More School Budget Cuts? Music, Sports and Art

Programs  could be reduced and class sizes may increase  when school board officials finalize next year's district budget.

Superintendent of Schools LeRoy Seitz outlined some programs that could be scaled back or elminated at Thursday night's board meeting, in addition to the

In light of the recession, reduced state aid and a state-imposed property tax cap of 2 percent, some things must go, Seitz warned.

The board must adopt the on Feb. 24. A final budget must be approved by March 29th and the public votes on April 26. The preliminary budget can be decreased, but not increased once it is approved, according to school officials.

Here are some programs that could be axed or scaled back and a breakdown of savings, said Seitz.

• Insrumental music (grades 4-5)—$162,000 per grade level
• K-2 art—$150,000
• High school/middle school sports, "pay to play'' policy, which would require fees to participate in sports—$100,000
• Scale back on program for gifted students (GRO)—$165,000
• Late bus—$50,000

Maximum class size 

•  At 26 students, with a reduction of two teachers—$120,002
• At 27 students, with a reduction of seven teachers—$420,000

Other cuts could include:

• Elementary school office assistance—$100,000
• Reduce one "contingency special education seat:'' $350,000
• Elementary school counselors: $500,000

Seitz also said there could be a big savings to the district if staffers shoulder more of their benefit costs to ward off a $2 million cost increase in benefits. Employees currently only contribute 1.5 percent or $900,000 to their plans.

Negotiations with employees began Wednesday night, Seitz said. Both the teachers contracts and the secretarial staff contracts are being hammered out.

Seitz also pointed out last night, perhaps in response to criticisms of his e and the paychecks of  that the district's pay for administrators is $5,000 less than the state average, which is $117,895.