Two big questions . . .

After one week and the first official enrollment count there are two big questions that concern me and that have the potential to have a significant impact on our school system.

Given the projected shortfall in revenue, how will the Governor and legislators balance the budget?
How do we change the mental model held by many in our community that we don't need to increase our capacity to house students?

On the budget issue, this Seattle Times article is a concern because if what Senator Zarelli is proposing were to take place we would not know until after the first of the new year what to expect in budget cuts.  Instead of a special session he is suggesting that a bipartisan panel be formed to identify potential cuts for the full legislature to consider in January.  Unfortunately, not all legislators agree so if nothing can be worked out the Governor may have to implement across the board cuts of up to 10%.  That could mean up to $700,000 for us and I would not want to wait until the new year to know this. 

To make the budget issue worse, our first enrollment count was below projected enrollment and at this time is below the first count for last year.  This means that we will not have additional enrollment revenue to make up for some of the expected budget cuts.  If implemented this would be the second year in a row that we will have experienced a revenue reduction after passing a budget and starting the school year.

The second big question has even bigger consequences for the future of our school system.  Our schools are full and we need additional housing capacity.  We have increased capacity by placing 73 portables on our campuses without increasing infrastructure in any of the buildings.  These portables, using space for classrooms that were not designed for this use, and changing attendance areas has resulted in a mental model for many in our community that don't worry we can make it work.  Well, that may be possible for the short term, but we can no longer add portables and have few spaces left for regular classrooms.  Either we add capacity or we change who we are.  How do we increase capacity before significant changes must be made to our program?  Potential options will come from our citizen's committee studying the issue, but changing the mental model and passing a bond measure will be more difficult.

These questions hover over everything that we do, but are out of sight for most people in our community and for many in our school system.  They drain energy from the system and cause anxiety.  We must find ways to make them visible and understood so that answers can be found that result in stability and focus on what we must do to prepare all young people for success in post high school learning and work.