 |  |  |  |
School district to dip into reserves to help battle budget crunch
By Byron Painter
Editor
The numbers are not quite the same, but the message still is: there will be significant cuts in the Riverton School District for the next fiscal year.
At a special school board meeting Monday, Superintendent Tom Mulligan and the board went over the latest budget numbers and projections.
Mulligan has slightly changed his financial assumptions from last month’s meeting, including a ‘step increase’ for teachers and a 2 percent raise for all other staff (last month
it was 3 percent).
Program cuts are still essentially the same; Mulligan provided an example of the proposed supply and purchase cuts, using the district office.
The current projection is to cut $35,460 from the district office budget, which would include cutting staff luncheons, holiday parties, printed newsletters (which would available
online) and workshop/board/administrative dinners, among other things.
Board travel would be cut back, though a state board conference would likely still be attended (but not by all members).
Discussing SASED, there could be cuts of two special education positions and five aides districtwide, which would allow the district to offset the expected $60,000-80,000
increase.
Discussing staff cuts, there was little change, though Mulligan confirmed that the ‘specific staff cut’ first mentioned at last month’s meeting would come from the non-certified
staff.
Non-certified staff cuts do not have to be finalized next week at the regular board meeting, Mulligan said, because they only require a 30-day notice (certified staff require a 60-
day notice, which means next week unless the board decides to call a special meeting later this month, something Mulligan said would almost certainly not occur).
“Most of the cuts will be finalized Monday,” he said.
One change has been proposed; last month the elementary cuts were expected to lead to four net positions lost; now that number is 3-5 positions. There is no longer a need
to move a position to the middle school as previously thought, Mulligan said.
Along with the planned home economics reduction, there might be a need to cut high school English somewhat.
The district is exploring options like putting Mrs. Jamie Selinger, a reading coach at the high school, back into the classroom for at least half a day, according to Mulligan, as
well as bringing Ginny Racette, slated to retire at the end of the year, back on a part-time basis to teach a couple of classes.
There would be a couple of additions that must be done, worth some $37,500: (1) 1/12 payment for reduced teachers, because the district pays staff through July of the
following fiscal year and “we need to account for the last payment in last year’s salary in July,” Mulligan said; and (2) part-time high school social studies position, which could
be necessary based on current projected registration numbers.
Ultimately, the total net reductions under staff cuts is $384,499, compared to $394,396 projected last month.
With the budget assumptions, the projected deficit budget stands at $178,478, compared to some $261,000 last month (this would drop reserves to $2,854,149).
But, based on Governor Pat Quinn’s proposed FY2011 budget, the numbers turn even more dire in a hurry. The proposal includes a $700 cut in foundation level (Mulligan had
projected a $150 cut) and a 50 percent cut in categoricals like transportation.
Though that is not a finalized budget, “there is no reason to think the numbers will be significantly different,” said Mulligan; past experience has borne that out, as well.
If those numbers came to fruition, the district would lose $755,727 in General State Aid and $445,214 in categoricals, for a total of $1,200,941.
Next year’s deficit, therefore, would skyrocket to almost $1.4 million, and this is in top of this year’s budget, which is likely to be worse since things like the poverty grants are
being prorated.
“The chance we will get all of our projected revenue is slim to none,” said Mulligan.
Mulligan has proposed dipping into the reserves to stave off much more drastic cuts, because “at this point, we cannot cut the district so deep.”
The budget situation will not improve any time soon, either, but at the same time, “we cannot dwindle all of our reserves in one year,” he said.
At future meetings, there will be discussions about possible enhanced revenues, like doubling event admission prices, a 50 percent increase in textbook fees and doubling
participation fees.
However, that would add only some $57,000, and lunch prices might be increased again and further cuts may occur ($47,000) in professional development.
Mulligan also had a list of 15 cuts that he is not currently recommending, but could be on the table if the financial situation remains dire. In the first set of cuts, there would be
an administrative cut (no money listed); middle school athletic PE position ($40,000); Academy Week ($60,000); part-time nurse ($13,000); RES secretary position ($10,000)
and driver’s education (cutting the portion not required by law, $40,000).
Other positions that are directly related to the district’s strategic objectives (PBIS, and student achievement in reading and math, for example) would be more extensive, and
drastic, would include: (1) two RES reading intervention teachers ($100,000); (2) 2 1/2 reading coaches (one at HS, 3/4 at MS and 1/2 at ES, $125,000); (3) RES computer
teacher ($45,000); (4) RHS Dean of Students ($50,000); (5) in school suspension at MS and HS ($32,500); (6) MS social worker ($45,000); (7) MS music position ($45,000); (8)
band ($50,000); (9) HS math teacher, which would completely cut foundation courses for students ($45,000); and (10) athletics and extracurricular activities (no exact money
amount provided).
There were also two parents who attended the meeting and asked the board to consider funding one Pre-K classroom for 4-year-olds who were in the program as 3-year-olds.
There was no discussion, according to Mulligan.
