Ronan School District faces $191,000 in budget deficits

By Jennifer McBride / Leader Staff

Superintendent Andy Holmlund announced that the Ronan School District faces $191,006.83 in budget deficits next year due to administrative and certified staff increases — increases guaranteed by contract. The figure included teachers and administrators, Holmlund said, but did not include costs like summer maintenance, food, transportation and rising fuel prices.

"Schools are about people. We employ people to teach our young people, and our biggest expense is people," Holmlund explained.

Staffing costs are not the only problems the district will be facing next year. Because of drops in enrollment, the high school will lose $31,561.56 in state funding in 2008-2009. While K-8 will be receiving $99,170 more in this year's budget, the money is only half of the K-8's $184,487 projected obligations in administrative and certified staff increases. The largest cost increase is at K. William Harvey. The elementary school will pay $76,364 more this coming fiscal year, almost eating up the entire state budget increase. The high school staff's price tag is next highest with an increase of $74,129, followed by Pablo Elementary School at $58,785 and finally, Ronan Middle School at $49,338.

While the deficit is only about three percent of the district's projected $6,768,478.70 preliminary budget for next year, it will still affect the district's educational offerings. In a post-meeting interview, Holmlund said that the schools will need to tighten their belts by "prioritizing" programs.

"As the numbers harden, the board will have the information necessary to make the best possible decisions," he said.

As Holmlund reviews the rest of next year's budget, the deficit could either shrink or expand.

"But the numbers don't lie, and at this point, [the salary increases are] all I know for a fact," he said.

In other news, the trustees:

? Considered a change in the early release policy for juniors and seniors at RHS. While the handbook requires seniors to take five credits and juniors to take six credits, principal Tom Stack has been allowing students who are academically strong and on-track for graduation to take fewer classes. His statistics show that 75 percent of seniors are on early release and/or late start.

"I find that outlandish, actually," trustee Joell Conklin said. She wants to revise the wording of the policy to create a clearer bar for academic good standing.

Dan Salomon, another board member, disagreed with Conklin's assessment. "If 75 percent of our seniors are on early release, that means 75 percent of our students are doing something right," he said. "I look at it as a good thing."

Another problem with the current policy is that, because A.P. classes are weighted for more credits and GPA is determined by an average of the credits in a term, A.P. students with straight As who take five classes will have a higher GPA than A.P. students with straight As who take seven classes. Stack said there's nothing the school can do to change the imbalance as long as A.P. classes are weighted.

The trustees requested that Stack gather more information for them to consider at the April 14 meeting.

? Listened to Penny Kipp, a representative of the tribes who is worried about the district proposal to start running the normal Indian education Pupil Instruction Related day in-house instead of in conjunction with the tribes. "I'd hate to see a 12-year relationship just thrown away," she said.

? Adopted changes in policies on entrance, placement and transfer of students in the school district; the seven-year storage of employee e-mails; and new guidelines for school-support organizations.

? Hired Jessica Johnson and Matthew Olson as substitute teachers, Ryan Fisher as assistant RMS wrestling coach and Karla Moxley as assistant RHS Tennis Coach.