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Board hears detailed breakdown of IB program costs as members press for fiscal clarity
Summary
Superintendent presented IB program history and an estimated $214,000 annual cost including IB fees (~$33,000), coordinator stipends/40% point-4 allocations and mentor roles; board members sought verification of coordinator figures and data on diploma candidates.
The district's International Baccalaureate (IB) program drew extended discussion as administrators detailed its rollout and recurring costs and board members pressed for fiscal clarity.
The superintendent presented the program's timeline and recurring charges, saying the district pays annual IB-authority fees (about $33,000 per year) and allocates coordinator time and stipends for PYP/MYP/DP coordination, CAS advising and extended-essay mentorship. The superintendent said those items, plus professional development and staffing allocations, bring estimated IB-related costs for the year to about $214,000.
Board members asked for verification of several line items. One board member asked specifically whether a coordinator's point-4 allocation equated to roughly $60,000; the presenter said the coordinator point-4 is 40 percent of the teacher's salary and that the figure reported in the slide represents that 40 percent allocation, and recommended triangulating the data in the budget documents.
Student board member Clara told the board that the IB program benefits more students than just diploma candidates: while only a small number pursue the full diploma (presentation materials listed five DP candidates this year and four next year), many other students take IB courses or benefit from IB-aligned instruction. "It's not just my four classmates who are benefiting from the program," Clara said, adding that roughly 40 students in her grade take IB classes and experience the IB learner profile.
Why it matters: board members said they value IB's curricular benefits but must weigh them against budget constraints during this year's balancing process. The board urged curriculum and budget committees to continue examining IB costs and outcomes and to present triangulated figures to the full board before any fiscal decisions are made.
Next steps: the board directed administrators to provide verified coordinator-pay figures and more granular staffing/cost breakdowns to the curriculum committee and to include IB costs in the April 21 budget packet.
What was not decided: no changes to the IB program were voted on at the meeting; the session focused on informational detail and fiscal planning.
