Clarke Burke’s mission is simple.
He makes sure people have the support and tools to succeed.
It applies to whatever hat he is wearing.
If it’s the hat of an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel, its to make sure troops have the supplies and support they need.
If it’s the hat of the Manteca Unified School District, its to make sure the 1,432 educators and 1,361 classified employees have the supplies, support, and facilities they need.
His assignment with to the Military Surface Deployment & Distribution Command is to work with a team to obtain whatever objective the Army is tasked with.
His objective as superintendent is to make sure those with the proverbial “boots on the ground” in classrooms as teachers along with those working as campus support are able to make it possible for the district’s 25,853 students to reach their individual potential.
Reduce classroom distractions
& offer solid learning spaces
In 2018 when Burke was appointed superintendent, both he and the school board as a governing team recognized the need to redefine the Manteca Unified vision and mission.
The bottom line was to pursue “authentic student-centered decision making” the priority.”
Setting aside the education-ese jargon, there was some basic nuts and bolts objectives that needed to be addressed.
*Reduce distractions that take teachers’ time and energy from their main purpose of teaching.
*Arming teaching with the data needed to individualize instruction.
*Making sure teachers have secure, modern, and effective facilities to do their job.
*Getting the district’s financial house on solid footing.
*Move away from managing individual programs and budgets in silos to create a fully aligned student-centered system.
Sound financial practices
provide a solid foundation
Getting finances to be less choppy — or not be 100 percent at the mercy of feast or famine funding — started with a concerted effort to tailor workable three-year budgets required by the state.
And to make it happen, it had to be more than just mumbo jumbo on paper.
The district stepped up financial discipline.
They hold steadfast to steering clear of financial quicksand by using one-time money to fund ongoing expenses.
It also made “squirreling away” money to address ongoing major maintenance costs a priority and not just a “we have the money leftover” thing.
To do that, it required buy in from teachers and support staff.
That buy in, won over by transparency, addresses the biggest point of distraction that comes up on a regular basis in the 977 school districts up and down the state — contract negotiations.
It is common in districts for negotiations to cause rancor and division that seeps down to the classroom teacher.
Manteca Unified has been able to avoid that with the adoption of a master contract that spells out what happens to cost of living adjustment (COLA) from the State of California.
Under the agreement, 85 percent of state COLA funds goes to teachers and classified staff for salary and benefits. The employee groups representing certificated and classified staff then have complete control in how that 85 percent of COLA funds are applied to salary and benefits.
The remaining 15 percent goes to facilities and operations (think electricity and maintenance), transportation, supplies, equipment, and such including mundane but essential items such as self-insurance.
The 85-15 split is based on historic district trends that show — despite all the offers, counter-offers, and arguing — at the end of the day 85 percent of the district’s state supplied COLA goes to cover employee salary and benefits.
That has eliminated a major — and based on the predictable end result — needless distraction.
Wed that to making projected beginning budget year cash balances more robust, and it clears the way to devote more energy — and resources — to the classroom.
The adopted budget in 2018-19 had a $54.2 million beginning cash reserve.
Compare that with the $132.7 million at the start of the current fiscal year.
That is a 144.8 percent increase against a 63.5 percent increase in revenue and a 69.1 percent increase in expenditures for the same time period.
This is not cash hoarding.
Rather it helps isolate the district from yo-yo state funding.
When the state experiences big budget deficits, one of Sacramento’s tricks is to defer a portion of the money they have committed to local school districts.
Often times, the money won’t be dispersed until as long as six to nine months after it was promised.
Districts without a cushion have to institute more cutbacks and take steps to possible reduce staff. That process requires a formal notification in spring that teachers may not have a job the next school year.
It creates a lot of apprehension on the part of teachers that can’t help but filter into what goes on in the classroom.
Having a sufficient amount of cash on hand helps weather such rough spots.
The yearly funding, when it is finally released by the state, backfills the reserves.
That — along with growth — has also allowed Manteca to hire teachers to address anticipated teacher retirements, resignations of those moving to other districts or professions, and to fill new positions based on anticipated enrollment growth well ahead of the need.
That, in turn, has helped more attention to remain focused on the actual art of teaching.
90 cents of every dollar
flows from Sacramento
In the process, Manteca Unified has established itself as one of the region’s top district’s when it comes to teacher compensation.
That, in turn, makes it easier to attract new teachers and those with experience especially since the district has a higher-than-normal number of years they allow established teachers to transfer into the district when it comes to steps on the salary schedule.
Preparing for potential flow issues with state funds is essential.
That’s because 90 cents of every dollar spent to educate — and support the learning process — flows from Sacramento.
State funding from the Local Control Funding Formula accounts for 79 percent of general fund budget and is a per student grant. Other state funds account for another 11 percent of the $468 million district budget.
Local revenue from property taxes ($20.1 million) covers 5 percent of the budget as does federal funding ($20.5 million).
A break down of how a typical Manteca Unified School District dollar is spent is as follows:
*64 cents for TK-12 instruction. This is money spent on teaching students, supporting classroom needs, educational materials and supplies, as well as day-to-day school functions.
*11 cents for TK-12 specialized services. This money is spent on teaching students receiving specialized services, hiring and training educational specialists, and providing related services.
*7 cents for whole student efforts. This money is spent on before/after school programs, health and nutrition services, counseling, student wellness, and school safety.
*11 cents for facilities and operations. This money is spent on maintenance, grounds, and custodial services for all district and school campuses.
*5 cents for central administration. This money is spent on accounting, managing district finances, programs and services, information technology, and day-to-day district-wide operations.
*2 cents for transportation. This money is spent on transporting students, training drivers, and maintaining district vehicles.
The district has also made modernization of facilities a top priority to make sure there is space that can accommodate effective modern teaching techniques.
The end result of what some have described as a “cultural shift” in how Manteca Unified approaches both instruction and operations include:
*Principals are empowered as instructional leaders and not merely administrators.
*Financial decisions are anchored in student outcomes.
*Every department is focused on supporting schools to achieve their goals.
Looking ahead, the district stresses the “transformation is about sustainability improvement.”
As such:
*The focus will remain on equity.
*Ensuring every student has access to rigorous instruction, interventionism, and support.
*Maintaining fiscal responsibility.
The ultimate goal, according to Burke, is a system where every decision — from classroom to district offices — is guided by the question: “How does this benefit students and their learning?”
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
