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District's initial cuts include personnel
Published 3/2/2010 in Local News
By MONICA SPRINGER
Three elementary teachers cost $155,022. Five in-school suspension paraprofessionals at the middle schools cost $126,100. And 2.5 certified teachers at the high school cost about $127,000.
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Monica Springer/Telegram Michelle Irsik, USD 457 transportation director, talks about the cuts to the transportation budget Monday during a program budgeting meeting. Irsik said the transportation department would decrease the number of field trips taken next school year as one way to cut costs. Transportation was one of 15 school district programs to present budgets Monday night.
All of the positions will be eliminated through the USD 457 program budgeting process, pending Board of Education approval.
On Monday night, about 50 administrators, teachers, community members and board members gathered for the program budgeting process, which outlines how much money each of 15 different program areas will receive next school year. The program budgeting committee makes a recommendation to the board of education, which then makes the final decision.
The mood was somber, and several presenters said this year's process was more depressing than in previous years.
"I really wish I had something positive to say ... but I don't," said Rick Atha, USD 457 superintendent. "It looks pretty grim."
The district is looking at cutting $1.1 million from next year's budget through program budgeting. The district already has lost $4.5 million in state aid, which is about 9.5 percent of its total budget.
And in February, the state announced its tax revenues for the month were $71 million below projections, in addition to the more than $400 million the Legislature is short next year.
Atha said all of those figures likely mean more cuts in state aid for public education.
That could mean USD 457 has to cut anywhere from $2 million to $6 million from its budget.
"That's catastrophic," he said.
Atha has said that the district will try to eliminate positions through attrition rather than lay people off.
In past years, the program budgeting process consisted of the 15 groups presenting three budgets — last year, the proposed budgets were if the programs received 100, 98 and 96 percent of their funding — then the program budgeting committee prioritized each program and in doing so made a proposal to the school board for how much money each program should receive.
This year's process was different because of the expected cuts in state aid. Kathleen Whitley, USD 457's financial officer, said each program would only present a 98-percent budget.
And several areas said a 2-percent cut in funding meant a decrease in people.
James Mireles, Garden City High School principal, said high school administration will determine where to cut 2.5 certified teaching positions, which would trim $127,270 from high school instruction's more than $6 million budget.
"If you just look at your budgets, we're down to people," Mireles said. "You can't cut $127,000 and have it not be staff."
Several times throughout the meeting it was mentioned that the average salary and benefits of a teacher is more than $51,000 a year.
The elementary education group decided it would cut three teachers, or $155,022, as part of its 2-percent overall cut of $197,000. And middle school instruction would cut in-school paraprofessionals, or $126,100 in salary and benefits, as part of its $149,165 overall cut.
"We can't keep it away from people," Atha said at the meeting. "We do what we do with people."
Other program coordinators said they would decrease personnel. Counseling plans to cut a position, facilities and maintenance would decrease a painter position, and parent liaisons will be eliminated through the supplemental office.
Special education would reduce a speech language pathologist through attrition and eliminate six para positions across the district.
Curriculum and assessment would reduce the Finney County Technical Learning Center position by half for a savings of $19,000.
Building administration would reduce building secretaries by one position for a savings of $30,757, and reduce the building principal budget by half a position for a savings of $45,863.
District wide administration would save $25,000 in copy expenses by reducing building copies by two copies per student per day. It also would save $16,000 by not offering as many $500 recruitment bonuses and would save $1,374 by decreasing mileage paid to potential employees, or eliminating the Minnesota job fair, or decreasing the number of recruiting visits to Michigan job fairs.
District wide administration would cut $40,673 from its 2009-10 budget of more than $2 million and building administration would cut $76,781 from its 2009-10 budget of more than $3.8 million.
Shelly Kiblinger, assistant superintendent of personnel, said the tight economy helps district wide administration with its costs.
Last year, there were 4.5 unfilled teaching vacancies at the start of the school year, down from 16 unfilled positions in 2008 and 31 in 2007. Kiblinger said the district saves on costs associated with hiring people, which includes fewer background checks and fewer recruitment bonuses.
Those costs amount to an estimated savings of $18,000 for next year, Kiblinger said.
Other cuts would include the boys and girls basketball and soccer intramural program at GCHS being eliminated for a savings of $11,636, part of the $19,850 decrease in the activities budget.
The health services budget would not reduce school nurses but would eliminate the 21 extra nursing duty days that go beyond their contract days that nurses divide among 16 schools before classes begin. That's something that bothered Mary McMillan, a parent whose son, a sophomore at GCHS, has Type 1 diabetes and a rare autoimmune disease.
It was a school nurse who recognized that McMillan's son had more than just diabetes a few years ago. McMillan said the school nurse encouraged her to have her son tested, and he was eventually diagnosed with Dermatomyositis.
"The only way I can let that child leave the house in the morning is knowing someone in this big building (GCHS) is looking out for him," McMillan said.
Polly Witt, health services coordinator, said although health services has the smallest budget among the 15 groups at $813,652 for the 2010-2011 school year, eliminating the extra days for nurses means they'll have less time to prepare for students who come to school on the first day with medications.
And McMillan said as a parent, that worried her.
"Teachers need the backup of nurses," she said. "It's stressful."
