About $111,000 still needs to be cut from the Austin Public School District’s 2000-2001 operating budget, but the superintendent and school board feel ready to officially approve cuts at tonight’s regularly scheduled board meeting.

Wednesday, April 19, 2000

About $111,000 still needs to be cut from the Austin Public School District’s 2000-2001 operating budget, but the superintendent and school board feel ready to officially approve cuts at tonight’s regularly scheduled board meeting.

Superintendent Dr. James Hess said approval was most likely to happen at tonight’s 7 p.m. meeting at Ellis Middle School. A public forum begins at 6:30.

Although only $43,508 in cuts were made at a Tuesday work session, the impending May 1 deadline to issue unrequested leaves-of-absence notices to district staff looms. The current total amount of budget reductions stands at $754,099. The goal of the district finance committee is $865,475.

According to Hess, the balance of reductions likely will come in the form of restructuring responsibilities of various positions in the district.

"From here, I think the board will likely review quite a variety of scenarios and make their decisions based on those people available," Hess said. "I don’t sense at all that the board is finished. Some administrators would need to look for their contracts to be reconfigured by July.

"It means that things probably will change."

Among the cuts made Tuesday is one of four counselor positions at the high school, a cut that saved a proposed reduction of an administrative assistant at the senior high.

Board Chairman David Simonson said that cuts made at the end of the process are never easy, but necessary if the district hopes to climb out of the red.

"If we don’t make the cuts, we’re going to be $300,000 in the hole next year. We want to get to the point where we can protect what we have," he said, adding that other districts, Winona for example, are struggling with millions of dollars in cuts.

"We’re fortunate that we only have to cut $865,000," Simonson said. The board also agreed to discuss the high potential coordinator position at a later time. Julie Jensen, district director of human resources, explained that in order for further discussion about the position to take place, the district will have to issue an unrequested leave of absence to the staff member currently in the position.

May 1 is the deadline for notices to teachers informing them of unrequested leaves of absence. Jensen stressed the position will be subject to budget cuts and will be brought back. She added that if the current staff member in the position does not want the post again, the job will be posted and advertised for applicants.

Other considerations before the board were a resource program teacher and an assistant, a district secretary, the summer ag stipend and the director and secretary of educational services. These will be looked at to be reorganized to better utilize district resources.

Originally a reduction consideration, the assistant early childhood and family education director was taken from the list, as the money comes from a separate budget and not the much-maligned general fund.

Finally, budget reductions in middle and high school athletic travel must wait until the transportation contract is settled.

Citing safety and educational concerns, three special education educational assistants slated to be cut were saved with little discussion to the contrary. The proposed cut would trim the number of aides in half, forcing grade levels to share aides.

"That takes a lot of pressure away," Ellis special education teacher Angie Klein said Wednesday morning. "I’m extremely excited and the kids will be the ones that will benefit. I’m sure the department will be excited and very happy as well."

The work session began with debate regarding the budget for co-curricular and athletic salaries and new salaried positions, or those that receive a stipend. About 15 are new to the list, having been paid from the general fund in past years.

The discussion focused mainly on co-curricular activities; mock trial was one such activity discussed.

Activities Director Naomi Hatfield informed the board the group had eight members this year.

The issue of how to ensure adequate numbers in a school-sponsored group was at the heart of the matter.

Clarifying the board’s role, board member Amy Baskin said, "I think our role here is to decide whether or not we want to fund it. We can either cut a program or let those programs know they need a certain amount of students."

The board discussed adding an additional fee and minimum levels of participants in order to receive district funds. After the fees are added in, district funds will be used to make up the balance.

Hatfield agreed, given the situation, and said, "I think Dave (Simonson’s) idea of setting minimums and charging fees would work.

Hess felt there was solid support for the additional activity fee amongst board members and for participation minimums for many of the activities that have been sponsored by the high school.

"The idea that there be a certain number of participants and an fee that’s capped for students involved in many things, I think that’s a good thing to do," he said.

Following the model for athletics, students would pay a fee for fall, winter or spring activities – the idea being that a student in athletics pays two fees, or $120, with the third fee being waived.

The proposed participant minimum was set at 10, with a co-curricular fee of $60 recommended by board member Richard Lees. Kathy Green suggested $40, and both were discussed as an option. The amount of the fee is still under consideration, but the board’s goal is that the most students would have to pay is $120 and the fee would be in conjunction with the athletic fees now in place.

Of the $8,862 originally budgeted, the board cut $3,808.

Among the cuts expected to receive official approval are: a budgeted salary for a ninth-grade soccer program - one never started because of low turnout – and reduce by one, the number of coaching positions in sixth-grade volleyball, seventh- and eighth-grade girls swimming, seventh- and eighth-grade girls gymnastics, seventh- and eighth-grade golf and both boys and girls sixth-grade basketball and track.