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There’s plenty of budget misery to go around at Spokane Valley school districts.
The Central Valley School District board of directors last week OK’d a budget that will slice $3.4 million from next year’s budget – which will include the elimination of 20 teaching positions.
West Valley school officials are taking more of a “wait and see” approach but notified 26 teachers they won’t be coming back next year in an effort to make up for a $1.2 million budget shortfall.
And in East Valley, initial bad news got a little better as 31 instructors were laid off instead of the initially anticipated 62. EVSD is looking at a $1.5 million reduction in its budget for 2009-’10.
While all the school districts may be in the same boat, it’s small comfort, according to Melanie Rose, spokeswoman for CVSD.
“The fact is, $3.4 million is a deep reduction for us,” Rose said. “You can say it could be worse, but anytime that you take that much money out of a budget it’s going to hurt.”
All districts are trying to put people ahead of programs when it comes to cost savings, but those efforts can only go so far as Gov. Christine Gregoire recently approved a state budget that had nearly $800 million in cuts to schools.
According to the Washington Education Association, at least 2,300 public school teachers received layoff notices.
Spokane Valley schools weren’t immune to the cuts. In CVSD, the scaled back budget will include the elimination of 20 teaching positions, four central office administrators and a reduction of hours for classified employees.
Unlike EVSD, Rose is quick to point out that Central Valley schools will not be laying off teachers. Instead, the positions will be eliminated through attrition (13 retiring instructors won’t be replaced) and nonrenewal of one-year teaching contracts.
Still, CV will lose one district administrator, two others will return to the classroom and another will be left unfilled. It’s uncertain on what the effect will be to classified positions.
A number of CV’s programs will also be affected, notably those that had received funding through Initiative 728. When the board voted May 11, it agreed to make $2.2 million in cuts to I-728-funded programs.
“These are very sobering and difficult decisions for the board,” Cindy McMullen, school board president, said in wake of the decision. “I sincerely wish these reductions weren’t required.”
West Valley’s administrators are still hoping that there may still be some relief from the state that will allow them to hire back some of the one-year contracted instructors that will be let go.
“We talked to each of them individually,” said Sue Shields, spokeswoman for WVSD, who said the 26 notified include 18-full-time equivalent positions. “Hopefully, we can keep some of them.”
The district has been looking at other ways to cut costs for some time, Shields added. That has included revamping bus routes and jockeying kindergarten schedules so they are not in the building every day.
“We’ve tried to have as little disruption as possible,” Shields said. “Hopefully, the children won’t even notice.”
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the East Valley School District held the four public hearings to get parent and staff input on how to best try to make up for its budget shortfall. At the noon meeting Tuesday, many of those attending emphasized that the district should not cut specific areas like those targeting gifted students, Continuous Curriculum School or the Virtual Learning Academy.
“We’re absolutely thrilled with these programs,” said David Fisher, a parent who attended the meeting. “They’re the jewel in the crown of East Valley.”
EVSD Superintendent John Glenwinkel said that the district has been challenged by shrinking enrollment numbers – particularly at the high school level – that affect revenue. About 82 percent of the budget is spent on teacher salaries, with each teacher costing – with benefits – about $75,000 each year.
“If we could increase our enrollment it would make a huge difference,” he said, adding that EVSD is an area that isn’t growing as fast as Central Valley or even West Valley. The challenge, he said, is then to keep unique programs that parents want for their children and are not offered elsewhere.
“I want people to look at East Valley and say this is the best district for my child,” he said.
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By
Mike Huffman
