improved awareness of the program. This year has seen an increase of 36% in student enrollment.

staff restructuring and reduction Academic assessments and interventions have been provided by staff outside the classroom in previous school years. A shift has been made to teacher-directed, classroom based models. This change requires additional time to train teachers in administering assessments and interventions, and to participate in intervention decisions, but enables schools to continue to provide interventions for students if support staff numbers are reduced.

facilities management Department The Facilities Management Department has increased its efficiency through changing to in-house snow removal ($220,000 annually), exempt personnel now monitor the maintenance on-call phone ($24,338 in answering services), and switching to a four-day workweek in the summer ($30,649 in electrical use and added employee work time).

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Student Achieve student learning is at the center of everything we do.

Graduation Rates: 2007-2015

Alaska Performance Scholarship: percentage of eligible graduates 50% 45% 50% 40% 45% 35% 40% 30% 35% 25% 30% 20% 25% 15% 20% 10% 15% 5% 10% 0% 5% 0%

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43% 41% 38% 38% 43% 38% 41% 35% 34% 38% 38% 34% 33% 38% 33% 32% 30% 30% 29% 35% 29% 34% 34% 33% 27% 27% 33% 27% 32% 25% 25% 30% 25% 30% 29% 29% 23% 27% 22% 21% 27% 27% 25% 25% 25% 23% 22% 21%

Fairbanks Fairbanks

Anchorage Anchorage

Juneau Juneau

Kenai Kenai

Matsu Matsu

Statewide Statewide

AY11 Percent Eligible AY12 Percent Eligible AY13 Percent Eligible AY14 Percent Eligible AY11 Percent Eligible AY12 Percent Eligible AY13 Percent Eligible AY14 Percent Eligible

Eligible graduates AY 2014: 340

ement

92%

Districtwide Attendance Rate

100.0%

Percent Mee5ng Standards

Percent Mee4ng Standards

Percent Mee5ng Standards

Percent Mee5ng Standards

Alaska Measures of Progress (AMP): Percentage of students meeting standards

Workforce Development

English Language Arts Grades 3-­‐6 Fairbanks

Big 4

Statewide

50.0%

37.5% 41.1% 35.4%

46.5% 45.2%

40.0%

48.2% 49.0%

42.1%

42.1% 39.9% 37.5%

0.0%

GRADE 3

100.0%

GRADE 4

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

English Language Arts Grades 7-­‐10 Fairbanks

Big 4

Statewide

50.0% 30.5% 33.9% 29.9%

34.3% 36.0% 31.1%

36.7% 38.1% 32.8%

GRADE 7

GRADE 8

GRADE 9

32.1% 31.9% 28.6%

0.0%

GRADE 10

Math Grades 3-­‐6

100.0%

Fairbanks

Big 4

Statewide

50.0% 43.1% 46.5% 40.5%

44.5% 44.3%

38.8%

37.4% 39.5% 34.6%

40.3%

35.3% 31.9%

0.0%

GRADE 3

GRADE 4

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

Math Grades 7-­‐10

100.0%

Fairbanks

Big 4

Statewide

In 2014, almost 400 students earned industry, state or federal certifications and licenses in diverse areas such as: building trades, welding, medical and healthcare fields, automotive technology, pre-engineering, culinary arts, accounting, and information technology.

A long-standing agreement with the UAF Community & Technical College trains and certifies high school students as Certified Nurse Assistants. Up to 40 seniors per year earn state CNA credentials and nine college credits before graduating from high school.

Our School to Apprenticeship program provides select students direct entry to a union apprenticeship upon graduation from high school. This agreement is coordinated through the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center.

50.0% 33.0% 34.3% 29.7%

27.5%

33.2%

25.8%

25.9%

31.1%

26.2%

22.0% 22.8% 20.2%

0.0%

GRADE 7

GRADE 8

GRADE 9

GRADE 10

Big 4 is an unweighted average of Anchorage, Juneau, Kenai and Mat‐Su. Prepared by Ellis Ott, Ph.D., Research & Accountability.

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Attendance matters 100.0%

90.2%

88.2%

Gradua2on Rate

90.0%

Gradua2on Rate by A9endance

68.8%

80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0%

27.0%

40.0% 30.0%

5.3%

20.0% 10.0% 0.0%

Goal (95%+)

90%-­‐94%

80%-­‐89%

70%-­‐79%

60-­‐69%

2.4% Below 60%

Typically, students with attendance rates lower than 80% (more than 36 days absent): • Have a GPA at least a letter grade below their peers • 14x more likely to drop out of school • Only 27% chance of graduating

A9endance Rate

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District data on attendance and graduation rates illustrate that consistent school attendance is closely linked with academic success.

Strategic Goals

Investing in Alaska’s future 1. Personalized Learning: Provide students with options to meet their needs and achieve academic success.

2. Effective Communication: Establish transparent and consistent communication to increase student, parent, staff, and community connectedness with the district.

3. Parent & Community Engagement: Engage parents and community groups with schools to facilitate a stronger learning environment for students.

4. Organizational Support: Create an environment that supports the needs of staff to enable a school and organizational climate where students thrive.

5. Technology Integration: Expand student access to technology to amplify learning.

Business Partnerships and Grants The district received a five-year $1.49 million grant from the Department of Defense Education Activity Partnership to pilot a 1:1 digital learning environment designed to support early reading and math literacy at five military-connected elementary schools.

We are expecting an upcoming federal grant award for workforce development that will utilize federal funds to pay college tuition for students while still in high school. All of the college courses will be in high demand occupations in the healthcare provider field and align directly with post-graduation employment.

Increased investment in our Partners in Education program has strengthened existing relationships and developed new partnerships that connect business and community resources with unmet district needs.

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About Our District

The Fairbanks School District encompasses 18 elementary schools, eight secondary schools, and seven schools of choice.

Enrollment

Average Class Size

Grade 2015-16 Elementary (Pre K-6) 7,898 Middle/Jr High (7-8) 2,063 Secondary (9-12) 3,890 Total 13,851

Grade 2015-16 Elementary (K-6) 24.2 Middle/Jr High (7-8) 21.7 Secondary (9-12) 22.5

Ethnicities African American, 4.7%

Languages

There are over 55 languages spoken within the Fairbanks School District.

Asian/Pacific Islander, 3.5%

Top five most common spoken languages after English:

Hispanic, 8.4% Alaska Native/ American Indian, 9.1%

Multi-Racial, 14.5%

Caucasian, 59.8%

1. Spanish 2. Tagalog/Filipino/Pilipino 3. German 4. Russian 5. Inupiaq

District staff

Instructional Staff: 890.95 (Teachers, Librarians, Counselors, etc.)

Support Staff: 515.48 (Secretaries, Aides, etc.)

Facilities Management: 171.8 (Custodians, Maintenance, etc.)

Professional Staff: 54.15 (Directors, Coordinators, etc.)

Principals & Assistant Principals: 41

Total: 1,673.38 Full-Time Employees

Visit www.k12northstar.org to find the district’s full strategic plan, read district news, and learn more about the district’s budget.