ESCANABA - Emotions ran high Monday as members of the Escanaba School Board dealt with the difficult decision of where to make cuts in the existing fiscal year budget.
All of the recommended cuts for the remainder of the 2009-10 school year, totaling $447,409, were approved reluctantly by unanimous roll call vote of the school board. Board member Nicole Dewar was not present for Monday's meeting.
A list of recommended cuts was presented to the school board as part of a Power Point presentation.
"The state of Michigan has taken action which resulted in a $165 per pupil reduction of state funding for this school year," said Superintendent Michele Burley, "for Escanaba this means a reduction of $447,409."
Burley said $131,000 in cuts could be made in instructional resources and support.
The cuts proposed included a reduction in hours for two special education aides and the middle school library clerk for a total savings of $46,000. Other cuts included a reduction of instructional supplies totaling $25,000 and a reduction of technology supplies for a total of $60,000.
In regards to the reduction in special education aide hours, Burley said the district was working with the Intermediate School District for maintenance of effort for those students who required the service provided.
In the area of administration, approximately $127,217 in cuts was proposed, The cuts come from the elimination of the athletics/activities secretary position; an administrator pay freeze, which included Burley working for two days without pay.
Other cuts included technology personnel accepting a pay freeze, along with transfers from the hot lunch and federal programs for business expenses and utilities.
"What that means is the hot lunch program has a fund balance, the hot lunch budget is separate from the general fund, and they had a fund balance, we are able to conduct a fund to fund transfer," said Burley.
In the area of extra-curricular activities, it was proposed that $77,087 could be cut from the budget.
Part of the cuts would come from a pay-to-ride program for extra-curricular sports, fine arts and activities, which could result in a savings of $37,000 for the district.
Another $30,240, according to Burley would come from cutting high school girl gymnastics and boys tennis, along with middle school track and ticket manager positions.
Burley also said that the middle school volleyball and cheerleading teams would not be cut as they could tap into money raised through fund-raisers held recently at the middle school.
Other cuts included stipends paid for instructors after school time ($7,659) and cutting some activities and clubs for an additional $2,183 in cuts.
Additional cuts in facilities and transportation which were explained by Burley included reducing custodial time 12 hours for a savings of $44,000. Others include reducing utility costs by removing personal refrigerators, reducing the number of vending machines at the high school, and winterizing rather than paying heating costs associated with the former Washington Elementary School, which would save an additional $8,200.
Combined with an additional $2,500 in cuts for transportation through the elimination of monthly training meetings, the total savings possible to the district was $54,200.
Also addressed as part of the overall $447,409 was to increase the amount of time per school day while reducing the number of school days by five for the current school year.
"Eliminating five days of school means $47,586 in cuts, this also achieves another need in that when the state school aid act was approved a mandate was slipped in which requires our teachers to take an online course for any professional development day taken to count," said Burley.
Under the proposal three additional no school days would be added for students and staff.
But in order to reduce the number of school days, a letter of understanding would need to be drawn up and approved by the board and the members of the Escanaba Education Association due to contracts.
"The letter of understanding has been approved by the teachers union, however to cut the calendar year by five days, an additional 16 to 18 minutes would need to be added to the remaining days," said Burley.
The district is currently working with each individual building to determine start and end times, in addition to working with our transportation department, added Burley.