Posen school staff and committee compile cost-cutting list

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

The state budget crisis has Michigan school districts waiting for a Nov. 20 deadline to see if the next shoe to fall will be a $127 per pupil reduction. They?ve already been saddled with $165 per pupil cut, but the waiting game continues to see if there will be more. While the wait continues, members of the Posen Consolidated School Board?s finance committee and employees of the district met Nov. 11 and came up with a list of 30 short- and long-term ideas to possibly implement when the state determines what the final cuts will be. Nearly 100 percent of the staff, which included teachers and support personnel, attended.

?I thought the turn out was really great,? said board member Andy Stone, who serves on the finance committee with Randy Styma and Jesse Chappa. It was the second finance committee meeting in as many weeks. ?Obviously the staff understands how bad off we could be in the real near future. They care about their jobs, they don?t want to lose their jobs, (and) we don?t want to lose our school.?

School districts already have been told they will be getting $165 per pupil less. With 249 students, that equates to a $41,085 reduction. SUPERINTENDENT DRU MILLIRON said there is a proposal, which came out of the state house that would reduce the $127 figure to $10, using stimulus money now instead of later. ?It has to be approved by the senate and governor,? said Milliron. ?From what I understand, is that it doesn?t look likely that that will happen.? Styma said, ?It would be beneficial to wait until the state numbers are concrete. We?ve got all the ideas listed, it?s just how many will we have to implement. Maybe all of them, or maybe more than we can think of.?

President Ken Wozniak sai

d some of the ideas have already been implemented, such as cost-saving energy measures that include increased efforts to turn lights off in the building, especially in the gymnasium and locker rooms. The library, where the school board meets, was obviously much chillier than if the students had been there earlier in the day. Monday was an off day for students to enjoy a long hunting weekend. OTHER IDEAS shared in the open meeting were the harvesting of timber behind the school building and possibly closing off the wing of the school that runs parallel with the library because it is heated by a separate boiler.

?Economically we are in real bad times,? said Wozniak. ?It?s going to get worse in the next year or two before it gets any better at all.? Once lawmakers make their decision, the finance committee, or the entire board will convene for a special meeting or workshop to discuss the next step. IN OTHER business: ? Tim Romel, who has been serving as junior high boys? basketball coach, was appointed to serve as junior varsity coach. Romel and Larry Kuffel were the only candidates interviewed. ? The Posen Sports Boosters donated $10,000 to the athletic department, which was graciously accepted.