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Wauzeka-Steuben School Budget

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Wauzeka-Steuben referendum for exceeding 

revenue cap limit is expected next school year

School Board reviews cost saving ideas, continues to seek public input

By Ted Pennekamp

 

The Wauzeka-Steuben Board of Education held a series of meetings in November to discuss possible solutions to its $448,689 budget deficit. Numerous citizens attended the meetings and gave the board input as to various possible solutions.

Citizen input conveyed to the board and the administration accounted for more than 75 ideas. These ideas consisted of everything from school consolidation, to a referendum, to cuts within the district.

One of the main solutions discussed would be to have a referendum to increase the revenue cap limit. At its Nov. 28 meeting, the board decided not to move forward with a referendum this upcoming spring. However, it is fully anticipated that a referendum vote will take place during the 2017-2018 school year. Projections show that after this school year, the district will need to cut approximately $200,000 each year until declining enrollment flattens out. In a letter to district residents sent Nov. 29, the School Board said it does not want to make cuts each year, which will slowly bleed the district. Instead, the board would like to make any possible cuts next school year without reducing student experiences before going to referendum. 

It is not yet known by how much the referendum would be asking residents to allow the district to exceed the revenue cap. Several area school districts have voted in recent years to exceed the revenue cap limit.

Also during the meeting of Nov. 28, 14 ideas arose with two other ideas being considered. None of these ideas have been finalized, noted District Administrator Robert Sailer. 

Sailer said that the School Board would like to hear feedback from district residents on these ideas before their regular monthly board meeting on Dec. 19. Feedback can be provided directly to School Board members or can be communicated through Robert Sailer who will relay the message to the entire School Board. 

Listed below are the 16 ideas. The amounts listed as potential cost savings have ranges built in. Many of these ideas have multiple factors and create domino effects which make it extremely challenging to put an exact dollar amount on the idea. As the list is tightened up during future meetings, more secure figures are expected to be obtained.

The list of ideas was also part of the letter sent to district residents on Nov. 29. The list includes, in no particular order:

1) Fee’s–Reimplement a $25 registration fee for all students. In the event a family does not fill out a free-and-reduced application, the fee would be $100. (potential revenue approximately $7,500).

2) Teaching - Move all Business Education classes to Distance Learning. Distance Learning is currently being used for upper level Spanish courses. The students stay in the building and attend the class in a specialized room with monitors and projectors that allow the students to have an interactive experience with a teacher at another school for approximately $250/student. (potential cost savings $50,000 to $78,357.580).

3) Technology - Part I: Reduce the technology support department. (potential cost savings: $15,000). Part II: Examine options of outsourcing technology support to a local business. (potential cost savings: unknown at this time). Part III: A hybrid model of Part I and II. (potential cost savings: unknown at this time).

4) Transportation - Consolidate four bus routes to three bus routes. (potential cost savings, employee $15,000  to $30,000, plus bus maintenance and fuel).

5) Administrative Assistants - (Business Official Assistant, School Secretary, and Administrative Assistant):  Redraft job descriptions of the three positions into two positions. (potential cost savings $45,000 - $55,000).  

6) Paraprofessionals - Reduce paraprofessional staff by 1.5 FTE. (potential cost savings, employee $60,000-$70,000).

7) Special Education – Based upon student need it is anticipated that the number of students receiving speech services can reduce this position from three to two days. (potential cost savings $27,748).

8) Nurse Contract - Reduce the school nurse contract to the minimum required amount by the state. (potential cost savings is unknown at this time, but the current contract is $20,000).

9) Health Insurance - Reduce the cost of health insurance responsibility by the district by bidding out the insurance, increasing employee contribution, redesigning the plan or specific design plan, or a host of other options. During the December regular board meeting, facts and figures will be presented to the School Board by M3, the district’s health insurance broker. More information will be available after the December board meeting.

10) Benefits - Eliminate the district paying $200/credit for teachers. Historically, teachers renewed their licenses through credits. Now teachers can use the PDP model. As of just last week the district is piloting (with the Department of Public Instruction) another form of teacher licensing renewal that will be laid out with staff in late December. (potential cost savings $5,000).

11) Custodial Department - Reduce the custodial department by .625 FTE. (potential cost savings $20,000).

12) Health Insurance - Provide the option of cash in lieu of health insurance option to staff. (potential cost savings could be significant but it is too early to place a dollar value on this option).

13) Athletics – Last year the district implemented assistant coach positions at the middle school level. Eliminate all assistant coach positions at the middle school level. Eliminate assistant coaches at the high school level in baseball, softball, cross country, and track. (potential cost savings approximately $9,500).

14) Athletics – Implement athletic participation fees at the middle school level at $25/sport and $30/sport at the high school level with a family cap of $150. (approximate revenue $2,500).

The following ideas were also discussed on Nov. 28, but were tabled for later discussion after more is known about insurance rates for next year at the Dec. 19 board meeting.

15) Part-Time Employees – Eliminate offering insurance to employees who work less than 30 hours. Currently, insurance is offered to part-time employees. Legally, the district is not required to provide insurance to employees who work less than 30 hours. (potential cost savings approximately $100,000).

16) If a staff member K-8 leaves, for whatever reason, the district does not rehire unless there is a licensing issue. Instead, fifth grade would be moved into the middle school.  Elementary would then consist of grades 4k-4 and middle school would be grades 5-8. (potential cost savings $50,000 to $88,774.57).

Note: Administrative contracts were not listed above to be reviewed. Across the state, the majority of administrative contracts are two-year contracts. The administrative team is in year one of their two-year contracts. Next year, the School Board has stated that these contracts will also be under review.

The next School Board meeting will be on Monday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. in the LMC.  

The School Board and administration continue to seek public input. If anyone has ideas or thoughts for the board to consider, they can contact the board members or the district administrator prior to the board meeting. Although there is a community comments section on each board agenda, contacting board members ahead of time helps provide the board time to reflect on people’s comments prior to the board meeting so they are able to make a more sound decision the night of the meeting.

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