Sisters school budget still very thin

Last updated Mar 17, 2009 12:0pm0

The Sisters School District is still looking at possible budget cuts, even after voters approved giving Sisters schools $1.1 million per year in local option money over the next five years.

The cuts may be required because of declining enrollment, reduced state funding, and higher rates of uncollected taxes. The district would have a shortfall of as much as $1.25 million in the 2009-2010 school year if revenues do not grow and expenses are not cut.

"That is a worst-case scenario," said district business manager Sandy Tartaglia.

Since the last school board meeting on March 11, the district received the good news that President Obama's stimulus plan could direct as much as another $125,000 to the Sisters School District as soon as this April.

This money would likely go to the bottom line "ending fund balance" for this year, increasing the balance from $79,073 to an estimated $204,000. That would go to the "beginning fund balance" for the 2009/2010 school year, according to Tartaglia.

The district is also looking at reducing labor costs next year through attrition and resignation, including 4.67 certified positions (teachers), saving $325,000, and 2.5 classified positions including bus drivers and custodians, saving $135,000.

Superintendent Elaine Drakulich cautioned the school board at their meeting on March 11 that the revenue picture "has changed six times" as the district has tried to establish a clear financial picture. Other unknowns include increases in the Consumer Price Index, which directly affects salaries.

"The contract says the increase will be between two and three percent. This year it has slid to 2.8 percent," Drakulich told the board. Benefit costs may also come down.

Other ideas being floated to reduce the shortfall include moving fifth graders back to the elementary school, cuts in music and sports, and a four-day school week. (See related story on page 14.)

Sisters weighs in on where to cut school costs

Some startling ideas have been offered to cut costs at Sisters schools to meet an anticipated revenue short fall next year (see story on page 3).

First on the list is to move the fifth grade back to the elementary school. This will allow staffing consolidation and could help cut 4.67 teaching positions and 2.5 classified staff positions. These reductions would be met through resignation and retirement, according to Superintendent Elaine Drakulich, who reviewed options for the school board at their meeting on March 11.

The school district has formed a committee that brainstormed a variety of ideas.

Another was moving to a four-day school week. Superintendent Elaine Drakulich told the board that those she contacted in districts that had followed this option did not indicate that it would "save a great deal of money over time."

Most of the impact would come from not running busses and food service, extracting savings primarily from classified employees. An hour a day would be added to the schedule for students, and teacher schedules would not be dramatically reduced. "these would be negotiated items," Drakulich told the board.

Board member Mike Gould noted that "there is not a drop of 20 percent in (even operations) costs. The lights still need to be on, the heat on, the grass mowed, the snow removed. It's people and buses." Drakulich noted that bus costs are already subsidized 75 percent, so the district would realize only 25 percent of any direct savings.

Another ideas was to cut conferences in the middle of the year. Cutting two of those "instructional days" would save the district as much as $82,000.

The district might also look at saving $15,000 per year with "central purchasing" of consumables such as pencils and paper. The issue is storage, Drakulich told the board, but that problem can also be eliminated if the fifth grade is moved back to the elementary school.

Turning off all lights in the buildings and parking lots at night could save perhaps as much as $10,000. Drakulich told the board that some studies actually indicated that vandalism goes down if the lights are turned off. Board member Mike Gould worried about liability if someone were to trip and fall in the dark. Board member Tom Dumolt wondered if turning off 75 percent of the lights might be an option.

Field trips, outdoor school, trips to OMSI in Portland cost about $230,000, but many on the committee said "that's what makes Sisters unique so let's not get rid of it in total," Drakulich said. Athletics cost the district about $250,000 per year, but that total includes a substantial amount of "community support" and is not funded by tax payers.

There might be a possibility of a percentage reduction in sports, co-curricular and extended learning.

A salary freeze, which the district cannot implement without negotiation with the unions, would save $330,000, including $106,000 for insurance, staff said in response to a question from board chairperson Christine Jones.

Closing the campus so that students remain onsite for lunch may stem losses in the food service program.

Another possibility is closing the administration building and moving staff to empty rooms in the middle school. Another is freezing wages and reducing administrative staff.

Board member Tom Dumolt pointed out that class size could be allowed to increase.

The committee was to meet this week to have further discussion and prioritize possible cuts.

"This is just preplanning. I think the board and Elaine (Superintendent Drakulich) are wise in doing this," committee chair Don Hedrick told the school board.

"These (ideas) are brainstorming. Nothing is being decided. It is discussion. We are not empowered to make any decision," Hedrick said. The committee was formed to generate ideas receive community input.

"We need to prioritize in case we lose $500,000," Drakulich said.

The school board and the budget committee will make the actual decision on what cuts to make during the official budget process.