[ back ]
Chardon schools look to cut $1.25 million
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - March 11, 2010)
Chardon schools look to cut $1.25 million
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
The Chardon Board of Education began looking last week at where cuts will come as the district attempts to shed $1.25 million from its annual budget.
School board President Blake Rear said the cuts are needed to keep the school operating in the black as shortfalls are anticipated in the next two years. Those shortfalls are anticipated even if the district were successful in passing a 1 percent earned income tax issue in May, he said.
There is a delay in a receiving tax receipts from the state, although the school can request a tax anticipation note from the state, which amounts to advance on taxes expected, Mr. Rear said.
Superintendent Joseph Bergant II said he and staff have come up with approximately $1.1 million in cuts, including what amounts to 16 full-time positions. Areas that may be affected include music, arts and physical education. He said it also would mean a reduction in electives offered.
In addition, he said, the district is looking to trim about $10,000 from transportation and another $50,000 from food services. He said the food-services program has been running $170,000 to $180,000 in the red.
A clerical worker may split time between the middle and high schools.
Mr. Bergant said staff would continue to discuss cuts and fine-tune it. "We are looking at the areas that impact the least amount of children," he said. "We want to end the next fiscal year in the black and this will do it."
Mr. Rear asked whether the district could save a teacher's job if the school were to suspend extracurricular activities, but not athletics.
Mr. Bergant provided the board with a listing of the costs for athletic programs as well as the play-to-participate fees from surrounding districts.
The football program, which includes freshman, junior varsity and high school, costs an estimated $62,428 annually, with $59,403 of that going for coaches' pay. The cost per participant is $462.43 based on 135 participants. The basketball program costs $23,478, with coaches costing $20,865. The cost per participant is $521.74 based on 45 participants.
Mr. Bergant said the district charges $50 per sport with a $300 maximum for families.
That compares with Cardinal, which charges $400 to participate in high school football and basketball. Newbury charges $95 for junior high sports and $395 for high school.
Board member Larry Reiter said it is unfair to look at just athletics. "How you treat one, you best treat all," he said.
Mr. Rear said even if the board increases fees for participation, it would not offset the district's costs dollar for dollar. "Whatever we bring in would reduce the amount from the general fund," he said.
Mr. Reiter said the district needs to look at how some activities are staffed. He said the district uses two buses for away basketball games, one for players and another for cheerleaders. "That's got to stop," Mr. Reiter said.
He said the buses have 77 seats and it is wasteful to send two buses to games.
Board member Paul Stefanko agreed, saying the buses get seven miles to the gallon of gasoline.
Mr. Stefanko said the district needs to "make its pencils extra sharp" in looking at all areas for cuts, not just teachers.
"I think we have to look everywhere before we look at teachers. We have to look at paper clips," he said.
Mr. Bergant said the district has seen sharp rises in costs for supplies and services over the past few years. He said the costs for student books doubled from last year. "We may have to look at student fees as well," he said.
Mr. Rear said if teachers are to be cut, the board will have to make the decision by the end of March to give those teachers an opportunity to begin a job search before the start of the next school year.
Mr. Bergant said he would provide the board with the costs of each extracurricular activity this week.
[ back ]
