By Lori EhdeLuverne School Board members are making their first steps into the troubled waters of cutting a massive $375,000 from the district’s budget.Teachers, staff and administration were asked to brainstorm possible areas to cut, and those ideas were laid on the table during the board’s Thursday, April 15, meeting.Superintendent Vince Schaefer had previously presented the board with several options — none of them popular — for addressing the district’s $375,000 anticipated shortfall.oReduce class sections (which would increase the number of students per class), program offerings and services in grades k-12.oReduce administration district-wide, which means performing the same work with fewer people.oReduce activities, including the number of events, which decreases travel costs.oGo to the voters this fall with the questions of increasing the operating levy, which is currently at $400 per pupil."We’ll do what we can to protect the educational opportunities for kids and the ability for teachers to teach," Schaefer said.Some specific ideas for cuts were discussed Thursday. For 2004-05, savings could come in the form of doing without a curriculum coordinator ($39,711) and alternative school director ($39,711), cutting back a second-grade section ($41,401), media center reorganization ($46,168), trimming $35,000 from staff development funds and reducing the English as a Second Language ($28,000) and middle school art programs ($20,299).A big ticket item that wouldn't considered until 2005-06, would be discontinuing all day every day kindergarten. The state currently only funds every-other-day kindergarten, and the district picks up the rest of the cost — $137,730 per year.Several factors causing financial problems for the district.oEnrollment decreased by 25 students since the start of the school year. That represents a loss of more than $100,000 in aid from the state.oTo balance its own budget, the state is withholding and metering 20 percent of promised aid. oMeanwhile the Legislature budgeted no new money for education in the past two years, and the same is expected for 2004-05.oThe second year of teacher labor contracts negotiated last fall have increases in salaries and benefits representing roughly $180,000.oTypical expenditures, such as heating, lighting, cooling, transportation, water, snow removal, etc., continue to increase.For example, when fuel prices increase 40 to 50 cents per gallon, that adds up for the Luverne district, which puts 250,000 to 300,000 miles on its vehicles.oFederal laws, such as No Child Left Behind, and more stringent state standards are increasing costs for curriculum, tests, instructional material and staff development.
