Ingham Intermediate School District Approves $1.4 Million in Budget Cuts

March 22, 2010

A teacher for autistic kids, two career planning and placement specialists and the director of media and technology were among positions cut for the 2010-11 school year by the Ingham Intermediate School District.

The district’s board of education unanimously accepted $1.4 million in cuts Tuesday. That’s on top of $3.2 million already cut from this year’s budget.

"Really, we’re in a situation now, because of Michigan’s fiscal climate, that all cuts are impacting kids," said Stan Kogut, superintendent of the ISD.

The ISD serves a dozen school districts ranging from Lansing to Leslie with special education, career education and other services such as professional development for teachers.

Local school districts are funded by a blend of income, property and sales taxes. Intermediate distr icts rely mainly on property taxes, as well as grants and state aid for specific programs.

That means Ingham County’s declining property values have put an extra pinch on spending. The ISD has three separate budgets. Budgets and cuts include:

· Special education. This budget will be reduced by about $500,000 to $66 million. Among the cuts is one to the district’s middle school program for autistic children, which loses a teacher and two paraprofessionals. Kogut said the few students the program serves will be absorbed into other programs.

· General education. This budget will be cut by $600,000 to about $13 million. Two retiring administrators, including the director of the gifted and talented program, will not be replaced.

· Career and technology. This budget will be cut by about $400,000 to $10 million. Two people who help students in career placement will lose their jobs. Instructors are expected to help fill the gap.

The district is expected to pass a final budget sometime in June.