USD 408 to eliminate four positions years ago
Three teaching positions and one custodial position will be cut from next year's budget, Marion-Florence Unified School District board members learned Monday.
No teachers have been identified. Board members hope that routine attrition, as other staff members retire or take other jobs, will allow remaining staff members to be transferred to openings.
The positions are at-risk coordinator, one first grade and one fourth grade teacher, and one custodian. Darrel Schultz, custodian, has resigned and that position will not be filled. The at-risk coordinator works with students district-wide.
The changes are partly to reduce budget concerns but also due to declining enrollment. The elementary classes affected are smaller classes and three teachers are sufficient in those two grades, administrators said. Educational contact with children won't be affected.
While officials hope attrition will provide job openings for transfers, they made it clear there will be three fewer teachers in the district next year.
Other reductions likely to take place include delaying vehicle replacement and reducing activities budgets.
Officials said state budget figures make it increasingly likely that schools will not see an increase in funding. They charged legislators with claiming to hold the line on taxes while forcing local districts to cut programs or raise local funding.
"In this district, 90 percent of our general fund comes from the state, and 10 percent from local tax dollars," said Superintendent Gerald Henderson. "With the local option budget, only 40 percent comes from the state."
Martin Tice, business manager, said the board needed to prepare to adjust the budget by anywhere from $150,000 to $250,000. These adjustments could be in cuts or in increasing the local option budget.
"To decrease expenditures, you have to start talking about non-renewing (contracts)," Tice said. "Most of our budget is people."
Districts must notify teachers by May 1 if they intend to not renew their contract. The board wants to take action sooner than that so employees can start making plans if they feel their job is in danger. Also, by making cuts now, the district hopes any tax increase can be modest.
Eliminating three teaching and one custodial position saves about $128,000. Delaying purchase of one bus saves about $50,000.
A 10-percent reduction in discretionary budgets would be about $30,000.
Reducing repair and maintenance could save from $75,000 to $100,000, but most board members felt that was not a wise decision.
"You save today and pay three times as much next year to make all the repairs," said Rex Savage, board president.
"We're tied to these old buildings, whether we like it or not," said Susan Robson.
Increasing the local option budget by three or four mills would generate $90,000.
Other options are eliminating all sports passes or requiring students to pay fees for textbooks, labs, or athletic activities. Board members indicated they didn't see much money in either option.
"I don't want to be worrying about $3,000 here or $5,000 there," said Doug Sharp. "Will we be hammering our kids if we (cut staff) beyond that?"
"I would not recommend reducing other positions," Henderson said. "It would be at the expense of children."
Sharp and Roger Hannaford III asked for a recommendation from Henderson on what positions he would cut if forced to do so. He said the board would have to look at every program offered not required by state or federal law.
Other board members said they weren't interested in cutting needed teachers.
"If there are programs we think we need to cut, we need to give Gerry some direction," said Gene Bowers.
Collett said he was willing to look at a list but thought it was likely to cause staff unrest and lower morale.
"If we start affecting children's education, we need to be prepared to share the pain," he said.
No decision was made formally. The board will take action at their April meeting unless they decide to hold a special one later in the month.
