District may have to cut $2.5 million from 09-10 budget

Bisbee has reduced its school days from five to four, other districts are looking at wholesale cutting of arts and athletic programs and reducing of teaching staff.

The problem is no different for the Douglas Unified School District as they are faced with slashing 12.5 percent or about $2.5 million from their budget next year.

In a presentation to the board, Dr. Earl Simmons said that the district was at a critical juncture. “Decisions we make now will impact the young people of our community for years to come,” he said.

He stated that this cannot just be a quick fix, but the district must seek viable, long-term solutions.

Simmons said the goal with the cut is to maintain core values:

√ Maintain excellent educational programs for students and families.

√ Structure the district to maximize financial efficiency.

√ Preserve as many jobs as possible.

“We simply can’t pink slip our way out of this difficulty. If we want to maintain our educational programs, we need teachers.”

Initial proposed cuts include:

• $550,000 in cuts from Directors and Principals that minimally impact instruction. Each administrator and director will take one unpaid leave day next year to make up that funding.

• $130,000 in reductions to athletics.  Part of this is due to the loss of middle school athletics. Sierra Vista is cutting their programs, and since they were the Middle School’s main competition, there simply wouldn’t be anyone to compete with.

• $75,000 by reducing overtime and consultants.

• $100,000 by reclassifying positions.

• $250,000 through a capital fund transfer.

Simmons said another alternative would be no physical education in the elementary schools, no band and art in the middle schools, returning the middle school librarian to the classroom, have the middle school share an assistant principal and reduce to a half-day kindergarten. This would save more than $600,000, but again would dramatically affect the type and quality of education the students receive, Simmons said.

Ray Borane Middle School

Simmons said the brutal fact is that it costs $1,000 more per student to educate middle school students at Ray Borane than it does at Paul Huber, $3,524 to $2,546.

Ray Borane was originally constructed as a high school with a capacity of about 800 students.

It currently serves 373 students.

“While I do not want to see Ray Borane Middle School close, I believe consolidating the middle school will benefit students and the district as a whole.

Seventh and eighth grade students would be taught at Huber, and would allow the schools to maintain an art, physical education and band program, and there is a potential for school-wide intramural sports.

Simmons believes the change would meet the NCLB restructuring requirements and provide approximately $600,000 in savings, which represents about one-quarter of the necessary cuts.

Other suggestions in the report include moving preschool students At the ELC to Faras, Clawson, Sarah Marley and the high school, moving all but Faras sixth grade students to the now vacant ELC; and having a hybrid program at Clawson and Sarah Marley schools with Clawson becoming a PreK-3 school and Sarah Marley 4-6 grades.

Utilities

Currently, the district is receiving $900,000 from the state for “Excess Utilities.”

It helps meet the total cost of $1.5 million annually in energy costs, but under the current legislative plan, no district in the state will receive these monies.

So the district has to make up that $900,000 loss in utilities.

The plan is to begin a district-wide energy conservation program immediately, which will include operating the heating and cooling manually; individual responsibility; and reduce watering of the grounds.

“Even if we reduce our energy usage, we can not count of reducing energy costs by $900,000 just with conservation,” Simmons said, and the district needs an additional reduction strategy for next school year.

The non-instructional cuts along with the closing of Ray Borane would save about 5.75 percent of the necessary 12.5 percent with little or no impact on the quality of instruction.

“Now all departments and schools face cuts of 6.75 percent instead of 12.5 percent,” Simmons said.

“Federal stimulus monies could further reduce this 6.75 percent to a much more manageable percentage at each department and school.”

The information presented to the board was just a report, and no action was taken.