School Board Bites Financial Bullet; Community Funding Helps Out

Updated Monday, March 5 at 2 p.m.) 

At the School Board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 28, the Orcas Island School District (OISD) Board of Directors approved measures brought by the District Superintendent Barbara Kline and Business Manager Keith Whitaker, after input from the Budget Advisory Committee and a transportation survey.

The measures cut hours of non-represented (non-union) school staff as of Feb. 27, and also cut one day of school bus service. The survey indicated that the elimination of bus service on Friday would have the least negative impact on the school. (Note: Starting Friday, March 23, bus service on Fridays will be eliminated.)  In addition, the board eliminated the “family” limit on sports participation fees. The Booster Club has a scholarship program in place for those students and families who are unable to pay the athletic fees.

The impact of the cuts was cushioned somewhat by funding from the Orcas Island Education Foundation (OIEF), which pledged $13,600 to keep the school library and library staff positions in place until the end of the 2012 school year. OIEF funding also re-instated fully the hours cut from the  Elementary School Secretary’s position; and partially re-instated funding cuts to positions in the custodial, technical specialist, para-educators and Readiness to Learn staff. (See comment following this article).

The Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) donated for the advanced placement calculus class from its Endowment for Academic Enrichment. The Orcas Island Prevention Partnership (OIPP)  funded $3,000 to re-instate the Readiness to Learn High School Specialist.

The OISD board approved Whitaker’s request to obtain a line of credit, limited to $75,000, to prevent the district from going to a negative balance before April 3o. After that, it is expected that tax receipts will come in. In approving the credit request, the board stipulated that the board chair of vice chair approved of the transfer of any funds.

Much of the Feb. 28 meeting was taken up with discussion of the budget process for the 2012-2013 school year. OISD Board Chair Tony Ghazel said the standard formula for funding was 43 FTE (full-time equivalent) teaching staff per 1,000 students. The OISD monthly average headcount is 663 students; that equates to 633 FTE students.

OISD currently has 47 FTE staff. Of these, 9.45 are grant funded. The District is considering 619 as its enrollment projection for next year. In addition, the state’s “Basic Education” funding covers five hours per day. Now, all Orcas School District classes operate on six hours a day.

Ghazel said, “If we’re funded and five hours and our vision for education calls for six hours, where’s that money coming from.”

School Board member Janet Brownell suggested the board  consider the certificated teachers required by the state and then start looking at the support programs. She urged the district to make clear to the public what must be funded and engage them in providing educational services beyond that. Ghazel and other board members agreed that they would like to provide for “workable” transportation, athletic, extra-curricular, maintenance, advanced placement classes and music programs.

“We need to look at our vision for OISD and then see how much it costs. ” said Ghazel.

OISD Board member Scott Lancaster said, “We as a board are committed to a fund balance that we’re not close to. We need to be realistic; probably we won’t be able to bring back as many teachers. … We have to take a stand and stick with it.”

During the public access portion of the meeting, Justin Paulsen spoke for the Booster Club, which has committed to raising $17,500 for spring sports. That amount would reinstate the hours cut from the athletic director and coaches’ positions and provide for transportation costs.

School bus driver Jodi Luft spoke to the loss of funding in transportation, saying that it will affect the well-being of the students. “We’re also worried about us. We can’t live on [the reduced pay]. I work three jobs; this pays my mortgage.”

Lancaster said, “Our hands are really tied. The state has taken $1 million in five years and expects us to keep up the same programs. The legislators need to hear from you; you need to rattle cages in other places as well.”

By eliminating Friday bus service, the district “realizes” $6,500 until school ends this June.