District News
School board adopts budget-adjustments for 2009-10
The Tahoma School Board unanimously approved a budget plan that doesn’t cut as many teaching positions as originally proposed and restores one day to classified employee work schedules, which were to be reduced by four days.
The board, in a special meeting May 5 that focused strictly on the budget adjustment proposal, concluded a process that began in January. The adjustments are intended to meet a projected target of $3.6 million in cuts and new revenue needed to balance the budget as a result of state funding cuts and slowing enrollment.
The board’s decision came after a series of meetings that focused on the budget, including a regular meeting held Tuesday, April 28 when the board considered feedback from community members and staff that was heard in three public meetings held on April 21-23. And in a work-study meeting held Thursday, April 30 the school board heard a proposal from school district administrators to adjust the budget by spending money from the district's fund balance, which is set aside for unanticipated expenses. The board adopted the proposal , which will spend $570,800 to do the following:
- Bring back eight teaching positions that were reduced in the original budget adjustment proposal, presented to the school board on April 14. There would be a net reduction of 13 certificated positions. Eleven of those positions are being vacated by teachers who are retiring or some who have worked on year-to-year contracts as retire-rehire staff. Two certificated staff members with continuing contracts will be released.
- Reduce three work days from classified employees instead of the four that were originally proposed. The days would occur during non-student waiver days that are used for staff development.
- Add $40,000 to provide more paraeducator time for English Language Learner students. ELL certificated staffing is reduced as part of the budget adjustments but the program will continue to provide assistance to non-English speaking or limited-English students.
Despite the changes made by the school board, the overall budget-adjustment still represents significant reductions in staffing, programs and staff development. About one-third of the spending reductions come from departments and budgets at Central Services, including $538,000 from the Teaching and Learning Department. Administrators, including the superintendent and school principals, will take a 3 percent salary cut.
The board decided that Camp Casey, a two-day environmental science experience for fifth-grade students, will no longer receive school district funding, saving about $58,000. Instead, the board directed school district staff to work with PTA and the community to find alternative funding sources to pay for the camp.
The Discovery Program, designed for students who are considered gifted or have high academic talent, will be enlarged so that class sizes are equivalent to general education classes. The program had been considered for closure over a two-year period to reduce costs.
The following list outlines other budget adjustments:
Revenue producers
The following items are proposed to increase revenue by $299,000:
- Traffic Safety: Increase rates
- Food Service: Raise school lunch prices
- Extended Enrichment Program: Increase fees
- Athletics: Implement pay-for-participation fees
- All-day Kindergarten: Increase tuition
- Preschool: Increase tuition
- Tahoma Learning Community: Increase rates.
Spending reductions
- Print Shop: Reduce operating budget and paper usage
- Superintendent's Budget: Reduce discretionary spending
- THS Career Center: Leave position unfilled
- Financial Services Department: Reduce staffing
- Transportation Dept/Traffic Control: Reduce expenditures
- Discretionary Teacher Subs: Reduce spending
- Technology Dept: Reduce staffing
- Teaching and Learning Dept: Reduce Budget
- Special Services Department: Reduce budget; staffing reduced by 1.5.
- Administrators/Supervisors/Non-represented staff: Reduce pay
- Classified staff: Reduce by 3 non-student days; leave 5 positions unfilled (these positions are included in other spending reductions).
- Elementary/Middle Summer School: Eliminate program
- ELL: Reduce staffing by 1.
- Certificated positions: Reduce 10.5 from 2008-09 staffing levels
- Utilities: Reduce district-wide costs
- Camp Casey: Eliminate school district portion of expenses
