Schools

School Budget 'Balanced' by Staffing Cuts, Salary Concessions

Council Rock School District officials held a public budget forum Wednesday to review $9.1 million in spending cuts for 2011-2012.

The Council Rock School District has closed a $14.2 million budget gap with a combination of spending cuts, fund balance application, and staff salary concessions, Superintendent Mark Klein said at a public forum Wednesday.

More than $9 million in spending cuts are proposed for the 2011-2012 budget, including the reduction of four administrator positions, 42 teaching positions, and 19 support positions.

Klein announced Wednesday that the Council Rock Education Association and the Council Rock Administrators Association have agreed to $1.1 million in salary changes.

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“The Council Rock budget is now balanced under the conditions and assumptions provided in this presentation,” Klein said prior to reviewing the specifics of the proposed 2011-2012 budget, which will be up for final board approval in early June.

However, that doesn’t mean taxes will be flat if the board approves the plan as laid out by the administration Wednesday.  A 1.4 percent tax increase -- the maximum allowed by state law under Act 1 -- has already been factored into the revenue for next year, Klein explained.

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Under the proposed budget, $9.1 million has been cut from expenses and $1.1 million reduced through salary concessions. A $4 million infusion from the fund balance has been applied make up the rest.

The cuts range from staffing reductions to the elimination of freshman sports teams.

The proposed budget reduces 15 elementary classroom and support teaching positions. Klein said the district would have reduced some of those positions due to enrollment declines regardless of the financial pinch.

Other staff reductions include 15 secondary teachers, two gifted support teachers, and 10 special services professionals.

More than a half a million dollars will be saved through the reduction of four administrator positions. The district will eliminate the dean of students positions, as well as the supervisor of Information Technology, and the purchasing manager role. The assistant principal position at Holland Middle School will be eliminated.

However, the current Holland Middle School assistant principal, Terry Kluck, will become assistant principal at Newtown Middle School. The current Newtown Middle School assistant principal, Timothy Long, will move up to principal. And the current Newtown Middle School principal, Richard Hollahan, will become principal at Richboro Middle School, where principal Bill Bell is set to retire at the end of the year.

Klein said the reduction of staff should not dramatically affect class sizes. Teacher-student ratios should stay within the district’s class size guidelines: 25 students in grades kindergarten, first, and second; 26 in third; 28 in fourth; and 30 in fifth and sixth.

At the middle school level, team sizes will be kept the same, Klein said. At the high school level, elective enrollment may be impacted. “Electives may be blocked off and students will go to their second elective,” Klein said.

The district will cut $350,000 from co-curricular activities, like sports, arts, music, etc. The entire ninth-grade sports program will be eliminated for a savings of $105,000. The district will expand size of junior varsity teams to help accommodate freshman, Klein said. The 5 p.m. late bus will be eliminated but the 4 p.m. will remain.

Money allocated towards supplies, books, and software has been cut by $270,000. There will also be a $183,900 reduction in technology; a $150,000 reduction in professional development, and $900,000 in retirement savings from changes in salary and benefits.  Locking in low rates for energy has saved the district $853,000 in 2011-2012.

About 30 people showed up to the forum. The crowd was attentive and calm. Most of the public comment was positive; many who spoke expressed more concern about the years to come than 2011-2012.

Wrightstown resident Le Sheppard said while he thought the district did a “great job” this year in balancing the budget, he is worried about the implications of future education funding cuts by the state and federal government.

“We don’t think state subsidy will decrease in any significant way from this point forward,” Klein said, adding that he discussed the issue recently with state officials.

Washington Crossing resident Bill Trainer said while the administration made the 2011-2012 budget work, he’s also concerned about the future.

“Things are not going to get better unless something strange comes out of the woodwork. This problem that we’re all dealing with now will get worse next year and the year beyond,” Trainer said.

Trainer said he believes the Council Rock School District “is incredible. How can we preserve the core things that make this district great?”

Board members Patty Sexton and Jerold Grupp urged the community to become involved in the school budget process to ensure a balance is achieved that accomplishes excellence in education for students while minimizing the tax impact on residents.


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