Earlier this month, Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) released its 2015 Organizational and Performance Audit performed by local firm McConnell, Jones, Lanier and Murphy, LLC.
The lengthy (12 chapter) review covers a number of topics and includes a 43-page chapter, Impact of Charter Schools, that confirms recent complaints from the school system's Board of Education about costs associated with its charter schools eroding the MNPS operating budget.
Some highlights from the chapter are as follows:
--MNPS is operating or expected to open a total of 26 charter schools by end 2015 (A 27th Nashville-area charter school was ranked in the lowest 5% of schools statewide and subsequently moved to the state's Achievement School District).
--Since MNPS approved its first charter school in 2003, four such schools have closed.
--MNPS general fund operating expense has grown from $618 million in 2009 to a projected $790 million in 2015, representing a 27.8% increase.
--Meanwhile, MNPS outlays for charter schools have grown from $4.6 million in 2009 to a projected $50.1 million in 2015, representing a 989.1% increase.
--Charter school enrollment in MNPS has grown from .2 percent of total students in 2004 to a projected 6.4 percent of total students by end 2015.
In answer to the system's burgeoning charter school costs, auditors have recommended that MNPS "include a provision in charter school agreements that allows for authorizer oversight fees, and develop a cost allocation plan that supports the fees, which should be charged to charter schools that benefit from the School System’s administrative services."
Management has accepted this recommendation, but points out that "agreement of existing charter operators and/or state-level legislation is required to realize this goal."
Management also reports that "a study of fixed and variable costs associated with adding charter schools is underway."
The fifth and final recommendation from auditors in this chapter is that MNPS consider co-locating charter schools in its any underutilized school buildings and also that it consider for school buildings at which utilization rates are 100 percent or more creating stand-alone charter schools to serve the excess student population.
Management has rejected this recommendation--as has the state legislature, thus far.
(Timesaving tip: Interested readers may open the pdf file for this or any of the audit's 12 chapters and scroll directly to its last two or so pages to read a summary of auditors recommendations and management's responses on that chapter topic.)
|
|
Discussing:
- Begone Bradford Pear trees! (1 reply)
- Is Burchett demented? (3 replies)
- Tennessee Rising! (1 reply)
- Measles is a 'heat-seeking missile' experts warn as Florida outbreak grows (2 replies)
- Why are prices still so high? Corporate greed, some say (3 replies)
- Cost of car ownership on the rise, becoming unsustainable for some drivers (3 replies)
- Boeing was once known for safety and engineering (4 replies)
- Another rural hospital closes in Tennessee (2 replies)
- Tennessee farm worker finds severed pig's head at workstation after asking about pay, complaint states (1 reply)
- TN Republican Rep wants to change TN wetland regulations (5 replies)
- North Carolina Repub. gubernatorial candidate prefers that women can't vote (1 reply)
- CNN: What happened to Tennessee? (1 reply)
TN Progressive
- Malcolm Holcombe has Left the Building (RoaneViews)
- CNN Looks at Tennessee Legislature (RoaneViews)
- It's voting time again. Let's get out the vote. (BlountViews)
- Two Evil Forces At Work in America, Trump is merely a symptom (RoaneViews)
- A Couple of Things (RoaneViews)
- Winter at the Big Rocks (Whitescreek Journal)
- Maryville Daily Times Home Delivery changing again (BlountViews)
- Amazon facility in Rockford finally opens (BlountViews)
- Share your ideas for the Blount County Comprehensive Plan 2023 (BlountViews)
- Secrets from My Radio Days (Joe Powell)
- Fall 2022 (Whitescreek Journal)
- Mmmm, A Fresh Hot Cup of Joe (Joe Powell)
TN Politics
- Suit alleging suppression of free speech met with skepticism at U.S. Supreme Court (TN Lookout)
- SCOTUS to hear case alleging federal government bullied social media into censoring content (TN Lookout)
- The embryonic life (TN Lookout)
- MTSU board chairman wants to close meetings for “sensitive” topics (TN Lookout)
- Working-class people rarely have a seat ‘at the legislative table’ in state capitols (TN Lookout)
- Anderson County man keeps the history of Claxton and TVA’s role in development (TN Lookout)
Knox TN Today
- NCAA tournament tests eternal optimism (Knox TN Today)
- Parkwest gets new chief nursing officer (Knox TN Today)
- Wilsons donate $100K for new health science education center (Knox TN Today)
- Fast reaction saves baby, earns award for Parkwest nurses (Knox TN Today)
- Fort Sumter Cemetery board to meet (Knox TN Today)
- Services Tuesday for retired fire chief (Knox TN Today)
- Mississippi State stuns SEC champs (Knox TN Today)
- It’s a grand life if you don’t weaken (Knox TN Today)
- Israel vs Hamas at city council, again (Knox TN Today)
- 51 properties over $1 million so far this year (Knox TN Today)
- Knox the Fox cruises with Kathy King’s girls’ trip (Knox TN Today)
