Follow Us 
Current Poll
| Schools look at slicing budgets |
 |
 |
 |
| Education - School Board | |||
| Written by Brian McCauley | |||
| Wednesday, 28 January 2009 09:00 | |||
|
Things could go from bad to worse for Paola USD 368 and other school districts across Kansas, depending on the outcome of proposed budget cuts at the state level. School district officials met Monday night to discuss proposed budget cuts for the next fiscal year but Superintendent Rod Allen said a proposed bill that passed the Senate’s Ways and Means Committee on Monday could drastically impact the current year’s budget, which ends in June. The bill includes a blanket 3.4 percent cut in funding, which would equate to about $413,000 the district would need to cut from its current budget by June. Allen also said things likely would get worse in the next two years, with district officials possibly facing a 5 to 7 percent blanket cut next year. Cutting the current budget is extremely difficult because much of the budget is locked up in staff, who are under contracts, Allen said. With that being said, Allen guided school board members through a list of proposed budget cuts Monday for the next fiscal year based on a projected $100 drop in base state aid per pupil in the district. Depending on the outcome of the Legislature, though, that number could top $200, the officials said. The proposed cuts include everything from energy to operations but the hardest hitting fell under staffing, transportation and programs. Allen said bussing for Holy Trinity Catholic School band and vocal students likely would need be discontinued, and bussing for Title I students would be one-way only. He also said the district eventually may need to consider reducing city routes in areas within 2 1/2 miles of schools, after which state law requires that transportation be provided by the district. Holy Trinity and Trinity Lutheran students who participate in USD 368 athletics also may be out of luck next year, as the elimination of those spots was proposed. Staffing, which is the majority of the district’s budget, also would take a hit, with nine certified/classified positions proposed to be eliminated, along with one adult education instructor. On top of the proposed cuts, the district is planning to raise student fees. Cost for high school students would jump from $45 to $60 and K-8 students would see an increase from $32 to $40. Students also would see a 10-cent rise in lunch prices. Driver’s education would see one of the biggest changes, as the program would need to be self sufficient. The cost would jump from $175 to $385. Allen said that if all the proposed cuts are made, and all the current salaries are frozen for the next fiscal year, the district could survive a $100 cut per student and still be in the black by about $56,000. He reminded the board members, though, that the number likely will be higher than $100 per student, and the cuts don’t take into account what would need to be done for this year. Some of the changes could happen sooner rather than later, as the officials said the increase in fees, elimination of sports for Trinity Lutheran and Holy Trinity and other items could be on the agenda for the February school board meeting. No official decision was made Monday, and for now, the officials are waiting to see what comes out of the state’s Legislative session. Timing is crucial, as district officials only have a little more than three months before they must tell staff if their contracts are renewed or not. And any bill that asks for cuts into the current budget would be difficult for the district to manage. “These things were set for next year, if we have to do them this year, they don’t work,” Allen said.
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Hits: 2164 Trackback(0)
Comments (2)
a guest: ...
It is a shame to see more cuts in the funding of education. Of all of the things that we cut back on, this should be the last item we cut. In the day and age we live right now, in which the teacher is underpaid and overworked, to take away more of their resources is to chop them off at the knees. Remember next time you complain about a teacher how much time is put in for your child and how little they are receiving in the way of compensation and teaching materials.
1
January 28, 2009
a guest: ...
It is a shame to see more cuts in the funding of education. Of all of the things that we cut back on, this should be the last item we cut. In the day and age we live right now, in which the teacher is underpaid and overworked, to take away more of their resources is to chop them off at the knees. Remember next time you complain about a teacher how much time is put in for your child and how little they are receiving in the way of compensation and teaching materials.
2
January 28, 2009
Write comment
You must be logged in to post a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
