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Latest round of budget cuts spare education
Published 3/6/2010 in Local News
By MONICA SPRINGER
A new round of budget cuts from Topeka spared education on Friday, but that hasn't eased area school officials' concerns.
School districts across the state are beginning to look at worst case scenarios. What happens if the legislature cuts more funding to public schools?
School district officials said they are currently trying to find the answer to that question.
Garden City USD 457 has formed a budget committee to look into ways of trimming its budget if more cuts come its way. The next meeting is scheduled for March 22.
Superintendent Rick Atha said he appreciates Gov. Mark Parkinson looking at other avenues other than cutting education. However, he said, the budget committee will continue meeting to discuss further ways to reduce costs and increase revenue.
"We have to prepare for the worst-case scenario. We can't be reactive. We have to have a plan," Atha said.
Other schools also are looking for a plan if the state cuts more in aid to schools.
A budget committee has also been formed in Ulysses consisting of teachers, parents, community patrons, administrators and school board members, said Bill Hall, USD 214 superintendent.
The committee met once in February and will meet again on Wednesday to discuss further ways to trim the budget.
"Without any type of revenue enhancement we're looking at severe cuts," Hall said.
Budget cuts also will be discussed at the next Moscow USD 209 Board of Education meeting on Monday night.
Superintendent Larry Philippi said the district is looking at making $152,000 worth of cuts for next year.
Philippi said he didn't want to comment specifically on what could be cut before the meeting, but said that faculty and some salary cuts could be options.
"It's a scary thought to think what we would have to do. It's hard to imagine any more cuts," he said.
In his State of the State address, Parkinson said raising revenue by implementing a state-wide sales tax and increasing tobacco tax could prevent further cuts to public education.
Parkinson said on Friday morning that he would keep the priorities he talked previously about, including not cutting education further.
He said programs including education "have been cut at such a significant level that further cuts aren't acceptable."
The Kansas Association of School Boards, in a bulletin sent to members of the media, said much of the governor's plan needs legislative approval, which could draw more attempts to reduce school funding.
The KASB said without increasing revenues, the cut to education could be much larger.
In Deerfield, Superintendent Jon Ansley said the district will save an estimated $60,000 to $70,000 by switching to a four-day school week. The district also will look at reducing positions through attrition, something the district has done in the past.
Deerfield has eliminated six teaching positions and three paraprofessional positions in the last four years through attrition.
Ansley, who is retiring at the end of this school year, said the superintendent job will be combined with the elementary principal job for an additional cost savings.
"Right now, we're stable and OK," Ansley said. "If they keep cutting, they are really going to be hurting the kids. Their future is in jeopardy if we cut any more out."
In Ulysses, Hall said he's looking at three different scenarios: the Legislature cutting $286 per student, $429 per student or $143 per student in state aid.
A $286 cut means $670,000 less for Ulysses USD 214, a $143 cut means $310,000 less, and a $429 cut means more than $1 million cut from the school district's budget.
Hall said the committee will look at transportation, school programs and eventually personnel if the cuts get deep enough.
Hall said he's encouraged his staff to send letters to legislators, asking them to raise revenues instead of cutting education more.
"We need to speak loud and clear to our legislators that we have to do what's right for our kids," Hall said. "Their decisions have devastating consequences."
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