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2011 - 2012 Budget Reduction
At present, our current educational program is trying to respond to a funding cliff created by the absence of Federal (ARRA stimulus) funds received in the last two years, as well as, state funding reverting back to 2006 funding levels. The NAFC Schools are now spending approximately $6.25 million more than our new annual revenue. After adoption, the net effect of this proposal will be to trim $2.2 million from our spending pattern and put the School Board in a position to survive the financial waters of 2012. While the recommended list to follow is comprehensive, it is not enough to solve the magnitude of the fiscal problem. Our ultimate goal is to achieve a “Sustainable Budget.” We do not want to remain in a position of having to cut the budget every year. However, in the interim, we must plan further reductions. Additional management action or community referendum will be needed to attain financial solvency.
In addition to this proposed plan, our strategy for financial survival includes the consummation of cash reserves as well as the use of Rainy Day funds. Combined, as a whole, these 3 actions (reductions, consumption of cash, and depletion of Rainy Day Funds) will stabilize our financial condition for the near term (2012); however, they will not solve the full problem. At some future point, additional cuts or increased local property taxes will become necessary.
Listed below are the budget reduction measures recommended by the school administration for consideration to the Board of School Trustees.
We recommend continuing a 3 tier fixed dollar health insurance plan for administrative and classified personnel.
We recommend a step freeze (all wages) for administrative staff for 2011-2012.
We recommend a step freeze (all wages) for classified staff for 2011-2012.
Reduce regular elementary staff: RIF 4 “regular” elementary FTE.
Reduce elementary art, music, and pe by 19.8 teaching positions. Elementary students will continue to receive instruction and have activities that will include physical movement, art, and music.
Title I expenditures for 2011-12 will be significantly reduced due to the cessation of stimulus (ARRA) funds (1.4 million) and reduced carryover dollars from the 2010-11 basic grant. As a result, the Title I preschool program (4 positions) and Reading Recovery services (5 positions) will no longer be offered.
Eliminate all district curricular chair extra-duty assignments (with the exception of math & ELA).
Reduce our middle school staff: RIF 6 assignments. 2 teachers from HHMS, HMS & Scribner from either their 5th or 6th grade.
Reduce high school staff: 2.5 at FCHS and 6 at NAHS. • FCHS: 1.5 English, 1 math. NAHS: 1 building maintenance, 1 sp. ed., 2 tech ed., 1 English, .5 art, .5 math
Reduce assistant coaches: Eliminate one high school paid assistant coach (boys and girls) from each high school for football, basketball, baseball, cross country, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball, wrestling, etc.
Restructure Prosser administration, student services, and curricular programs: a) Reduce 6 front office persons to 3: eliminate 3 counselors, 1 special needs facilitator, and 2 assistant principals and replace them with 1 principal, 1 admissions coordinator (BU exclusion) and 1 dean of students. b) Curricular program deletions, additions, and changes are anticipated. At this time, we recommend elimination of the Outdoor Power and Graphic Communication programs. The Information Support and Service program will be reduced by .5 FTE.
We recommend no longer serving as the facilitator for adult education services. These services (i.e. adult secondary credit, adult diploma, adult ESL, and GED) will become the responsibility of the Department of Work Force Development.
We recommend reclassifying our OSS (Operation Support Staff) – level 2 assignments. We recommend splitting this current group into 2 future components. Level 2 (no benefits) would not have insurance benefits while level 2b (with benefits) - would retain benefits. Examples of work assignments included in new level 2 would include health aides and media aides (no benefits). The revised level 2b category would now include currently classified OSS – 2 clerks, -i.e. elementary, middle and transportation (retain benefits). Further, we recommend reducing the health insurance premium benefit for these newly realigned OSS-2 assignments to be consistent with the health benefits afforded to ISS – level 2 (i.e. Special Education Aides). There is no recommended benefit change for those classified OSS – Level 2b. For OSS Level 2, we recommend reducing the premium benefit to 65% for 2011-2012; then, reducing the premium benefit to 50% for the 2012-2013; and finally, reduce the remaining benefit for 2013 -2014. After review, these assignments (ISS–Level 2 and OSS– Level 2) have commensurate duties, responsibilities, and skills and thus, should be afforded similar benefits. Further, any newly hired OSS- level 2 employee would not be provided benefits.
Suspension alternative lab monitors. We recommend reducing the health insurance premium benefit for these SAL “bargaining unit exclusions” to be consistent with the premium benefits afforded to ISS level 2 and OSS level 2 (see preceding paragraph). Further, any newly hired employees for these assignments would not be provided any insurance benefits.
We recommend reclassifying all newly hired school psychologists from “administrative” to “bargaining unit exclusions” to save on future benefit costs.
Eliminate “longevity pay” for newly hired and non-vested (fewer than 10 years of service) classified employees.
The above recommendations contribute to a loss of 68.8 current teaching assignments and 13 other administrative and operational assignments.
