Posen School Board decides $300,000 must go: staff reductions on the horizon
The Posen Consolidated School District has found itself where many school districts are today, with their back against the wall and nowhere to go in the direction of making cuts in the budget. For Posen that is going to mean reduction of staff as 90 percent of the budget covers employees. It is no longer a matter of scrimping and making small adjustments. That no longer is effective.
?Using fund equity to get by without cutting staff will no longer be an option,? said Posen superintendent Dennis Stratton at Monday?s special board of education meeting. ?We can?t do that any longer with the decline in enrollment, and the costs going up. There will only be approximately 277 students next year, down from 298.?
THAT TRANSLATES to close to $141,000 in lost state revenue. ?This meeting is a work session only ? there will not be any action taken tonight, only ideas and issues laid out,? Stratton said. ?We?re going to look at where we?re at financially. Action on these issues will be taken at next week?s May 17 regular school board meeting.? Stratton presented various points that had been discussed with the finance committee, for the board to consider before next week?s regular meeting.
?We are looking at a $340,000 to a $350,000 deficit budget and costs just keep rising,? Stratton said. ?We need to cut $300,000 from the budget to stay solvent and to stay even.?
STRATTON PRESENTED many options for board consideration before next Monday?s regular board meeting, where action is expected to take place:
?Reduce one of the bus runs, as many students do not ride the bus and some drive to school already. ?The band program may have to be eliminated.
?Combine some elementary classes such as grades two and three and/or grades four and five, thus eliminating two teaching positions.
?Increase lunch costs from $1.10 to $1.50 for elementary students, from $1.35 to $2.00 for high school and from $2.35 to $3.00 for adults.
?Possibility of ?pay to play? for athletics was discussed with great reservation as it was felt athletics help with community pride and are a positive influence on students.
?The option of eliminating the secretarial position was nixed, but the possibility of having it become a three-quarter position was discussed. ?The secretarial position is an absolute critical position to the running of the school system,? Stratton said.
??I do think the board has to look at what happens to bring somebody in and paying them on an interim basis for a period of time for the superintendent?s position ? I?m not trying to talk myself out of a job, but all options must be looked at,? Stratton continued.
?The school calendar should be looked at. We went from 180 days to having 1,098 hours of school a year,? Stratton said. ?That allows us to do some creative things with the calendar.? A shortened school week such as four days per week, or longer days starting earlier and/or ending earlier could be utilized. A shortened school year might also be a possibility for consideration.
?PHS principal Cliff Kelly told the board that following registration of students, he found the art classes were suffering with low numbers and may be a possibility for cuts. It was stressed that it is the positions that are being considered for cuts and that means according to contracts, a person with higher seniority would be likely to bump another employee with less seniority if they met qualifications and could assume a different position.
After much discussion on teaching positions it was agreed that two eleme
Former Posen superintendent Mike Murch was present to give advice on the issues, and said, ?Be sure to look at the contractual end of all your cuts. Many things such as breakfasts and lunch programs are mandated and cannot be removed,? Murch said. ?Prep time for teachers was discussed with options being after school and letting the students go home earlier.
Kelly warned that with the reduction of three teaching staff in the high school, it would leave seniors without electives to take up their six hours per day schedule. Murch said, ?Look at everything, but keep in mind the contracts. Student recruitment could be looked at to build enrollment ? if you have something to offer them.? Murch said Mackinac City has 67 non-resident students, with the parent either bringing the child to the district or to a bus pickup location inside the district. Recruitment is allowed because of the ?Schools of Choice? law. ?What saves the most money is what you?ll have to do,? Murch advised. Action on budget-trimming issues will take place at Monday?s regular school board meeting at 7:30 p.m.