Sumner School District board members gathered for a special meeting April 29, revising their 2009-10 budget following the Washington State Legislature’s final budget passed April 26.
A silver lining in the cloud of reduced state funding is there are no plans for a reduction in force, meaning teaching positions are safe.
Debbie Campbell, business services executive director, and Deb Barlow, human resources executive director, presented findings made by the budget subcommittee about where reductions in costs could be made.
Some reduction is occurring naturally through attrition, with 12 employees retiring, resigning or applying for full-year leave requests. Eleven temporary employees received letters in February stating their contracts would not be renewed.
Reductions in school funding from the Legislature come in a variety of areas, among them a suspension of the annual cost-of-living adjustment provided by Initiative 732 and a discontinuation of transportation fuel subsidy.
“We know we’re going to get $2.3 million less,” said Ann Cook, communications director.
Cook said the budget committee worked to make the cuts specific and Campbell said they were made “strategically and carefully” to avoid as many position cuts as possible.
“The reductions are strategic, they’re thoughtful,” Cook said.
Some suggestions included offsetting the loss of the fuel subsidy by providing one-way transportation to certain events, such as athletic activities.
At events affected by this transportation change, participating students would get a ride home from a parent or guardian.
Cook said some assistant coaching positions may be eliminated but programs are not being reduced.
Certain practices, like the boys and girls cross country and golf teams, may be combined to save on facility and coaching costs.
Campbell said some school district employees were helpful by volunteering to reduce their benefits to cut costs.
Now, with the amount of state funding known, the district faces the task of determining its expenditures
Cook said the hope is the district’s expenditures will be known by the regular board meeting May 13 so the board can make any needed cuts, followed by a complete budget in June and final budget adoption at the July board meeting.
“The difference between our revenue and expenditures will drive any reduction,” Cook said.
A deadline of May 15 is set for the school district to notify anyone being affected by a potential layoff.
Budget information is available on the Web at sumner.wednet.edu.
Reach Chaz Holmes at 360-802-8208 or cholmes@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald.
