Budget ax falls in RC schools

Biting the budget bullet in the Rogers City Area Schools has resulted in layoffs, a reduction in supplies, no salaries for school board members through June, and a major hike in the cost for driver education. Budget amendment #2 was approved Monday evening by the board of education on a 5-1 vote.

About $56,000 in cuts were recommended by the Planning and Finance Committee, but it still wasn?t enough to prevent the district from having to absorb a projected deficit of $108,828 from its fund equity.

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Don Schaedig finalized the reduction in this year?s spending plan after seeking input from the state, internal district data, principals, administrative staff, and from the Planning and Finance Committee.

?Balancing the budget at a time when we have declining enrollment and declining revenues is never an enviable task,? said president Scott McLennan. ?I commend the administration for the work they did in coming up with the savings.?

?This particular year is a tough one, and unfortunately there isn?t an end in sight as of yet.? McLennan said the district needs to maintain a conservative posture.

THE PROPOSED state budget cuts of 3.8 percent are expected to be reflected in the March state aid check that?s to be on its way next week. Other plans, such as a cut of only one percent from the foundation grant, were discussed in Lansing, but were not supported. Three names were on the layoff list: special education instructional aide Carol Sitkiewicz, high school custodian Rose Przybyla, both the lowest in seniority in each category, and non-instructional noon hour aide Amanda Schultz. Sitkiewicz has opted to accept the position held by Amanda Schultz, said superintendent Ed Schultz. ?I HATED TO see this happen but we?re trying to pitch in and do what we need to do,? said Bill Stypick, supervisor of buildings, grounds, and transportation, commenting on the loss of his crew member. ?Obviously, I?m still discussing this with the custodians as to what they think will work the best. There?s going to be some growing pains. There?s probably going to be some trash cans missed for the first couple of weeks.? Stypick said he would like the position to be the first one filled when times get better. ?We were just at staff and I think the buildings were showing a remarkable comeback from a year ago,? Stypick said.

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR Pat Lamb read a letter stating the junior high/youth wrestling and junior high volleyball would do their part by using private transportation whenever possible when they travel to games and meets. ?We as parents and coaches are aware of the financial crisis that is not only gripping our school, but many schools in the state,? Lamb said, reading the letter to the board. ?To that end, we would like it stated that we will do everything possible to ease the strain on the district.?

?We realize that this alone will not solve all the problems we are facing but we feel by everyone taking the initiative to ease the financial strain on the district, small steps can lead a long way,? Lamb concluded. ?I?ve been very pleased with the cooperative spirit we?ve had from the administrators and the other support staff people,? said Schultz. ?People seem to understand this is happening statewide.?

TO INCREASE revenues, driver education fees were increased from $50 to $145 and will go into effect for the next class in April. The projected funds for 30 students will be an added $2,850.

School supplies, which included business office equipment, elementary school textbooks, library books, and technology equipment, were trimmed by $14,000. ?I?m assuming that these reductions have been suggested and approved by the respective administrators, and this is not going to be an undue hardship,? said board member Jo Bush Glenn. ?I gave a memo to the staff,? said high school principal Jim Connell. ?We also discussed this at a staff meeting. For the most part, I had a cutoff of March for the purchase of teaching supplies for this year.?

?There may be some things in the way of biology specimens or consumable type items for home ec class, that couldn?t be purchased with that deadline, but for the most part, the teachers have sufficient supplies to surv

ive the rest of the school year,? Connell added.

THE DECISION by the board to forgo salaries from April through June didn?t sit well with Norm Karbon, who wanted the provision to say ?optional? so each individual could make his or her own decision whether they wanted to accept the $45 per meeting fee. Karbon made a motion to add the word ?optional,? but it died for lack of support.

Elimination of the board of education salaries for three months will result in a savings of $1,000. Karbon was the lone ?no? vote when the roll call vote was taken for the budget amendment. Dana LaBar was absent from the meeting.

?We must stay fiscally solvent,? said McLennan, ?so again, I thank the administrators and your staffs for working toward coming up with some short term budget fixes.?

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