WV expects up to $1.1 million shortfall
Officials hope to maintain staffing as they make cuts
The news was grim Wednesday night as the West Valley School Board learned that its budget for next year may be as much as $1.1 million short.
Deputy Superintendent Doug Matson presented his best estimate of the cuts the district will face hours before the state legislature reached agreement on a budget. The number would be much higher, but the proposed legislative budgets Matson analyzed included “enhancements” in some areas, cutting some of the district’s financial responsibilities. “They lowered the retirement rates,” he said. “There are no raises.”
The $1.1 million figure also includes federal stimulus money, though it is limited to specific programs like special education and Title 1. “We can’t use it for just anything,” he said.
One possibility to explore is to find out if the district’s all-day kindergarten program can be shifted to the Title 1 program to take advantage of the stimulus money.
Matson said he has been meeting with administrators and program directors to identify possible cuts, but he wants to maintain staffing as much as possible. “Our goal is to maintain positions in the district,” he said. “It’s a good time to review our programs. We got together and did some problem solving.
“Right now we’re just gathering suggestions from the different departments.”
Another difficult cut is the steep reduction of Initiative 728 money by the state in the proposed budgets. The money is provided to reduce class sizes and fund other programs. West Valley uses the money to fund 19.6 full-time equivalent positions and to fund after-school programs and in-service training. “We’re looking at a substantial cut,” Matson said. He believes the district should use whatever I-728 money it gets to maintaining staffing “and not so much the after-school programs.”
The board heard Matson’s presentation without comment. “This is just an estimate,” he said. “We really want to be cautious in what we’re talking about.”
In other business, the board approved the meeting schedule for 2009-’10 and appointed Matson as its representative for discussions with the Federal Emergency Management Agency regarding reimbursement for extraordinary expenses from the December and January snowstorms. It also passed a resolution supporting the state’s College Bound Scholarship program for students who get free or reduced-price lunch.
The board’s next meeting will be May 13.