Lake Washington School District administrators recommended no teachers be laid of during a May 4 board meeting as the school district grapples with an estimated $8 million budgetary shortfall for the next biennium.
The budget cuts include eliminating more than 10 administrative positions, reducing teacher development resources, imposing higher fees for all-day kindergarten and athletics and contracting out operation or closing the Juanita High School swimming pool.
School District spokesperson Kathryn Reith said parents and staff were willing to entertain hikes in fees so long as classroom sizes remained the same and no teachers were cut
Reith said the community was willing to look at fees on just about anything if it meant no teacher layoffs, but was sanguine at the overall budget picture.
“It’s going to be felt,” she said.
Through the process of putting together the 2009-10 proposed budget for the district, Superintendent Chip Kimball said he heard the message of parents and staff loud and clear: don’t increase class sizes. The district plans to keep class sizes the same and will not lay off teachers, despite cutting $7.7 million from its budget. Dr. Kimball presented the proposed budget to the district’s board of directors last night.
“We stayed true to our community’s priorities,” noted Dr. Kimball. “We heard loud and clear that our community does not want to see class sizes increase if at all possible. We looked carefully at every possible way to creatively use other sources of funding and to focus multiple cuts on all areas outside the classroom.”
Kimball noted the community feedback he received from the district’s Website survey and a series of meetings at area schools last month, soliciting input from parents and teachers.
The advice he got also advocated protecting safety net programs for struggling learners, early learning and investments in quality staff. The new budget reflects those values through keeping such programs as the Ready Start preschool and safety net programs.
“This budget will be balanced,” he said. “We have squeezed every penny possible out of the system to make sure our priorities are funded. While I am sad that many of our programs will receive cuts, I am very proud of the work that so many in the district have done to make sure that every student, every day, has a high quality learning experience.”
The largest cuts came in central administration and professional development at just over $2 million dollars. More than ten positions will be eliminated, including four administrators, two professional/technical staff members and just over four professional development staff positions. All central office departments will face a five percent cut in their operating budgets. The administrative cuts amount to 20 percent of the district’s central administrators. In another cost-saving move, the district will no longer produce a printed school calendar, which traditionally is mailed to all parents at the beginning of the school year. The total amount of these cuts comes to about 11 percent of the district’s central administration budget.
The next largest cut is in building support, totaling $1.8 million. Five percent of the building operating budgets will be cut. The building budgets for professional development will be cut by 75 percent. Much of the cut in this area involves reducing staff stipends to provide support for high school graduation, teacher leaders, teachers on special assignment and teachers who lead advisory programs in the secondary schools. These cuts will result in less income for some staff members.
The district will increase fees and cut some programs, for about $1.1 million in savings or increased revenue. About $700,000 will be gained through an increase in the fee for All-Day Kindergarten. A new fee for transportation for the one day per week gifted enrichment program will raise $45,000. Operation of the pool at Juanita High School will be contracted out, saving $150,000. If no contractor can be found, the pool will be closed.
A significant change will be in funding for activities and athletics, resulting in about $800,000 in cost savings and increased revenue. Schools will receive fewer stipends for activity programs. The largest change will be a substantial change in athletics fees, rising from $35 to $105 in junior highs and from $75 to $275 in high schools.
Support services will cut about $600,000 through increased efficiencies in using a different custodial services model, increased energy savings and transportation route efficiencies. These efficiencies may include fewer, longer routes and fewer stops per route.
Finally, the district will move some expenses currently from the general fund to special education or Title I funds so that it may use federal stimulus money to pay for those items. The district’s Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on the budget at its June 22 meeting.
The budget must be approved by the Board in August.
Northwest News Cable News/King 5 is also covering this story.
