Schools brace for deep budget cuts in state aid this year
By Sally Gray
Published:
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 3:05 PM CST
The state’s budget problems are beginning to hit schools, and it’s not a pretty picture.
Some potential casualties here might include the activity bus route, which takes rural students home after sports practices; the world language programs of Chinese and Arabic; any courses with low enrollment; and driver’s education.
Depending on how deep the cuts go, the remainder of this year’s winter athletic events and spring sports also are in danger, and a reduction in staff might be necessary.
Marysville schools Superintendent Doug Powers froze all district budgets on Tuesday.
“This is the most dire thing I think I’ve seen in my career,” Powers said.
Budget cuts proposed earlier this month by Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius do not include schools, but many Republican legislators don’t agree and are seeking immediate cuts to this year’s school budget, as well as next year’s.
On Monday the Senate Ways and Means Committee approved a bill with reductions to school districts for the current school year, and the bill was to go to the full Senate for debate Wednesday.
Sen. Mark Taddiken, Clifton Republican, is a member of the committee.
“We are in a very difficult, trying situation,” Taddiken said from the Statehouse Wednesday morning. “We’re trying to balance our budget and we’re asking everyone to help.”
Taddiken said the bill would cut school district budgets by 3.4 percent and other state agencies by 6.5 percent
“That’s a significant cut for schools,” he said, “but it probably allows us to get out of the 2009 (fiscal year) and balance our budget.”
The federal government’s economic stimulus package could perhaps carry money for schools, which might make up for cuts.
The senator said he is hearing from many constituents on proposed cuts to schools as well as other state programs.
“We hear people say, ‘Please cut other budgets, not ours.’”
Powers said the proposal would mean a total reduction of $226,168 in state aid to USD 364 for this budget year.
He said a House version of the bill is similar to the Senate bill.
“These cuts will impact current budgets,” Powers said in an e-mail to staff members this week.
Powers’ staff is discussing what cuts the district could make to the current budget. Reductions ultimately will be made by the Board of Education with recommendations from administrators and staff members. He offered a quick list of ideas to start with:
- Cut activity bus routes immediately.
- Cut remaining winter and spring sports.
- Cut free teacher lunches. (Teachers who supervise in the lunchroom)
- Cut or eliminate classified staff contracts.
- Eliminate after-hours use of buildings by all groups.
- Eliminate professional leave for the remainder of the year.
- Eliminate field trips.
- Eliminate cheerleaders’ trips to away events.
- Eliminate FFA trips.
- Reduce the number of paraprofessionals and aides by restructuring student placement.
Powers said people could e-mail ideas to him at dpowers@marysvilleschools.org.
“You need to call your legislators and let them know your opinion of the cuts and how these cuts will impact USD 364, you and your students,” he wrote in his e-mail to staff members.
Rep. Sharon Schwartz, Washington Republican, is this area’s House member. Her email is sharon.schwartz@house.ks.gov. Taddiken’s email is mark.taddiken@senate.ks.gov.
Powers said superintendents learned Jan. 13 that under the governor’s proposal, schools would receive a $22 cut in the base state aid per pupil for the 2008-2009 school year and a $66 cut in the base state aid per pupil for the 2009-2010 school year.
“Driver’s education and professional development were cut completely out of next year’s budget — zero dollars,” he said.
The state Council of Superintendents met Jan. 14 in Topeka, Powers said, and there was significant discussion about what to do.
“There are no answers yet,” he said. “We are dependent on the actions of the Legislature. The governor was there to address the group. She is a strong supporter of schools and school funding not being reduced. A major battle is shaping up between the legislative branch and the executive branch of state government.”
For now in Marysville, he said, purchases are frozen.
“We are reducing where we can now to conserve,” Powers said.
He said the future of the distance-learning lab where Mandarin Chinese and Arabic are taught “is all but gone.”
Driver’s education will be fully funded by parents, “if we even offer it,” he said. The cost will exceed $400 per person for 30 students, just to break even, he said.
“Courses with low enrollments will not be offered, and the cost of lunches will go up for all students,” he said. “Supply budgets for teachers, sponsors and coaches will be reduced. Salaries will be frozen, and no adjustment of salaries will be made for any employee. Reductions in staff will be discussed. Hopefully those reductions will be handled through attrition. But if not, the reduction-in-force policy may be put into effect, and fewer teachers will be employed.”
The outlook overall is bleak, he said, and the gains that have been made could well be lost.
“The kids who can least afford to see school budgets cut will be the ones who suffer the most,” Powers said. “Over the last three to five years, huge advances in the achievement of special education and at-risk students have been made. My fear is that as districts tighten their belts, those programs will get cut or eliminated.”
He said it would be easy to be overcome by the whole process.
“The thing for every one of us to remember is that kids are still going to come to school until we are finished in May, and they are going to return to us in August expecting to be taught,” Powers said. “We owe it to our kids to give them the best we have to offer.”
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