District 88 cuts nearly $1.3 million

Staff cuts are 7.4 percent of current employees

By KREMENA TODOROVA

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- The District 88 Board of Education on Monday voted to shave nearly $1.3 million off next school year's budget, after failing to gain voter support last year for a tax increase to make up a projected shortfall.

"The huge steps backwards we are taking are unbelievable," said board member Brian Wieland, echoing the general sentiment of the board.

The programs and services impacted by the cuts "added a lot of credibility to the district," he said. "But people should realize, at this point, nothing is sacred."

The cuts will translate into shedding the equivalent of 27 positions, according to district officials. This means the district would be re-aligning responsibilities among staffers. Because some of the impacted positions are part-time, the changes will actually affect more staffers (but fewer than 27 people will lose a job altogether).

The cuts represent a 7.4 percent reduction in staff.

Of the cuts, some $303,000 come from the district-wide budget; some $261,000 from the senior high; some $183,000 from the middle school; some $184,000 from Washington Elementary; and some $276,000 from Jefferson Elementary.

While the impact of the cuts at the elementary level is partly offset by declining enrollments, Monday's decision will still translate into larger class sizes, officials say.

For example, class sizes at the senior high would be 18 to 30 plus students in English and history; 18-26 in science, business and art; and 15-26 in industrial technology.

At the middle school, classes in core subjects will have 25 to 30 students.

At Washington Elementary, classes in grade six will be 28-30, in grade five to 25-27, and in grade four to 25-27.

At Jefferson, class sizes at the kindergarten level will be 19-20, in first grade 20-21, in second grade 22-23, and in third grade 25-26.

Supplies and equipment budgets will also be pared down. For example, the equipment budget at Jefferson Elementary will be reduced to zero, while the supplies budget at that site will be cut by more than 25 percent. Similar cuts will take place at other buildings.

The cuts roughly mirror each building's share in the total budget. For example, district-wide expenses make up 26 percent of the budget, and they will be reduced by roughly 23 percent. The respective figures for the senior high are roughly 24 percent and 20 percent; for the middle school 12 percent and 14 percent; for Washington Elementary 16 percent and 15 percent; and for Jefferson Elementary 18 percent and 21 percent.

The board decision Monday closely reflected a list of recommendations developed by administrators in each building.

The only change made by the board concerned the district's summer contracts.

Administrators had recommended their complete elimination, but the board decided to let two ag teachers work for five weeks during the summer, down from the current seven, citing the "summer-intensive" nature of the ag program.

In addition, it reduced three other summer contracts (a nurse, a vocational business and a special education position) by 60 percent, instead of fully eliminating them.

These departures from the administrative recommendations reduced the overall savings by about $6,000.

The board turned down a proposal by board member Steve Wachter to make up for this loss by switching over to a once-a-month payroll.

Wachter said the move, expected to save $12,000, would take nothing away from students.

But other board members stressed it would inconvenience employees, impacting morale for little payback.

The Monday board action also projects some $86,000 savings in athletic activities. This would be accomplished by increasing admission fee for students and adults and participation fees, and yet undetermined cuts in coaching and advisor positions. The activities budget is about 3 percent of the district's budget, so this area is taking a bigger hit than others, according to officials. But on the positive side, no activities are being eliminated, according to Superintendent Harold Remme.

District-wide reductions include delaying textbook purchases; eliminating the superintendent's secretary at board meetings; reducing a business office clerical position to half time; eliminating a student helper in the business office, the communications coordinator, summer custodial helpers, a schoolkeeper, a clerical position in the technology office and a social worker; discontinuing the use of department heads; and reducing special education teaching staff and supply and software budgets.

Senior high reductions include cuts in supplies, equipment and district involvement in field trips, eliminating administrative substitutes, reducing the repair and maintenance budget, reducing staff by 3.8 teachers, reducing the media specialist by half time, and eliminating the building computer coordinator.

Middle school cuts include reducing equipment and supplies, closing the third floor of the 1915 building, reducing staff by 3.5 teachers, and eliminating a building computer coordinator.

Washington Elementary reductions include eliminating district involvement in field trips; eliminating two regular classroom teachers, a para educator, a lunch room supervisor and a building computer coordinator; reducing special area (art and music) teachers' jobs by a combined .82; cutting equipment and supplies, library book and video purchases and keyboarding instruction by .2; and cutting a counselor's secretary position to half time.

Jefferson Elementary reductions include instructional supplies and equipment; eliminating four teaching positions and a computer coordinator; reducing the equivalent of one designated area teacher, a lunch room supervisor and a special education para-educator, a counselor's secretary to half time; eliminating support for field trips; and reducing a media specialist to half time.