SE Idaho School Districts Take Measures to Offset Shortfalls (ID)
June 18, 2010
School districts throughout Southeast Idaho are taking measures to offset shortfalls caused by state budget cuts and a possible additional holdback of more than 5 percent in August.
The Snake River School District will convert to a four-day-week in the 2010-2011 school year. Superintendent Russell Hammond said the switch will save the district about $195,000.
Additional cuts include switching to every other day kindergarten, reduced textbook spending, and eliminating field trips and athletics at the middle school level. There will be no reduction in certified personnel, administration or classified personnel. However, certified personnel and administrators will take a 4 percent pay cut across the board, and salaries for classified personnel — secretaries, kitchen workers, bus drivers and maintenance personnel — were froze n
Firth shortened the current school year by three days saving the district an unspecified amount of money and Shelley School District passed a $250,000 supplemental levy for two years to help lessen the impact of state budget cuts.
Patrons in the Rockland and Arbon school districts also passed override levies last month.
Rockland Superintendent Jim Woodworth said faced with a $90,000 shortfall, the district will also convert to a four-day school week to cut costs. The switch is expected to trim about $30,000 from its 2010-2011 budget. The district also eliminated one custodial position and a teacher who is retiring this year will not be replaced. A salary freeze was imposed and teachers will make due without new textbooks and with limited supplies.
Arbon Elementary District passed a $30,000 override — its first in six years.
The district is looking at a $43,000 shortfall. With just two teachers, one clerk and custodian and two bus drivers, cutting positions is not an option, said school clerk Cheri Evans.
Evans said a $35,000 carry over will help the district weather the next year, but salary cuts could be a last resort money saver in the district.
Preston School District passed a $250,000 supplemental levy — the first levy in nearly 40 years, and patrons in the Aberdeen School District approved a $550,000 supplemental override.
Aberdeen has lost $1 million in funding since 2007, and officials anticipate an additional $355,000 in cuts this year. The district has already cut back as much as it can without impacting programs or personnel, said Superintendent Joel Wilson. All maintenance projects that don’t pose a safety concern we re also placed on hold indefinitely.
Preston School District will cut back on administration and teaching positions next year, and kindergartners who ride the bus will be placed on an all-day, every-other-day schedule.
Superintendent Barbara Taylor said the district will save about $150,000 by switching to a four-day week, but will have to dig deeper to offset a $1.6 million shortfall created by cuts made by the Legislature this year.
Patrons passed a $250,000 supplemental levy by a margin of 177 votes. It’s the first time the Preston District ran a override levy since 1970.
The district enacted all-day, every other day kindergarten and eliminated mid-day bus service, and four teachers and one administrator who either retired, or resigned this year will not be replaced. The board reduced the district’s athletic budget and eliminated four assistant coach positions and a junior high wrestling coach.
The American Falls School District passed a $600,000 override levy. That district faces a $1.2 million shortfall for the 2010-2011 school year due to state cuts.
Superintendent Ron Bolinger plans to eliminate three to five teaching positions next school year as part of an effort to meet a $1.2 million budget shortfall.
Marsh Valley Joint School District 21 declared a financial emergency on April 29, as did American Falls, Aberdeen, Bear Lake, Firth, Shelley, Snake River, Soda Springs, Pocatello-Chubbuck and Preston school districts.
Marsh Valley officials also proposed hosting a conversion levy, which would allow the district to ask voters permission to use some or all of the funds from its plant facilities levy for general operations f or up to two years.
Employees will take a 5 percent pay cut next year as the district works to offset a $780,000 budget shortfall. In addition to the salary reductions, employees will see a reduction of five days in scheduled in-service days when students are not in attendance, and insurance deductible costs were also increased. Parents will have to transport children to athletic events within 85 miles of the school.
North Gem Superintendent Jamie Holyoak said the district is looking at a shortfall of $173,000. The district used its fund balance to keep programs in tact and avoid cuts in 2009-10.
Business manager Max Hemmert said the Soda Springs School District is looking at a $300,000 shortfall and Blackfoot School District 55 is facing a reduction of $2.49 million in state funding.
District 25 in Pocatello and Chubbuck identified about $4 million of its shortfall, but officials are looking to meet the remainder of the cuts with across-the-board pay reductions.
To offset budget cuts totaling more than 8 percent, two teachers and 10 part-time teacher’s aides will not be hired back by the West Side School District next year.
The rural district is facing a budget shortfall of $300,000 and an additional $160,000 in state holdbacks is projected for the 2010-2011 school year.
Superintendent Melvin Beutler said teacher will now be responsible for cleaning their classrooms and the custodial staff was reduced to one worker per building.
Athletic fees were increased from $50 to $75 and sports programs at the middle school level were also modified.