USD 383 Board of Education

April 14, 2010
Kathy Dzewaltowski, observer

Special meeting:
The board held a special meeting on the budget. One budget item that received considerable discussion was the starting and ending dates for the 2010-11 school year. Dr. Bob Shannon, Superintendent, proposed that the school day be lengthened 10 minutes for the 2010-11 school year, and then the overall school year could be shortened by 4 days, resulting in an estimated savings of $20,000 per day. Board members debated at length whether to start the school year 4 days later in August and possibly save more in cooling costs, end the school year 4 days earlier in May and provide a longer summer for construction projects, or to split up the 4 days between August and May. Doug Messer and Pete Paukstelis favored creating a longer summer for construction projects, and the remaining board members preferred starting later in August. The board approved 5-2 to begin the 2010-11 school year 4 days later in August, with Paukstelis and Messer dissenting.

Board members had previously been asked to indicate their approval/disapproval to eliminate or reduce items that the Budget Advisory Committee and the superintendent had recommended for consideration to reduce the budget, and the board spent time discussing the items where there had been disagreement. Board members worked through the list of items to determine which items the majority wanted to keep on the list and which items the board didn't support eliminating for now. Some of the items the board was in agreement to consider eliminating included reducing employee overtime, eliminating a communications position, eliminating MAP testing for kindergarteners, reducing supply budgets by 10%, and eliminating a high school assistant principal. Some of the items the board was not supportive of eliminating included reducing funds for middle school instructional field trips, eliminating a middle school Spanish teacher, and not cleaning Bishop Stadium following events.

The board accepted comments from the public. Speakers supported keeping low student-teacher ratios, enhancing revenue, keeping the autism program coordinator, and keeping the high school assistant principal.

The board planned to discuss more of the proposed budget cuts at a future meeting.