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| Plan now in place to cut FL school budget |
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| Friday, 09 January 2009 | |
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Cliff Buchan News Editor
Budget cutting models are now in place to reduce expenditures in ISD 831 over the next two fiscal years. The first order of business will be to adjust expenditures by $3.5 million for the new school year that starts on July 1. Those cuts will be identified and evaluated over the next three months before going to the school board for final action this spring. Preliminary plans will also be shaped for the budget year that begins on July 1, 2010, under the plans approved by the board. Those cuts, based on estimates at hand now, could total another $2.5 million, officials said. The plan How and where the cuts are made will follow a blueprint much similar to past budget cutting models, Superintendent Lynn Steenblock said. And it’s all too common, he said, pointing to the need to cut budgets in seven of the nine years he has been at the helm in Forest Lake. The cuts are necessary for several reasons, officials said. With the state legislature and governor tackling a $4.8 billion budget shortfall over the next biennium, the district is expecting no state aid increase, or at minimum, no new revenue to offset inflationary costs. When coupled with the anticipated loss of another 100 students next year, the decrease in state aid will be even more severe, the report said. The process of determining where cuts will come falls to a trio of teams that will evaluate elementary instruction, secondary instruction and district. Each team will function with a program manager working with groups of principals, administrators, teachers, students and community members. Each team will make recommendations to the superintendent who will shape the final budget proposal which will be submitted to the school board for consideration, approval and adoption. Parents will be kept updated and involved at regular and special meetings at the building level. Many of the sessions will be in concert with PTA and PTO sessions. After two months of planning, the proposals will be given a public hearing during a school board special meeting on Tuesday, March 24. The board could take action to approve the program budget reduction packages at its Thursday, April 2 meeting. Final budget approval for the 2009-2010 year will come on May 28, according to the plan outlined by the school board last week. Where cuts will be made is still an unknown, but with roughly 80 percent of the district’s spending tied to staff, it is clear teaching slots will not be spared. For sake of planning, the administration said last week the reduction of each teaching slot will save on average $46,000 a year, The elimination of special education teachers, deans, psychologists and counselors will save another $50,000 per year for each position. At the support staff level, the district can save $43,000 to $52,000 a year with the elimination of administrative assistants. Firing a mechanic will save $51,000 a year while dumping a custodian will save $43,000. Each bus driver cut would save $18,000. Other concerns Cutting expenditures will be the thrust of the exercise, but Steenblock said the district must continue to strive to provide a quality learning program for students. He said all reduction decisions should be made within the following context: •Class size should be a consideration within available resources. •Resources should first be targeted toward basic educational services. •Core educational programs should be given priority. •Budget reductions should be made with equity in mind so that all students are treated fairly. •Overall revenues and expenditures must be aligned to provide for the desired level of fund balance. Social Bookmarking ...       |
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