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April 14, 2000
District 88 cuts$516,000By GUY PRIEL Journal Staff Writer NEW ULM -- Faced with dropping enrollments and a decrease in state funding, the District 88 School Board on Thursday approved reductions totalling $516,000 for 2000-2001. Enrollment estimates indicate that there will be 50 less students in the district next year, which created the need for the budget cuts. Reductions were also necessary because the district set a goal of keeping at least $1.2 million in the general fund balance. This year's cuts follow in the shadow of $700,000 worth of cuts approved by the board for the current school year. The district has approved a May 23 operating referendum in an attempt to keep current programs in place and avoid a possible $1 million worth of cuts for 2001-2002. The board approved, with Donald Potter abstaining, the following cuts: * In-town busing, within a two-mile radius of the schools; * Elementary media specialist position; * The music position at the high school by .8, reducing lesson time; * Elementary music and physical education positions by 2.7; * A learning disabled staff member by half; * Putting a temporary halt on desk purchases; * Middle school staff by .6; * Activity department expenses by $20,000; * Four elementary teaching positions; * Reduction of one clerical position. In determining possible cuts, district officials spent time examining information and gathering data. The district received input from staff regarding the proposed cuts, and discussed options in a retreat setting, Superintendent Harold Remme said. "Each item has value and provides a purpose and function for our school operation," he said. "Whichever items are enacted will result in less of a service or program." The board was presented with a list containing $522,000 worth of cuts, with an alternate list of $151,000 worth of cuts. The items classified as Tier I were high priority, while those classified as Tier II were options with less priority, officials said. Assumptions were made regarding the dollar impact of a cut, based upon an average staff salary, he said. "In preparing the list of possible reductions, we have tried to minimize the impact, but there is no way to avoid impacting something," Remme said. "Everything remaining is important in one way or another." Transportation is an area that impacts the classroom or student program the least. Discontinuing busing within two miles of the city limits is legal under state law, he said. Board members expressed concerns regarding the cutting of four elementary teaching positions, the reduction of one middle school teacher, keeping the gifted and talented position intact, and the number of coaches and advisors being considered for reductions. "I am concerned with class sizes in the elementary school," Board member Susan Ullery said. "Projected numbers for fourth and fifth grade (25) make me a little nervous." Board Chairman Mark Wiger expressed concern with cutting a reading teacher as opposed to more coaches in the activities department. A 3 percent cut in activities would be consistent with other cuts, Remme said. "We have made no discussion about cutting an activity," Remme said. "We are mainly looking at the number of coaches." Activities are not the main focus of a district, if cuts affect the amount of students who are able to read at the junior high level, Wiger said. "Unless we add some of these things up, we won't know what we can exchange," Ullery said. "Determine what we agree on and go from there." Board member David Leuthe stated that the cuts being proposed pale in comparison to what will happen if the referendum doesn't pass, because the numbers will look a lot worse. He also expressed concern with reducing the number of textbook purchases. "Nobody likes this, but, overall, it has to be people driven," Board member Brian Wieland said. "We don't have anywhere else to cut. We could talk about this all night, but we have to make cuts. It is not fun, and we know that." In an attempt to increase revenue, the board approved a $5 increase in activity participation fees. With a cut of in-town busing, students attending St. Anthony's, St. Paul's, and Cathedral will be impacted. Those not affected are special education students needing special transportation and non-public students attending Immanuel Lutheran and Minnesota Valley Lutheran, Remme said. During the meeting, the board also: * Accepted the resignation of third grade teacher Bob Beussman effective at the end of the school year. Beussman was also granted a medical leave of absence effective March 27. * Awarded bids for hallway improvements at the junior high school to Paul's Electric of New Ulm for lighting, at a cost of $6,720; Hendley's of Mankato for the ceiling work, at a cost of $4,725; and Olympic of Medford for sprinkler system work, at a cost of $8,600. Total cost of bids is $20,045.
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