School Cuts Could Be Worse
April 21, 2010
The Annandale School Board has cut $397,100 from a list of potential program and staff reductions that totaled $1,018,800.
The amount will cover the majority of a projected $575,859 deficit for next year if Gov. Tim Pawlenty can stick to his pledge to spare K-12 education as the state tackles a $1.2 billion deficit.
If the state should decide to cut school funding, Annandale would be looking at a much bigger problem, according to Supt. Steve Niklaus.
"I’m very confident this is the best it’s going to be," Niklaus told the board at a special meeting Monday, April 12.
The s chool board set the special meeting in March because there were "signs," Niklaus said, that the Legislature would come to some sort of resolution around Easter, "but that has stalled."
While the $397,100 would reduce an administrative assistant and custodian position to part time, few teachers would be affected.
The biggest hurt would be felt at Annandale High School where the loss of 1.6 teaching positions could mean retiring art teacher Cathie Wemlinger’s job might be filled only part-time, high school principal Scot Kerbaugh said.
Positions in the English, Industrial Tech and Science departments could also be reduced to part-time, potentially limiting elective class options for students.
"Kids may not get the electives they want," Kerbaugh said.
Names of the staff whose jobs will be affected by the cuts will be revealed at the board’s regular meeting Monday, April 26.
According to Niklaus, administration will look at seniority when deciding whose position will be reduced.
The $397,100 savings would also require discontinuing use of the second floor of the Annandale Middle School’s 1922 building, reduction of the English Language Learner’s position to half-time and a $25 increase in athletic fees.
There was some discussion among board members whether more should be cut from the list in anticipation of possible changes at the state level.
According to Niklaus, the governor may not have a choice but to reduce education funding, which along with health and human services takes up 70 percent of the state’s budget.
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Should an extended federal Medicaid match that would provide Minnesota with $387 million not come through, cuts would almost be inevitable.
Right now the governor is banking on that money, Niklaus said, but it’s not a sure thing.
Pawlenty is also fighting in the Minnesota Supreme Court to maintain cuts he made during last summer’s local government aid unallotment.
If the court rules against Pawlenty, legislators could be left to trim another $2.7 billion.
$1 million deficit?
If the state should decide to cut $100 per student off the education formula to make up for that money, it would push Annandale’s deficit closer to $1 million.
But going any further on the list of cuts school board members looked at last week would be putting classroom instructors at stake, which they don’t want to do.
Right now, the $397,100 in cuts wouldn’t affect classroom sizes that much, building principals told the board.
"My position has always been, with what we know now, the $400,000 seems the right place to start," board chairman Mike Dougherty said.
"It’s better than to overreact, then try to take some back. That sure messes with a lot of people’s plans."
If the state should decide to cut school funding this spring, the board would have to call another special meeting to react, Niklaus said.
The board’s action last week will save the district money in the following ways:
– $30,000 by using federal sp ecial education funding to support benefits paid to special education staff. That only recently became an option for districts.
– $42,300 due to retiring staff
– $80,000 by using the staff development reserve fund balance for general fund expenditures. Administration feels comfortable doing that because the majority of staff development costs are now paid for through the alternative compensation program Q-Comp.
– $9,000 by providing less money for supplies
– $5,000 by reducing money set aside for legal fees
– $12,000 in utilities by closing the second floor of the 1922 building at AMS
– $23,600 by reducing the ELL teacher to half-time
– $18,800 by cutting an administrative assistant’s position to part-time
– $20,000 by making a custodial position half-time.
– $19,000 by increasing athletic activity fees by $25. Costs will now be $125 per sport with an individual cap of $275 and a family cap of $475.
– $110,000 by reducing 1.6 teaching positions at AHS. That also includes a retirement.
– $15,000 by limiting staff development funding for building level staff in each school by $5,000.