OPENING REMARKS OF

COUNCIL CHAIRMAN VINCENT C. GRAY

Budget Hearing on the

District of Columbia Public Schools
April 22, 2010 1:00 pm
Council Chambers, Room 500

GOOD MORNING. I AM VINCENT C. GRAY, CHAIRMAN OF THE

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND I AM CALLING TO
ORDER THIS HEARING ON THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2011 BUDGET
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. …

THIS HEARING WILL OCCUR IN TWO PARTS. TODAY, WE WILL HEAR

FROM PUBLIC WITNESSES. ON FRIDAY, APRIL 30, WE WILL HEAR
TESTIMONY FROM GOVERNMENT WITNESSES - CHIEF FINANCIAL
OFFICER NATWAR GANDHI AND SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR MICHELLE
RHEE.

IN DEFERENCE TO CHANCELLOR RHEE’S REQUEST TO ATTEND

FUNERAL SERVICES FOR BRIAN BETTS, THE SHAW MIDDLE SCHOOL
PRINCIPAL WHO WAS KILLED LAST WEEK, I POSTPONED HER
SCHEDULED APPEARANCE AND THAT OF THE CFO UNTIL FRIDAY,
APRIL 30TH AT 10:00 AM IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. AT OUR LAST
HEARING, WE ENGAGED IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN HONOR OF MR.
BETTS AND I WANT TO AGAIN EXPRESS MY PUBLIC CONDOLENCES
TO HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND THE SHAW MIDDLE SCHOOL
COMMUNITY. HE WILL BE MISSED.

OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE’VE BEGUN TO RE-MAKE THE

EDUCATIONAL LANDSCAPE. IN 2007, WE INSTITUTED MAYORAL
CONTROL IN ORDER TO STREAMLINE THE EDUCATIONAL
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, ACCELERATE THE MODERNIZATION OF
DOZENS OF AGING SCHOOL BUILDINGS, ELIMINATE CENTRAL OFFICE
BUREAUCRACY, AND FUNNEL MORE FUNDING TO LOCAL SCHOOLS.
IN 2008, WE ENACTED UNIVERSAL PRE-K FOR ALL THREE- AND
FOUR-YEAR-OLDS AND IN 2009, WE SUPPORTED THE LAUNCH OF A
LONG-AWAITED COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN THE DISTRICT.
AS WE LOOK TOWARD NEXT YEAR’S BUDGET FOR THE CITY, WE
FACE A TENUOUS FISCAL CLIMATE. WE FACE THE CHALLENGE OF
BALANCING A RANGE OF PRIORITIES…FROM CONTINUING TO FUND
EDUCATION REFORM…TO MAINTAINING OUR CITY’S SAFETY NET
FOR THOSE MOST IN NEED.

I APPROACH THE FY 2011 BUDGET WITHIN THIS BROADER CONTEXT.

THE MAYOR HAS PROPOSED A BUDGET OF $757,543,347 WHICH
INCLUDES A LOCAL FUND INCREASE OF OVER $53,000,000 FROM LAST
YEAR. WHILE CERTAINLY IMPORTANT, THIS INCREASE COMES AT
THE EXPENSE OF A RANGE OF OTHER VITAL CITY PROGRAMS. WE
CAN NOT RISK ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL BY, FOR INSTANCE,
SLASHING FUNDING TO THE CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM FOR
WORKING PARENTS, TO PAY FOR INCREASES IN PUBLIC EDUCATION
SERVICES FOR THOSE VERY SAME FAMILIES. AS WE MOVE FORWARD
IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, THE COUNCIL WILL SEEK TO DETERMINE
HOW WE CAN BALANCE THE NEED TO FUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH
THE NEEDS OF OUR FAMILIES IN GENERAL.

TO GET THE BALANCE RIGHT, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE

BUDGET PROCESS IS ESSENTIAL. THIS IS WHY WE HELD TWO
SATURDAY HEARINGS THIS MONTH ON THIS SUBJECT, AND WHY I
LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO
HAVE SIGNED UP TO TESTIFY TODAY.