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School district closes in on cuts
By Ashley Rhodebeck
Daily News staff writer
Another $290,000 trim in spending is needed
The School District of Beloit has whittled down a $3.565 million budget shortfall to about $290,000.
The district's executive team recently met in the superintendent's office to determine where to make budget cuts. They worked together for five hours and dispersed to separate rooms to work alone.
Superintendent Lowell Holtz said it was a crummy day.
“Who wants to be Scrooge?” he said.
The Board of Education has approved changes that slashed the once $3.565 million deficit to about $290,000.
It must approve the budget this month.
To Holtz's knowledge, this is the largest budget cut in the district's history. The second-largest cut was $1.5 million, he said.
A combination of increased health insurance costs, the loss of 115 students and the expenses tied to summer school and 4-year-old kindergarten contributed to the shortfall.
The district's priority, Holtz said, “is to have the least negative impact on the greatest number of kids and safeguarding against warehousing students.”
The board agreed to use $1.5 million from the fund balance to pay for non-reoccurring costs, thus bringing the deficit to $2,065,000.
Last month, the board approved $1,354,000 in cuts.
Many involved staffing changes but few, if any, employees have been laid off because the district is filling openings internally and eliminating positions through attrition.
Educators and specialists covering two schools may now work at three; most elementary schools now have classes containing more than one grade level; and smaller classes will merge into one.
Aside from the larger classes, Holtz said students will probably be unaware of the cuts.
“I really doubt a lot will see the impact, but the impact is real and it's there,” Holtz said.
District staff brought the board a list of 14 cuts this week that would balance the budget. Among them were a special education teacher, an online learning tutor at the Eclipse Center and an early childhood/kindergarten teacher.
The board approved all but four: the Gifted and Talented coordinator, the same gender classroom para-professional at Robinson Elementary, the data analyst and the general music position at Aldrich Middle School.
Subsequently, the board tacked on an additional cost by requesting a music position for McNeel Middle School.
Holtz said the board instructed district staff to look at the Eclipse Center programs, consulting contracts, site allocations, the French program and the English as a Second Language program when trying carve out the remaining deficit of $290,000.
A meeting with the Beloit Education Association to review each teaching position is the next step, Holtz said.
Approved cuts
Here are some of the budgetary reductions the Board of Education has approved:
$200,000 summer school
$100,000 maintenance project freeze
$232,200 in reading specialists
$43,000 art teacher at Todd and Wright elementary schools
$39,000 Title I funded ESL paraprofessional
$33,700 middle school teacher
The School District of Beloit has whittled down a $3.565 million budget shortfall to about $290,000.
The district's executive team recently met in the superintendent's office to determine where to make budget cuts. They worked together for five hours and dispersed to separate rooms to work alone.
Superintendent Lowell Holtz said it was a crummy day.
“Who wants to be Scrooge?” he said.
The Board of Education has approved changes that slashed the once $3.565 million deficit to about $290,000.
It must approve the budget this month.
To Holtz's knowledge, this is the largest budget cut in the district's history. The second-largest cut was $1.5 million, he said.
A combination of increased health insurance costs, the loss of 115 students and the expenses tied to summer school and 4-year-old kindergarten contributed to the shortfall.
The district's priority, Holtz said, “is to have the least negative impact on the greatest number of kids and safeguarding against warehousing students.”
The board agreed to use $1.5 million from the fund balance to pay for non-reoccurring costs, thus bringing the deficit to $2,065,000.
Last month, the board approved $1,354,000 in cuts.
Many involved staffing changes but few, if any, employees have been laid off because the district is filling openings internally and eliminating positions through attrition.
Educators and specialists covering two schools may now work at three; most elementary schools now have classes containing more than one grade level; and smaller classes will merge into one.
Aside from the larger classes, Holtz said students will probably be unaware of the cuts.
“I really doubt a lot will see the impact, but the impact is real and it's there,” Holtz said.
District staff brought the board a list of 14 cuts this week that would balance the budget. Among them were a special education teacher, an online learning tutor at the Eclipse Center and an early childhood/kindergarten teacher.
The board approved all but four: the Gifted and Talented coordinator, the same gender classroom para-professional at Robinson Elementary, the data analyst and the general music position at Aldrich Middle School.
Subsequently, the board tacked on an additional cost by requesting a music position for McNeel Middle School.
Holtz said the board instructed district staff to look at the Eclipse Center programs, consulting contracts, site allocations, the French program and the English as a Second Language program when trying carve out the remaining deficit of $290,000.
A meeting with the Beloit Education Association to review each teaching position is the next step, Holtz said.
Approved cuts
Here are some of the budgetary reductions the Board of Education has approved:
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MrsSmith wrote on Oct 10, 2008 8:57 AM: