Economic times are tough for everyone in Michigan right now, and school board members say the same is true for Lake Orion Schools, as they attempt to balance their 2006-2007 budget with a nearly flat rate of new student enrollment.
Cuts could come from various departments, and part of the proposal to balance the budget is to turn the Moose Tree Nature Preserve building, located next to Webber Elementary on Clarkston Road, into an additional site for the Early Childhood program.
LO Schools Executive Director of Business Services Jillynn Keppler said all of the possible reductions were discussed with the department areas, and the impact on other departments and the students was also taken into consideration.
‘The impact on the students was definitely the focus,? she said.
Regarding Moose Tree, one of the proposed reductions was to eliminate school field trips there. Also, the nature preserve building could be used as a preschool site, which would help generate more revenue.
‘Instead of spending $66,000 we don’t have,? said school board president Leeann Bartley.
Vice President Bob Gritzinger wanted to know what would then happen to the equipment already at Moose Tree.
‘We could develop specialized programs, and some can be moved back into (Webber) as part of the curriculum,? said Dave Beiter, assistant superintendent of instruction and curriculum.
‘To abandon that concept (of the nature preserve) is a little traumatic,? said trustee Bill Walters.
Another proposal to save money was to reduce two positions of district-wide teacher consultants for the special education program, and go to half-time for contracted psychologists.
Among the other proposed reductions was reducing general fund support for the athletic department, including one-way transportation only for all sports except football, an increase to $5 admission for high school events, and charging for middle school events.
Part of the proposal was also to have advertising on the Lake Orion High School football field.
The LO Schools business office would reduce staff by one, and district-wide department chairs would be reduced to one per area.
The per pupil allocation to each building could be reduced by 15 percent, and district funding would be eliminated for all field trips except the fourth grade trip to Lansing. Also up for reductions are the music program and the number of textbooks.
Keppler said the middle schools had given their at-risk funding this year to the elementary schools, and agreed to let the elementary schools keep money in at-risk grants for the program next year, to keep people in those positions.
‘The positions will be there, but the district will not be funding them,? Keppler said.
The board is also considering raising the cost of an annual parking pass at LOHS to $60 per year, at least.
The high school and middle schools would eliminate in-school suspensions, and do them either out-of-school or in-office.
‘We could also eliminate district funding of the intramural program,? Keppler said. ‘There is alternative funding for that.?
A full list of the proposed reductions is on the LO Schools website, www.lakeorion.k12.mi.us.
In the 1996-97 school year, LO Schools had an increase of 500 new students district-wide. This meant a significant increase in funds received from the state.
However, this year the schools saw an increase of only 33 students.
‘It’s unheard of in Lake Orion,? said Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Ken Gutman. ‘Five years ago, we hired a company that predicted this year’s student increase within 10.?
Gutman said LO Schools contracted with the same firm, who predicts the best case scenario for the schools is an increase of 100 students over five years.
‘There are some advantages to that, but the disadvantages are financial,? Gutman said.
This combined with the five school bonds passed in the last 10 years coming to an end, and the downward turn of the economy, have left LO Schools with about $3.3 million worth of cuts to make from their budget, and the hope that voters will choose to override the Headlee amendment in the May 2 election.
If the override passes, the schools could again levy up to 18 mills.
The school board discussed trimming $2,298,215 from their budget at their March 22 meeting, and dipping into their fund balance to make up the $1.1 million difference.
Keppler said if the board decided to do that, they would not have to borrow money next year.
Treasurer Mary Jo Burchart wanted to know if anything would be left if $1.1 million was taken from the fund balance. Keppler said no.
‘So this is just a one shot thing,? Burchart said.
‘We’re doing a lot of this based on guesswork,? said Superintendent Chris Lehman of the budget, adding that the schools did not yet know how much the state would be giving them.
‘If we continued to operate the way we are, there’s a possibility in three years we would be bankrupt,? she said.
Beiter said another factor for the schools? budget has been rising utilities. LO Schools saw an increase of $300,000 in their natural gas bill to heat the buildings this year.
He said because of this, the buildings have been ‘dialing down? the thermostats.
‘Conservation is an old word we haven’t heard in a while,? Beiter said. ‘Talk to your kids about it, because you’ll be seeing it in the schools.?