Schools
District Explores Elimination of Transportation, Middle School Sports and More to Save $5.9 Million
Saline Schools is also attempting to negotiate concessions from its teachers' union.
It’s not pretty.
Staring at a $5.9 million gap in next year’s budget, Saline Area Schools outlined its plan to makes ends meet.
The district’s plan is to dip into the fund balance for $2 million, to bargain for $2 million in concessions from the teachers’ union and to reduce spending by $2 million.
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At a community forum Monday, the district presented $4.1 million in potential cuts. They ranged from completely eliminating busing to save $1.1 million, to scrapping the Alert Now phone notification system, which would save about $13,500. Other ideas include the elimination of the high school marching band, or ending middle school sports and moving them to Community Education. The district also has plans to layoff the equivalent of 20.5 full-time teachers. As many as 40 teachers could receive layoff notices in May, although some will be reinstated by the June in time for next year's budget.
The district continues to negotiate with the Saline Education Association for concessions. Superintendent Scot Graden remains hopeful that the district can win $2 million in concessions.
Find out what's happening in Salinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Wages make up 85 percent of the district’s costs. The collective bargaining agreement between the district and union expires June 30, 2012. The three-year deal calls for a 2.5 percent pay increase in each year.
Graden said the district was in negotiations with the SEA as recently as Tuesday morning. He said discussions continue to be positive.
“I hope that we have some understanding to announce between now and the next community forum,” said Graden. The next forum takes place at 6:30 p.m. at Liberty School.
SEA President Tim Heim has not responded to calls and emails from Patch.com.
Tuesday’s board of education meeting adjourned in to executive session to discuss collective bargaining. As the room cleared, Heim remained.
The district’s $5.9 million budget problem will grow by another $1 million if voters do not pass the county’s special education millage May 3.
“Whatever happens, this is going to cause pain for everyone connected to the schools. This is the hardest budget time in my recent memory,” said Trustee Lisa Slawson.
Trustee David Friese went even further.
“I don’t think we’ve seen anything like this since the 1930s,” he said.
Slawson said she received several calls from parents on Tuesday.
“People said, ‘What? Are you people crazy to get rid of transportation?’” Slawson said.
She said people asked her about the possibility of closing another elementary school and consolidating into existing buildings, such as Liberty School.
Superintendent Scot Graden said reconfiguring Liberty, built as a high school, would take up to a year.
Friese said the district lacks the kind of money it would take to remodel Liberty for elementary education.
Slawson asked about the possibility of selling property and reducing the district’s footprint.
Graden said the district is exploring the sale of a small parcel of land on Michigan Avenue, across from country market. The district is waiting for zoning issues to be resolved. Graden said the district must also come up with a plan for Houghton School, which was closed along with Union School, last year. Union School has been sold.
Here is the complete list of potential savings being considered by the district:
Program/Staff
Preliminary Savings Reduce Curriculum Purchases $100,000.00 Eliminate MS Athletics and move to CE $64,000.00 HSl Security Positions (2.0 FTE) $48,000.00 MS Security Positions (In-House Suspension) $14,000.00 Energy Management Savings (Eliminate personal appliances, further adjust set points, etc.) $60,000.00 Reduce Elementary Sections (Possible increased class size) $400,000.00 Reduce Custodial by 2.5 FTE $90,000.00 Reduce Administration by 2.0 FTE $210,000.00 Reduce Nursing Staff by 1.0 FTE (Note: 73% Reimbursement) $15,000.00 Eliminate NWEA Testing in Grades 2-9 $40,000.00 Reduce Paraeducators by 7.0 FTE (Note 73% Reimbursement) $28,000.00 Reduce Technology Staff by 1.0 FTE $75,000.00 Eliminate Alert Now - Phone Notification System $13,500.00 Privatize Transportation (Note: Estimate - no RFP) $150,000 Est Eliminate Transportation $1,100,000.00 Eliminate March Band at HS $22,000.00 Eliminate Recycling Program $10,000.00 Eliminate Transportation for Athletics $50,000.00 Online Sections at HS (2.0 FTE) $140,000.00 Eliminate In-Town Busing/Reduce Stops $20,000.00 Eliminate Mid-Day Busing $70,000.00 Every Other Day Cleaning of Facilities $175,000.00 Sale of Furniture from Buildings $480,000.00 Reduce Building Budgets +20% $96,000.00 Privatize Custodial Services $250,000.00 Reduce Substitute Teacher Costs by 20% $72,000.00 Eliminate HS Music Accompanist $17,250.00 Summer Shutdown of facilities $2,500.00 Reduce HS Sections by 6.0 FTE (Larger class sizes, limited offerings) $480,000.00The district is also considering ways to raise revenue:
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