Clarkston Community Schools plans to cut more this year than the past five years combined.
‘There are going to be a lot of factors and a lot of emotions,? said Trustee Barry Bomier. ‘I anticipate a lot of difficult decisions we are going to make.?
The Board of Education expected a $6.4 million deficit in its $87 million budget. Latest estimates cut $7 million more from expected 2011 fiscal year revenues, for a total of $13 million. Budget cuts 2005-2009 equal about $12.1 million.
Administration will present trustees with budget-cut recommendations at their Feb. 8 meeting.
‘I am not comfortable with how much they are asking us to cut,? said Trustee Joan Patterson, who has not yet seen the list of recommendations.
‘I feel it is critical to my decision to understand the criteria by which programs will be on the cut list,? said Trustee Rosalie Lieblang. ‘These cuts are going to impact our children’s education. They are going to impact our employee’s jobs and their lives. I don’t take that lightly.?
Principals in every Clarkston school are considering every program in their schools, based on three budget-cut scenarios in funding per student ? $300, $600, and $900.
The $900-per-student scenario is becoming more likely, Bomier said.
‘Every indication has been it’s going to be a very difficult budget year for us and for every school district in Michigan,? he said.
Revenue losses will include per pupil reduction of $165 and proposed additional $268 for next year, totalling $2.2 million, and loss of $800,000 in Special Education Funding next year from county funds and district tuition.
Also, retirement and benefit costs are expected to increase by $1.1 million, and employee contracts call for $2.2 million in raises.
Brooke Davis, from Clarkston Education Association, pointed out teachers and the district worked together on contracts this past June and saved the district $1 million.
It wasn’t the teachers and the benefits putting the district in the hole, ‘but we will be the ones paying for it,? Davis added.
A concern from a few board members was how cuts increased so quickly in a short amount of time.
‘How did we switch from last month $100 isn’t a big deal to now we have to make these big cuts,? Patterson shared.
‘It was five months ago the ISD was going to cut money and services to the district,? she explained. ‘I asked, how is it going to impact our district, do we need to make some changes. For months I have been saying are we going to have a problem, should we be looking at this.?
The answer she received was it wasn’t going to be a problem and the district was in good shape.
The board is scheduled to vote on March 8 on the final cuts. Lieblang, Patterson and Bomier agreed the focus will remain on providing the best quality education possible.
‘I hope the community can stay with us as well,? said Bomier. ‘This is going to be extremely difficult on the district, not only from the administrative team that has to bring forth the recommendations to us, but the employees that are directly impacted by it and the students.?
They meet this Monday at the Clarkston Community Schools Administration Building, 6389 Clarkston Road, at 7 p.m. A community hearing is to be planned later this month.
‘We haven’t been part of the process and we have been pulled at the tail end and told to rubber stamp it,? said Patterson.
This past year, the school board approved Fast ForWord at a cost of $370,000 and Superintendent Dr. Al Roberts? salary of $154,000 plus benefits, increasing to $160,000 next year.