- A conversation about PTSD (Knox TN Today)
Local TV News
- East TN leaders raise concern over foreign-owned land in Loudon County (WATE)
- Knox County sends letter threatening action if builders don't start on AJ Building (WBIR)
- WBIR sues UT, seeking to make public its agreement to run ORNL with Battelle (WBIR)
- East TN realtors don't expect drastic market impact from NAR settlement (WATE)
- New housing development in Powell caters to first-time homeowners (WATE)
- New Sevier County adventure park offers 900 acres of off-road trails (WATE)
- Space-themed attraction opens in Pigeon Forge offering virtual reality experiences (WATE)
- Tennova North's new $67.5 million expansion aims to meet the needs of the expanding community (WATE)
- 'One of the most loved men' | Former KFD Chief Bruce Cureton passes away (WBIR)
- Autopsy: Man who kidnapped Knox County girl suffered 16 gunshot wounds in confrontation off interstate (WBIR)
- THP encourages driver safety ahead of Saint Patrick's Day weekend (WBIR)
- Some Townsend neighbors call for vote recall after leaders approve 'boutique' hotel plan (WBIR)
News Sentinel
State News
- Pursuing happiness on Frazier Avenue and more letters to the editors - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Lee University president resigns - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Man pursued by deputies crashes into Chattanooga garage - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- The spring equinox is here. What does that mean? - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
Wire Reports
- When Peter Navarro goes to prison, he’ll hear the lions roar - CNN (US News)
- Dow Jones Futures Fall: Nvidia Slides On CEO Speech; Google, Tesla Surge Ahead Of Fed - Investor's Business Daily (Business)
- Alito extends order barring Texas from detaining migrants under SB4 immigration law for now - CBS News (US News)
- Time is running out for interest rate cuts, market forecaster Jim Bianco warns before Fed meeting - CNBC (Business)
- College student Riley Strain went to 2 other bars on night he went missing and talked to Nashville officer - NBC News (US News)
- Trump appeals Georgia judge ruling, seeks ouster of DA Fani Willis from election fraud case - USA TODAY (US News)
- Democrats Are Meddling in Republican Primaries - The New York Times (US News)
- Kroger to sell its specialty pharmacy business - MarketWatch (Business)
- Goldman Sachs executive Stephanie Cohen resigns - New York Post (Business)
- Biden campaign releases ad featuring Trump "bloodbath" comments - Axios (US News)
- Mike Lynch: Autonomy founder's fraud trial begins in US - BBC.com (Business)
- Supreme Court justices appear skeptical of censorship claim against Biden White House in Big Tech case - New York Post (US News)
- Supreme Court considers curbing New York regulators dealing with NRA - USA TODAY (US News)
- Crafts Retailer Joann Files for Bankruptcy - The New York Times (Business)
- US homebuilder sentiment unexpectedly rises to highest level since July - Fox Business (Business)
Local Media
Lost Medicaid Funding
Search and Archives
TN Progressive
Nearby:
- Blount Dems
- Herston TN Family Law
- Inside of Knoxville
- Instapundit
- Jack Lail
- Jim Stovall
- Knox Dems
- MoxCarm Blue Streak
- Outdoor Knoxville
- Pittman Properties
- Reality Me
- Stop Alcoa Parkway
Beyond:
- Nashville Scene
- Nashville Post
- Smart City Memphis
- TN Dems
- TN Journal
- TN Lookout
- Bob Stepno
- Facing South
*
Among audit highlights offered above:
I was curious to look at growth in the number of charter schools MNPS does or will operate, as opposed to growth in the number of charter school students it does or will serve...
Given that the state's 2013-2014 State Report Card indicates MNPS then operated 156 total schools (scroll down to view data) and audit data indicate that MPNS then operated 17 charter schools, the number of charter schools in operation for the 2013-2014 school year appears to have constituted 10.9 percent of the system's total schools.
Assuming nine more charter schools open this calendar year, resulting in the aforementioned 26 charters anticipated by end 2015 and among 165 schools total by end 2015, the number of charter schools in operation by that time would appear to then constitute 15.8 percent of the system's total schools.
Additionally, if any of the nine new charter schools anticipated to open by end 2015 represents not any new school but the conversion of an existing school, charter schools as a percent of the system's total schools would be higher still.
*
Troubling issues relating to MNPS charter schools aside, Chapter 4 of this audit, Human Capital, also confirms a rate of teacher turnover within the system that auditors characterize as "high."
Beginning on Chapter 4's pdf page 22 at the above link to the entire audit, auditors report:
--MNPS lost 2094 teachers over the three years spanning 2010 through 2013. Among these, 64% were resignations and 21% were retirements.
--MNPS suffered a teacher turnover rate of 13.9% for the 2012-2013 school year.
--By 2013-2014, 47% of MNPS teachers had five years or less teaching experience.
That's a feature, not a bug.
(in reply to Tamara Shepherd)
That's a feature, not a bug.
*
Yep. We've realized that for a while, huh?