The school board needs to immediately begin to plan for next year’s budget.
The board needs to accept the premise that enrollment is stagnant/declining and state aid is declining and they can’t just continue to raise taxes to fill holes in revenue. Essentially recognize it’s a spending problem.
The board will need a five-year plan to realistically restructure our school system to address this premise.
Based on my experience, here is what I would recommend for this year:
1. Freezing all current vacant positions and don’t fill them
2. Freeze positions that become vacant.
3. Plan to cut noninstructional administrative and support staff by at least 10 percent.
4. Ask each department to submit a budget for next year for review which includes a 5 percent cut from the current budget.
5. Then evaluate priorities and fund accordingly.
If the board incorporates my earlier suggestions: Closing and consolidating facilities, cutting busing costs, and in a planned manner increase the child/teacher ratios while remaining in state standards, we may see some taxpayer relief and a better school system.
Tom Patitucci
Hewitt