GR Schools Exploring Outside Revenue Sources

As budget belts tighten for school districts across the state, finding outside sources of revenue is more important than ever to stave off program cuts. At its last school board meeting in January, the Glen Rock Board of Education heard several pitches to bring in additional revenue.

Trustee Sheldon Hirschberg, who heads the Ad Hoc Committee on External Revenue Enhancement, introduced four possible ways the Glen Rock schools can boost its treasure chest.

Among the offerings were creating an education foundation as a separate entity, which exists in Ridgewood and hundreds of other districts in the state; adding summer school course; attracting students from other districts into GR's top performing schools; and charging for use of the school facilities.

Hirschberg said the four recommendations are "ideas we might in the future consider incorporating into our program to raise funds not for the mainstream work of the board of education, not for the core curriculum, but for the little extras in terms of courses and core curricular activities we think makes Glen Rock a special place."

Foundation set up

About 75 districts have foundations that work separate from the school board and work in tandem with the HSAs, according to committee member Angela Vila. "The sole purpose of the foundation would be to raise money for any kind of enhancements, programs that could not be covered by the operating budget," such as the language programs in 5th grade.

The amount raised could be between $48,000 and $96,000 a year, Villa said, using outside sources to raise money. An endowment would be set up and the foundation would target alumni, community members, corporations and government agencies, according to preliminary plans.

"We would envision this to be a perpetual organization that would last longer than certainly any of us who are here tonight," added Bob Burslem, committee member. 

Renting facilities

High school teacher Kathleen Walter presented a plan to rent out facilities.

"Quite a few local bookstores are looking for places to host events," she said, citing conversations she's had with friends-in-the-know. Walter said the prized high school auditorium would be a big draw to outsiders.

A usage priority list would be set up while a new position to coordinate the activities may be needed, Walter said.

"Basically there is many times when our school facilities aren't being used. We should make them into money makers. So instead of cutting programs we can be adding to programs."

Grant coordinator

"We've never had a systematic approach to this," Hirschberg said of finding federal and state grants. "The concept here is to have a grant committee within our district led by a grand coordinator."

The coordinator would also work with the GREF to find other grant opportunities, Hirschberg said. "We think this is something that could provide the district with specific targeted funds for programs we as a district we deem to be appropriate."

Summer academies, out-of-district tuition

Glen Rock Education Association President Anne Camp, a committee member, said leveraging the district's high academic standing and modern facilities could bring in a few students per year.

"We believe that can absorb a small increase in the student population during the school year on a tuition basis," said Camp. "We also have a facility that is virtually empty during the summer months that would allow you, the Board of Education, the opportunity to develop a school within a school."

Glen Rock is completing its $45 million referendum project with a state of the art facility for visual and performing arts, and top facilities for science and technology. Camp said she believes they could be utilized more fully.

Special education too could keep more students in house with its new instructional spaces, she said.

Once special education students are brought back for the extended school year during the summer and a program is established, Camp said "we can accept students from other districts for the extended school year."

She asked the district to also explore the use of summer academies in the areas of science, performing and visual arts, and others. Classes would run a for five months with instruction time around 6 hours per day, Camp said.

"We do believe though there is a significant opportunity to increase revenue," remarked Trustee Carlo Cella, a committee member. "And we do believe if we keep within our marginal cost – which should be in theory be close to zero – as long as we don't overburden classrooms and bump classroom sizes up to an unacceptable level consistently across the board or force us to add another teacher or instructor, that would defeat the purpose."

Time and money

Although the ideas are intruiging, Hirschberg said they won't be an overnight sensation.

"This is something we can't implement tomorrow. We have to study it," he noted of several options, particularly bringing out of district students into the fold. "We understand the risks, we understand the complications. We also understand if we do it right it can have a very positive financial impact...I think the entry point is the summer programs. It's more finite and more manageable and you can learn a lot." 

In his summation, Cella said it's time for the district to get ahead of the game.

"We've been proactive in a lot of things we've done, some controversial, some not controversial...we want to be in front of these things and drive revenue," he said.

School officials will continue to weigh options with further discussion in the weeks to come.