USD 408 faces $300,000 budget deficit years ago
Board asks patrons for suggestions, solutions
Staff writer
With a $300,000 shortfall in budget authority for the upcoming school year, members of the USD 408 Marion-Florence Board of Education have nowhere left to turn but to start cutting staff.
With that in mind, the board is inviting district patrons to attend their meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday night in the commons area at the Marion Middle/High School complex.
The meeting place has been moved from the district office to allow more people to attend.
"We're seeking public input about what's being proposed and to hear if anyone has any radical new ideas we need to consider," explained Rex Savage, board president.
"About 80 percent of our budget is involved in people — salaries, benefits and the like," Savage said. "We've already made all the easy cuts, although some last year weren't easy. But now, we have to begin cutting the meat."
Savage said a number of suggestions have been made which, at face value, would appear to work.
"But then you find they won't when you look at the whole picture," Savage said.
Gerald Henderson, superintendent of schools, said the only way to cover a $300,000 deficit was by reducing staff.
"Do we have to cover all $300,000 in staff reductions? No. Can we cover the $300,000 without reducing staff? No," Henderson said.
The board has already decided to cover approximately two-thirds of the $300,000 deficit by reducing staff or $198,000 to $200,000. The remaining one-third will be covered by not replacing a bus with more than 100,000 miles and several other school vehicles.
Henderson explained the deficit was due almost entirely to declining enrollment.
"We've lost 106 kids since 1998," Henderson said. "That amounts to $7,000 per kid."
Savage agreed, "We lost about 69 or 70 kids last year and when you're paid by the head it hurts."
The $300,000 deficit is based on a student population prediction for the year 2004-05 which includes 40 kindergarten students while other grades remain basically the same.
"We may be as high as 52 or 53 kindergartners," Henderson said. "But even if we had 12 or 13 more kids there, kindergarten is reimbursed by the state at only .5 per student."
Basically, that means the state counts kindergartners as only one-half a student.
Based on cuts made last year to cover deficits and this year's projected $300,000 deficit, the school board has had to cut approximately $450,000 during the past two years. Last year, the board was forced to cut several staff positions.
Possible cuts
Savage said that the board has discussed areas or positions to eliminate during recent meetings.
"None of these are set in stone yet, but whatever we do will become permanent in nature," Savage explained. "But we need to make the decision as soon as possible. We need to be fair to our people."
Positions the board is considering for elimination are one media specialist, one custodian at the secondary complex, one and one-half classroom teachers, two teacher aide positions at Marion Elementary, and one bus driver, Henderson said.
Savage said the board also has contemplated cutting sports programs and/or implementing an activity fee — although no decisions have been made.
Savage also said district bus drivers had already made a counter-proposal to the cut which the board would take under consideration.
"I know every teacher out there feels there's a better way, but the cuts this year are not about us being unhappy with staff," Savage said. "It's because we have more staff than we can handle and still pay the bills."
Savage and Henderson both said district staff understands the problem, but it doesn't make the process any easier.
School boards in Kansas are required by statute to notify certified staff by April 30 if their contracts will not be renewed for the following school year. Unfortunately, the Kansas State Legislature — which determines school funding — never addresses the issue until late in the session, following the April 30 cutoff date.
Henderson noted that recently the state Senate killed the education plan proposed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
"Even if it was revived in the Senate it wouldn't help us overcome our $300,000 shortfall, but it could help." Henderson said.
Savage and Henderson said they both hope a decision can be made Monday night.
"This board has always tried to do what is right and let people know what's happening as soon as possible," Henderson said.
