As a taxpayer and a parent of children in the St. Vrain Valley School District, I care deeply about the quality of our children`s education and the financial integrity of our district. And in my relatively new capacity as the district`s Chief Financial Officer, I shall remain steadfast in my commitment to the responsible and transparent stewardship of taxpayer resources.

As an administrator with over 21 years of experience in Colorado`s public education system, I can safely say that the state has never experienced a financial crisis of this magnitude. The multi-year projections and the size of the deficit will require unique solutions, sacrifice and hard work.

On Feb. 3, about 250 residents gathered at Silver Creek High School to discuss the state`s estimated $1.5 – $2.2 billion budget crisis. To fix this shortfall, state legislators plan to slash K-12 funding for next year by at least $260 million. The resulting cut to the anticipated district`s 2010-2011 general operating fund is expected to be somewhere between $10 and15 million.

The Silver Creek forum was designed to solicit broad community input about managing the state`s funding reduction. It highlighted the need to provide the public with more information about school finance including the difference between the district`s annual budget and general operating fund, and the difference between restricted and unrestricted funds.

Such nuances are important in order to understand the district`s ability to respond to the current budget challenge. For example, state and federal regulations strictly prohibit the district from making cuts to sizable portions of the annual budget and aims new cuts at the unrestricted dollars found within the general fund (which pays for day-to-day operations).

Community members attending the forum reinforced our resolve to make every effort to minimize impacts to students and preserve jobs. However, because 84 percent of the general operating fund is dedicated to paying the salary and benefits of our 3,800 employees, it will be especially challenging to implement cuts without causing layoffs and increasing class sizes. Nonetheless, we are aggressively pursuing this goal.

The forum also gave residents the opportunity to ask valuable questions about the District`s actions. Why, for example, did the Board of Education approve an average 5.3 percent teacher pay increase this year? And why are we building two new schools in this budget crisis? In 2008, the voters approved a mill levy increase to lower class sizes and bring teacher salaries more in line with market. The 17 percent growth in the salary and benefits budget this year reflects the District`s commitment to honor the voter`s wishes. The successful 2008 bond initiative is restricted to capital school construction. Voters approved these funds to build schools to relieve overcrowding and win back students that have left St. Vrain for other districts.

In 2000, voters in this state approved Amendment 23 to stabilize K-12 education funding. The extent of the state financial crisis has led to a “reinterpretation” of Amendment 23 that has put public education on the cutting block. State Representative Jack Pommer recently reminded residents that the District had every reason to expect that the Legislature would honor its constitutional obligations and support the District`s general fund in accordance with Amendment 23. The District could not have anticipated a proposed rescission for next year`s per pupil funding that will result in a 4.6 percent ($317 per student) reduction from the current year`s per pupil funding. Unfortunately, and to the detriment of our children, the proposed rescission could grow even further.

The good news is that the successful mill levy override in 2008, a growing student enrollment, and conservative fiscal management has positioned the St. Vrain Valley School district to weather the hard times and continue providing excellent educational opportunities to our children. The almost daily news stories detailing the devastating impact of these cuts on surrounding school districts emphasize the comparative strength of our district`s situation. We are truly fortunate to have a highly effective superintendent and strong school board leadership.

School finance is complex and the full impact of the state financial crisis is a moving target, but the district is committed to providing accurate information about important decisions that affect our stakeholders.

Accordingly, another opportunity to obtain factual data about the State`s budget crisis and share input will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 2, in the Commons at Altona Middle School Auditorium, 4600 Clover Basin Drive, in Longmont.

I strongly encourage residents who want to learn more about the state financial crisis and its impact on our district to attend the forum on March 2nd.

You can find additional information at stvrain.k12.co.us or contact me directly at 303-682-7203 or schueler_terry@stvrain.k12.co.us.

Terry Schueler is the Chief Financial Officer for the St. Vrain Valley School District.