PORT ANGELES — Suggested and ranked cuts to programs and staff will be presented to the Port Angeles School District by the committee that has been evaluating finances in view of the district’s declining enrollment and the state’s budget deficit.
The information will be presented at a meeting today at 7 p.m. at the North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center, 905 W. Ninth St.
The Fiscal Advisory Committee gathered and has now ranked suggestions for possible cuts, which total $4.2 million.
Last month, it released an unranked list — meaning it was neither in any order nor reflecting how the committee believes cuts should be make — that included items, such as eliminating two middle school volleyball and two middle school basketball teams, the elimination of an assistant superintendent position and reducing the extended-day kindergarten to half day.
All items submitted to the committee were evaluated, but not all were included in the list.
For example, several people suggested going to a four-day school week, according to the unranked list. However, the law forbids such a schedule.
The school board will not be evaluating the list today.
Rather, they will hear from Jim Schwob, district business director, and other representatives of the Fiscal Advisory Committee, which is composed of school staff, students, teachers, administrators, parents and community members.
The school board will prioritize cuts at a work session at 6 p.m. April 19 at the Central Services Building, 216, E. Fourth St.
It may accept the suggestions of the Fiscal Advisory Committee, change them or re-prioritize completely.
The committee has made fiscal recommendations for seven years. In past years, the board has taken many suggestions and made a few changes, as well.
Decisions on cuts will be made when the school board meets on April 26 meeting at 7 p.m. at the Central Services Building.
If layoffs are among the actions taken, the board must send out letters informing teachers by May 13.
Declining enrollment could result in 8.5 teaching positions being cut.
Another six or so teaching positions in the kindergarten through fourth grade could result from state budget cuts.
The district expected to cut $2.5 million after Gov. Chris Gregoire released her proposed budget last year.
Since then, the Legislature has wrestled with what has grown to a $2.8 billion deficit.
The deficit might result in the loss of Initiative 728 funds — which voters had approved to reduce class sizes.
The breakdown of the $4.2 million the committee has listed in its possible cuts is $2.42 million to the operating budget, $690,080 for fewer personnel because of enrollment declines, $504,000 because of the elimination of the I-728 funds and $564,000 in reductions to staff because of other state Legislature cuts.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
