Page 12 - The Edge - Fall 2018

SUMMER CONFERENCE WRAP-UP

By Don Harris

Denis and Dale Ponder Offer

Tips on Current Year Funding
Dale Ponder Denis Ponder

What’s so funny about current year funding? Denis emphasized: “It’s really not a good thing.” Noting the
Actually, nothing, unless you listen to Dale and Denis relatively small amount of money saved from a multi-billion
Ponder tell how their Yuma school districts are coping with the dollar state budget, he said, “Guessing how many kids will be
relatively new system of budgeting and funding, which many at your school in seven months is a real challenge.”
school business officials describe with one word: “Bad.” Relying on a computer program such as Forecast5 Analytics
Denis Ponder, a physical education teacher and former can ease the burden. It helps Crane District forecast enrollment
Chief Financial Officer at Yuma Elementary School District No.
1 , and Dale Ponder, chief of Finance and Operations at Crane “Make sure everyone is on the same page
Elementary School District No. 13, mixed humor with solid tips
on the difficulty of dealing with current year funding. regarding policies and procedures,” Denis said.
Current year funding means the money school districts “Maintaining a dialog will help them do their
receive from state and local revenue is mostly dictated by the
number of students the schools expect to have for that same jobs better.”
school year. Previously, state and local funding of school — Denis Ponder
districts was based on enrollment numbers from the prior year.
The change, approved by the Legislature, was estimated to cost
school districts about $32 million. five years out, providing a view of likely needed supplies,
The Ponder brothers began their breakout session at services, teachers and employees.
AASBO’s Summer Conference and Expo by telling their “It gives you a bigger picture of what’s happening in your
audience they had 268 slides in their presentation. Of course, budget,” Denis said. “You want to know on Day One how close
they were kidding. Because it was the last breakout session you are on enrollment. We’re close to 98 percent.”
of the conference, they promised to wrap it up in time for the He said parents will generally overlook crowded classrooms
Happy Hour. They weren’t kidding about that. in the first week, but after that they don’t want their child in a
The brothers represent Yuma school disitricts that are facing class with 35 students.
conflicting challenges— Denis’ district is experiencing a slight Districts need to check on local demographics, including
increase in enrollment, while Dale’s Crane District is dealing birth rates. “Do we have more kids because more people are
with a decline. moving into our district, or are more kids transferring from
Denis said his district has 17 schools, 8,900 students, 78 other schools?” Dale said. “We all know how challenging it is
percent in the free or reduced lunch program, and since Fiscal to find teachers, especially in August and September. You don’t
Year 2016 has seen enrollment inch up by1 percent annually. want to have to try to find ten teachers at the start of the school
Crane Elementary School District has 11 schools, 6,300 year. Maybe you can deal with needing one or two teachers.”
students, 80 percent in the free or reduced lunch program, Crane also used budget analytics to hopefully avoid
and has seen a 2 percent annual reduction in enrollment since surprises, monitoring ADM/enrollment trends every ten days.
FY2016. “After ten days, how many kids actually showed up?” Dale said.
The brothers then produced a slide showing a photo and
quote of former AASBO President Ken Hicks: “Current year
funding is bad.” Continued on page 13

12 THE EDGE | FALL 2018