The Oxford Schools Board of Education, like many schools across the state, made some hard choices during a special board meeting on May 6 – the board members voted unanimously to approve a proposed budget reduction list that would trim 4.5 percent and help the district to meet a $1.5 million deficit for the upcoming school year.
‘This is only a proposal,? said board member Ron Mutch. ‘This is not a final budget. I’m sure what we’re seeing now is 90 to 95 percent of what we’ll see later, but there is room to make changes.?
The proposed budget reductions were broken down into two categories – personnel, which took 70 percent of the cutbacks, and non-personnel.
In the personnel category, the district was able to save $300,000 by offering an early buy-out program for teachers and $32,000 by eliminating the police liaison position.
‘We will still have access to police assistance as needed,? assured Superintendent Virginia Brennan-Kyro.
Those positions suggested for removal through means other than layoffs include: three elementary teaching positions, one sixth grade teacher, a middle school special education teacher, a high school mathematics teacher, one computer technician, one secretary at Lakeville Elementary and one high school secretary. These positions total around $369,500 in savings.
Positions that are being removed and do include layoffs are three custodian positions, two of which will be layoffs; six paraprofessionals, which will include four layoffs; and the Child Find Coordinator, which is not a state mandated position. These positions will total around 272,000 in savings.
Several other personnel positions were reduced in hours, such as Communications Director Edie Paradowski who was reduced by .3 fte for a savings of $19,500, and many other positions were reduced and combined, such as a transportation dispatcher who was reduced to half time and will be spending the other half as a driver. In total, the personnel cutbacks equaled $1,032,500.
According to Brennan-Kyro, many of the positions eliminated would have come before the board whether or not the district was in a budget crunch.
Some of the biggest cutbacks in non-personnel items happened with athletics, conferences, field trips, curriculum work and overall supplies.
In the athletic department, students will now be charged an athletic medical fee. This will save the district $25,000. At the middle school level, students will pay a flat $10 for the year, while at the high school, students will pay $50 for their first sport, $30 for their second and the third will be free. Athletic Director Pat Ball said the money will help to pay for medical supplies, physicals and part of the salary for the school trainer.
‘The intent is for the kids that want to play and make a sport, but can’t afford the fee, that the sports boosters or some other form of scholarship will pick up the amount,? explained Brennan-Kyro.
Also, certain sports, such as golf and skiing, will no longer be provided with round trip busing. Students in these sports will be taken to away competitions, but arrangements will be made so that parents will transport the students home instead of a bus driver waiting until the game is over. The administration expects to save around $9,000 this way.
‘We would not allow the students to ride home with other students,? assured Ball. ‘They would only be signed out to their parents or other parents.?
Supply levels in all departments were trimmed considerably by department leaders. At the elementary levels, all of the schools took a 10 percent supply reduction giving the buildings only $72 per student instead of $80. Building maintenance was also cut back for $35,000 in savings, especially at the middle school and high school which will be covered by the bond issue. Other departments taking supply cutbacks included the middle school, music departments, administration and special education. The total savings from these departments is around $46,300.
Curriculum development was also trimmed in an effort to reach the $1.5 million goal. New textbooks and growth for the curriculum department, not for the general student use, was trimmed by $56,000; the teacher stipends for the District Coordinating Council, Frameworks and Building Councils were removed for a savings of $60,000; and the district curriculum travel and conferences budget was toned down by $20,000.
Board member Patti Smith voiced her concern that the curriculum would become stagnant because of these changes.
‘So this means our curriculum will not move forward?? she asked Brennan-Kyro.
‘We don’t believe that,? replied the superintendent. ‘We wouldn’t recommend this if it wouldn’t work.? She continued to explain that district will need to find creative ways of moving forward the curriculum, such as using professional development time or reorganizing the committees to meet with a different schedule on a volunteer basis.
‘I’m not really concerned about this particular reduction,? assured Curriculum Director Karen Eckert.
However, Smith was still not pleased. During board comments later in the meeting, she made sure her viewpoint was on record.
‘As much as I don’t like doing this, I have to support it,? she said, ‘but if I get even the faintest hints that our curriculum is not progressing, you will be hearing from me. That’s what we’re here for and that’s what we do.?
Field trips, professional development and conference trips were trimmed throughout the district. In total, the non-personnel cuts equaled $462,400, for an overall budget reduction of $1,494,900.
‘Most of this stuff, when presented back to the people, would not be a big surprise to them,? said Mutch. ‘These are a result of people looking and asking which would be harder to be without.?
‘I really think this all goes back to what I said earlier where we are trying to be fiscally responsible and tighten our belts,? Brennan-Kyro told the board. ‘We were able to go through the entire process, meet our goal and minimize the staff reductions.?
These budget cuts are the fourth set made by the district in three years. In 2001-2002, the district cut $856,000 from the budget. The year after, administrators trimmed another $1.2 million and then adjusted for a midyear proration brought in by Governor Jennifer Granholm that totaled $225,000. Now the district is proposing the $1.5 million in cuts and preparing for possibly more.
‘We have several items we have to keep an eye on,? said Assistant Superintendent Ron Franey told the board. Just a few of these items include further state budget reductions, insurance increases, property tax changes and the future impact of the Headlee amendment.
More cuts may be needed before the final budget is passed in June.
‘I have been very impressed with our staff, our employees and our administration in all of this,? Brennan-Kyro told board members.
‘One of the things I came away with while researching all of this is that our administration did a great job to keep our educational goals in tact,? said board member Jaimie Flemming during board comments.
The list of proposed reductions will be used by Franey in preparing the 2003-2004 district budget, which will be presented to the board in June..