Found 16 comment(s)!
Early Childhood
Why not get rid of the Early Childhood classes? Why do children so young need to be in school?? Its a very expensive babysitting service.
Posted by: Sick & Tired on 3/11/2010
Sports
Why is no one talking about sports programs being cut?
Is it because little jr plays football?
WAKE UP PEOPLE !!!!
Its our childrens education we are talking about.
Football, Basketball
ALL of it should go before we ever start thinking of cutting a single teacher.
Wake up before jr is a football player that cant read or write.
Posted by: RK on 3/10/2010
To Thinker
Obviously you don't think very well. The money from the free and reduced lunch program comes from a FEDERAL grant. None of it is our local district's money. So before you run your mouth, find the facts. The more kids we get on food assistance the more the Feds will give our schools. I support the program 100%. They should allow more people to qualify for this.
Posted by: Nutrition employee on 3/9/2010
Thank you!
I think that fair cuts hit the subject right on the head. That was very well thought and I couldn't say ity better. How ever, to "What About", Maybe not so well thought. What about if you just keep your ignorrant coments to yourself? Comments like that are without merit and should be kept to yourself. Wow, with things like that being said, one might wonder who's education was affected by budget cuts and further leave to ponder, can we really afford to make such a cut to the future of our children? Sad isn't it.
Posted by: Stephanie on 3/8/2010
Fair Cuts
In reading the article, it doesn't seem to me that the administration is making their fair share of the cuts. ONE secretary, ONE HALF principal, copy expenses, cutting back on BONUSES and JOB FAIRS??? Come on - where are the personnel cuts in the administration building??? You are cutting the very core of education - TEACHERS. Cut where it won't make such an impact.
Posted by: Observer on 3/7/2010
Reduce food serving
Stop serving the food to the kids who don't eat much of school lunch will save some of the nutrition cost. Instead give them a cookie, fruit cup, pre-made burrito, that they'll throw away, they have to bring their own food. If 100 kids throw their cookie, fruit cup... away in one school, look how many we can save in 10 school? What about charging students who driven busses? That will help cover bus gas bill.
Posted by: concern food waste on 3/5/2010
What About
I think we should reduce the number of free meals the district gives out, and make cuts to the ESL programs. Maybe if the parents of some of these students that receive free meals didnt have to drive such fancy vehicles they could afford to buy their childrens meals.
Posted by: Thinker on 3/5/2010
Teachers Should Be The Last Cut
In my opinion, teachers should be the last thing to be cut in a budget. A teacher is the one who has the most influence in a student's education. A school district can cut administrators, materials, programs, and many other items, but when you cut teachers, you seriously hurt our kids. I have been in the administration building and have seen many personnel visiting with one another over coffee. You don't see that in the classroom. Teachers don't have the time nor the opportunity. PLEASE don't cut teaching positions. Our kids NEED their teachers. They don't need much else. Thank you.
Posted by: Love Our Kids on 3/3/2010
SPORTS
Exactly !!!!
All sports should go first.
Education is paramount.
Sports need to go first above all else.
Posted by: RK on 3/3/2010
Spending Cuts
Why don't we look into a four day week? Imagine the amount of money you would save on the prepackaged, just throw in the oven food that our children eat? How about instead of eating off of disposable plates and eating utensils, we go back to actually washing dishes and cooking our own food? Look at the fuel cost that we could save. One less day equals less trips to the fuel pump. One less day would also cut down on hourly wages. Has anyone ever thought of that? I don't agree with cutting the intermural sports activities. If anything, it keeps our children off of the streets and allows those that don't make the team to participate for fun.
Posted by: Katie Hahn on 3/3/2010
sports
The cuts never mention sports.
Posted by: fred on 3/3/2010
Pay Cuts
Why not have a district-wide reduction in salaries? It's certainly better than layoffs for both students and personnel. Annual increases in salaries without consideration of the long term costs through the years is one of the reasons government finds itself in such a predicament. A significant number of businesses, big and small, have followed the reduced compensation path.
Posted by: Ron Isham on 3/3/2010
Look where they are.
I would just like to point out where this presentation is being conducted in the picture. It's in the brand new cafeteria that they HAD to spend all that money on a couple of years ago. They probably have a program showing on the giant flat screen television set hanging on the wall.
Posted by: disgruntledcitizen on 3/3/2010
Cutting teachers
It's too bad the youth have to be on the losing end of our ecomomic problems. It looks like cuts could be made in other plans other than the future of our children. They will be the ones running our country long after we are gone
Posted by: Millicent Herman on 3/3/2010
Nurses paid extra?
It is amazing to me that the school district will pay nurses 21 extra days and to quote the " eliminating the extra days for nurses means they'll have less time to prepare for students who come to school on the first day with medications" this is something that teacher have been doing without pay for years. Teachers are actually paid only one day to get their classrooms ready for the year. Budget problems are finding the wasteful spending around districts.
Posted by: Concerned on 3/3/2010
Why not cut....
I just think that perhaps the staff that should be cut are the ones who aren't as important as teachers. I know that there are administration people who draw unbelievable salaries and really don't have that much responsibilities, but when you leave it to the administration to do the cuts, they are going to cut everywhere but in their own backyard.
Posted by: Practical Thinking on 3/2/2010