News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sisters schools are heading into their budgeting season for the 2009-2010 school year dragging a heavy anchor.
As of last Wednesday, the district was operating under the belief that it would have to budget for a $970,000 shortfall. That figure was based on Governor Ted Kulongoski's proposed two-year education budget of $6.12 billion
As of this week, that number has fallen to $5.9 billion, meaning the district will have to budget for a $1.5 million shortfall. If the number plunges to $5.4 billion, as some are predicting, the Sisters School District will be trying to dig out of a $2.47 million hole.
The shortfall is a result of a recession-fueled plunge in state funding and an expected drop in enrollment in Sisters schools next year.
Superintendent Elaine Drakulich, her staff, and an advisory budget reduction committee made up of staff and concerned citizens, has already identified areas where savings might be made.
The largest part of the deficit will be made up by declining to hire for expired temporary positions and letting open positions go unfilled.
"About half of the $970,000 - very close to that - can be made up by not replacing attrition," Drakulich told the Sisters School Board Wednesday night, April 8.
The district can also use a portion of its reserves or "carryover" from this year's budget to plug next year's gap. About $200,000 is available for this move.
In an interview with The Nugget, Drakulich acknowledged that the district may choose to keep the fifth-grade class at Sisters Elementary School next year as a means of saving some $80,000.
The fifth grade was moved to Sisters Middle School in 2005, to relieve overcrowding at Sisters Elementary School. That crowding is not a factor now, because of declining enrollment.
According to Drakulich, savings will come through reduced clerical time devoted to the fifth grade and efficiencies available by having them at the elementary school.
At the school board meeting last Wednesday, Drakulich walked the board through ideas raised by the informal budget reduction committee. No dollar figures have been attached to these ideas, because the budget session does not formally open until April 22. The budget must be finalized by the end of June.
Ideas included saving money through central purchasing of supplies and saving energy costs by blacking out buildings at night. Drakulich said that the idea of closing the district administration offices and moving to the middle school was floated but that it would not save money.
She said there was no interest in cutting out co-curricular programs, going to a four-day school week or making cuts to staff. There was, however, considerable interest in exploring a salary/benefit freeze.
Drakulich said that such a move would require opening contract negotiations with the associations that represent certified and classified staff.
Cutting school days received heavy consideration, but Drakulich said that such cuts would be part of the "next level" of cuts if the shortfall exceeds $970,000.
It appears this week that that next level of cuts may be necessary.
The committee also recommended trying to generate more income through grant writing and siting more cell phone towers on school property to tap lease revenue.
The board meets on April 22 in a work session for budget committee orientation. Drakulich will submit a draft of the balanced budget to the budget committee on May 6, but it is not clear what effect the continuing slide in state revenue forecasts will have on Sisters' budget planning.
Across the state, school budget committees are postponing action until they have a clearer picture from the state.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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