Summit Hill School District 161 is moving forward with a plan that would do away with its full-day kindergarten program and cut a total of about $1.4 million from its budget for the 2012-13 school year in an effort to deal with its dismal financial outlook.
The district’s School Board members, without consensus, gave direction to Superintendent Barb Rains on how to move forward with next year’s budget planning during a four-hour workshop meeting on Saturday, officials said. The School Board members are attempting to cut about $3 million in expenses during the next three years, said President Mary Kenny.
A reduction in state and federal funding, plus the district’s failure to keep up with its predicted enrollment growth, has the district expenses outpacing its revenues. Without changes, the district is predicted to deplete its savings in the 2015-16 school year, according to Rains.
Saturday, board members agreed not to move forward with proposals that would close one to two district schools. While the closure option isn’t off the table completely, it won’t be implemented for the 2012-13 school year, Kenny said.
The board also agreed it will not increase class sizes next year or seek an education rate referendum in November to raise additional property tax revenues to fill the budget gap.
The plan backed by the majority of the School Board is a model presented by Rains at a previous meeting. Dubbed the streamlining plan, it outlines cuts that include $570,000 from programming/positions, $235,400 from activity buses and possibly some regular bus routes, $200,000 from administrative positions, $92,250 from district supplies, and $27,500 from club and activity stipends for grades first through fourth.
Those cuts would be in addition to the replacement of the district’s full-day kindergarten program with a half-day program, a savings of about $450,000. The total of about $1.4 million also accounts for increased expenses of $210,000 for necessary technology and new curriculum adoption.
Three of the School Board’s seven members were not in support of eliminating the full-day kindergarten program, Kenny said. In response, the idea of a tuition-based full-day program was raised and will be discussed further during a board meeting Wednesday. Rains is expected to explain how much such a program may cost for district families.
“I really feel we made the decisions we had to make,” Kenny said.
The district currently offers both full-day and half-day kindergarten, but only a few students enroll in half-day, she said. Kindergarten enrollment for the 2012-13 school year begins Thursday.
The cuts were not approved with a board vote, but will be used by Rains as she assembles next year’s budget, which will be put to a vote in September.
The next school board meeting is 7 p.m. Wednesday at the district administrative office, 20100 S. Spruce Dr.