By Byron Painter
Editor
The numbers are not quite the same, but the message still is: there will be significant cuts in the Riverton School District for the next fiscal year.
At a special school board meeting Monday, Superintendent Tom Mulligan and the board went over the latest budget numbers and projections.
Mulligan has slightly changed his financial assumptions from last month’s meeting, including a ‘step increase’ for teachers and a 2 percent raise for all other staff (last month
it was 3 percent).
Program cuts are still essentially the same; Mulligan provided an example of the proposed supply and purchase cuts, using the district office.
The current projection is to cut $35,460 from the district office budget, which would include cutting staff luncheons, holiday parties, printed newsletters (which would available
online) and workshop/board/administrative dinners, among other things.
Board travel would be cut back, though a state board conference would likely still be attended (but not by all members).
Discussing SASED, there could be cuts of two special education positions and five aides districtwide, which would allow the district to offset the expected $60,000-80,000
increase.
Discussing staff cuts, there was little change, though Mulligan confirmed that the ‘specific staff cut’ first mentioned at last month’s meeting would come from the non-certified
staff.
Non-certified staff cuts do not have to be finalized next week at the regular board meeting, Mulligan said, because they only require a 30-day notice (certified staff require a 60-
day notice, which means next week unless the board decides to call a special meeting later this month, something Mulligan said would almost certainly not occur).
“Most of the cuts will be finalized Monday,” he said.
One change has been proposed; last month the elementary cuts were expected to lead to four net positions lost; now that number is 3-5 positions. There is no longer a need
to move a position to the middle school as previously thought, Mulligan said.
Along with the planned home economics reduction, there might be a need to cut high school English somewhat.
The district is exploring options like putting Mrs. Jamie Selinger, a reading coach at the high school, back into the classroom for at least half a day, according to Mulligan, as
well as bringing Ginny Racette, slated to retire at the end of the year, back on a part-time basis to teach a couple of classes.
There would be a couple of additions that must be done, worth some $37,500: (1) 1/12 payment for reduced teachers, because the district pays staff through July of the
following fiscal year and “we need to account for the last payment in last year’s salary in July,” Mulligan said; and (2) part-time high school social studies position, which could
be necessary based on current projected registration numbers.
Ultimately, the total net reductions under staff cuts is $384,499, compared to $394,396 projected last month.
With the budget assumptions, the projected deficit budget stands at $178,478, compared to some $261,000 last month (this would drop reserves to $2,854,149).
But, based on Governor Pat Quinn’s proposed FY2011 budget, the numbers turn even more dire in a hurry. The proposal includes a $700 cut in foundation level (Mulligan had
projected a $150 cut) and a 50 percent cut in categoricals like transportation.
Though that is not a finalized budget, “there is no reason to think the numbers will be significantly different,” said Mulligan; past experience has borne that out, as well.
If those numbers came to fruition, the district would lose $755,727 in General State Aid and $445,214 in categoricals, for a total of $1,200,941.
Next year’s deficit, therefore, would skyrocket to almost $1.4 million, and this is in top of this year’s budget, which is likely to be worse since things like the poverty grants are
being prorated.
“The chance we will get all of our projected revenue is slim to none,” said Mulligan.
Mulligan has proposed dipping into the reserves to stave off much more drastic cuts, because “at this point, we cannot cut the district so deep.”
The budget situation will not improve any time soon, either, but at the same time, “we cannot dwindle all of our reserves in one year,” he said.
At future meetings, there will be discussions about possible enhanced revenues, like doubling event admission prices, a 50 percent increase in textbook fees and doubling
participation fees.
However, that would add only some $57,000, and lunch prices might be increased again and further cuts may occur ($47,000) in professional development.
Mulligan also had a list of 15 cuts that he is not currently recommending, but could be on the table if the financial situation remains dire. In the first set of cuts, there would be
an administrative cut (no money listed); middle school athletic PE position ($40,000); Academy Week ($60,000); part-time nurse ($13,000); RES secretary position ($10,000)
and driver’s education (cutting the portion not required by law, $40,000).
Other positions that are directly related to the district’s strategic objectives (PBIS, and student achievement in reading and math, for example) would be more extensive, and
drastic, would include: (1) two RES reading intervention teachers ($100,000); (2) 2 1/2 reading coaches (one at HS, 3/4 at MS and 1/2 at ES, $125,000); (3) RES computer
teacher ($45,000); (4) RHS Dean of Students ($50,000); (5) in school suspension at MS and HS ($32,500); (6) MS social worker ($45,000); (7) MS music position ($45,000); (8)
band ($50,000); (9) HS math teacher, which would completely cut foundation courses for students ($45,000); and (10) athletics and extracurricular activities (no exact money
amount provided).
There were also two parents who attended the meeting and asked the board to consider funding one Pre-K classroom for 4-year-olds who were in the program as 3-year-olds.
There was no discussion, according to Mulligan.
Issue Date: March 4, 2010
