TESTIMONY BEFORE THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, DISTRICT OF

COLUMBIA COUNCIL ON THE FY 2009 BUDGET SUPPORT ACT

Mary M. Levy, Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs

April 25, 2008

Good afternoon. I appear today not only in my normal role of education finance analyst, but as an official spokesperson of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, in opposition to the Mayor’s proposal in Title IV, Subtitle J of the Budget Support Act to repeal D.C. Code § 38-917. That provision, passed by an 85% vote of the citizens of the District in 1987, guarantees parents and other citizens two hearings during the process of budget development for the D.C. Public School system, one before the Board (now the Chancellor) and one before the Mayor, the latter to occur after issuance of a detailed budget by DCPS.

The issue encompasses two elements essential to public participation and good government:

· Budget information both detailed and timely: The budget of DCPS is its most critical document announcing the school system’s plan, policies and priorities. Only with a full proposed budget do we find the answers to questions such as: What resources are dedicated to local schools? Is there bloat in the central administration? Given big differences in student needs, are resources distributed equitably across the City? And only with adequate time are the public and public officials able to analyze the budget to answer such questions.

· Hearings to accommodate parent and community response: By law, all parents must submit their children to the authority of the DC government for seven hours a day ten months of the year. They rightly expect to have something to say about the policies and priorities directing the treatment of their children. More generally, parent and community engagement is important, both in support of their rights as citizens and taxpayers to participate in important decisions, and in helping public officials make fully informed decisions.

We have researched practice elsewhere, both in our surrounding suburbs and in several other cities. A short description is attached. All solicit public comment before the proposed budget is developed, and all have public hearings before it is finalized. The contrast between the process proposed by the Mayor for the District and that in our suburbs is especially striking. Their websites encourage parent and community participation in hearings starting in the fall and post detailed budget information at three stages of the process – proposed, adopted and final approved. These are good school systems. Why do we not emulate their practice?

What we ask the Council to do:

· Eliminate Subtitle J of Title IV of the Mayor’s proposed Budget Support Act, leaving the hearing requirements intact.

· Require that the Mayor and Chancellor issue a proposed budget at least 30 days before the Mayor’s submission of the City budget to the Council, requiring specific kinds and levels of detail.

· Support organized forums for public input both before budget development and after the issuance of the detailed proposed budget, in time to permit responsive adjustments before the Council receives the budget.

We are working with parent representatives to draft specific language implementing these concepts, and will be pleased to work with Council members and staff to move them forward.

Thank you for this opportunity to testify.

BUDGET RELEASE AND PUBLIC HEARINGS IN DC SUBURBS

AND OTHER CITIES

SUBURBS

As of late February, detailed budgets for the five surrounding suburbs -- Alexandria City, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Montgomery Count, Prince George's County -- were posted on the districts' websites.   A detailed Superintendent's Proposed Budget was posted for all five, along with supporting documents. In three of the districts the school board had approved the budget (approvals dated between February 5 and February 14).  In two cases the budget as approved was also posted, in detail; in the third "add-on" changes were posted.  The detailed budgets that are paginated continuously range from 232 to 521 pages.

The general schedule for public input and issuance of budgets is:

Solicitation of public input: September-November

Detailed Superintendent’s Proposed Budget: December or January

Board of Education public hearings: January or February

Detailed Board Budget: February

County public hearings: April and May

County Council Budget: May or June

Board reconciliation of budget: June (sometimes a public hearing before reconciliation)

Fairfax County

Superintendent solicits public input: September-November

Superintendent’s proposed budget: January 10

Public hearing by Board of Education: February 6

Board of Education budget adoption: February 14

Public hearings by County Board of Supervisors: March 31-April 2

Board of Supervisors transfer of funds to Board of Education: April 28

Board of Education budget hearing: May 15

Board of Education approved budget: May 22

Montgomery County

Board of Education Community Forums September 20, 2007 October 11, 2007

Superintendent’s Operating Budget presentation December 13, 2007

Board of Education public hearings January 9 & 16, 2008

Board of Education action February 5, 2008

Board of Education budget transmittal to County Executive/County Council March 1, 2008

County Executive recommendations presented to County Council March 15, 2008

County Council budget hearings April-May 2008

County Council budget action May 22, 2008

Final Board of Education action to approve FY 2009 Operating Budget June 10, 2008

Prince George’s County

Superintendent’s Proposed Operating Budget December 2007

County Executive public hearing for County Budget January 2008

Board of Education Budget Public Hearings January 7, 9, 14, 2008

Board of Education Requested Budget Adoption February 28, 2008

County Executive submits Requested budget to the County Council By March 15, 2008

County Council budget hearings April/May 2008

County Council approves budget By June

Arlington County

Public comment to Board of Education: September

Superintendent’s Proposed Budget: February 21

Public hearings by Board of Education: March 11

Public hearings by County Board: March 25

School Board presentation of APS budget to County Board: April 15

School Board’s Proposed FY 2009 Budget: April 17

County Board adoption of FY 2009 County Budget: April 19

Public Hearing on Budget: April 22

Alexandria City

Public hearings before Board of Education: September

Public hearings by City Council: October

Superintendent’s proposed budget: December 20

Public hearing before Board of Education: February 2

Board of Education budget submission to City: February 8

City budget: February 12

Superintendent’s revised budget: February

Board of Education revised budget: March 6

Public hearings before City Council: March-April

City Council budget: May

Board final approved budget: May 29

OTHER CITIES

Boston

Committee Hearings: January 29, February 26, March 12, March 19

Superintendent’s Preliminary Budget: February 6

Superintendent’s Final Budget: March 26

Committee adopts, sends to Mayor

Mayor sends to Council as part of City budget: April

Council hearings: May

Council adoption: May-June

Chicago

Citizen Groups review of budget allocation formula: October-January

School and central office development of budgets and plans: February-April

Central budget development: March-May

Release of, public hearing on proposed operating budget: June

Final budget presented to Board of Education: June

New York City

Mayor presents preliminary budget to Council: January 16

Council hearings on preliminary budget: January-March 25

Council findings and recommendations: March 25

Mayor submits proposed budget in detail: April 26

Council hearings on proposed budget, negotiations with Mayor for balanced budget: May

Council vote on budget: June 5

Mayor veto opportunity: June 5-10