PORT ANGELES — A list from which final cuts will be made — which was brainstormed by a committee evaluating the Port Angeles School District financial situation — includes slashing kindergarten hours, and eliminating middle school sports, freshmen sports teams and elementary band as well as administrative and secretarial positions.
At least eight teaching positions — and perhaps six more, if anticipated legislative cuts come through — will be lost according to the list released Tuesday.
A total number of teaching positions that may be eliminated cannot be estimated because there are too many variables, said Superintendent Jane Pryne.
If all of the cuts on the list of suggestions were made, savings would total about $4.2 million — about $1.7 million more than the $2.5 million the district is estimating it needs to cut.
None of the 56 suggestions gathered by the fiscal advisory committee was ranked in order of preference.
Instead, the list is potential action — and choices for balancing the district’s 2010-11 budget will be made from it.
There are some cuts mentioned on the list that already have been made, Pryne said.
The assistant superintendent position, which is being vacated at the end of the school year in June by Mary Hebert’s retirement, will be eliminated along, with a personnel supervisor position for a savings of about $100,000.
Another $100,000 will be saved with the combination of a couple of other administrative positions, Pryne said.
During the next couple of weeks, the fiscal advisory committee will place the cuts in the order they believe the items should be cut.
On April 12, the School Board will get its first look at the ranked cuts.
On April 19, the board will conduct a work session to add its own comments and begin its own ranking.
On April 26, the board will decide if it will eliminate teaching staff. The district is legally required to notify teachers by May 15 if a significant reduction in force will take place.
“We were anticipating some cuts based on declining enrollment,” Pryne said.
“What we weren’t expecting was the cuts the Legislature was making.”
Based on the recommendations by the Fiscal Advisory Committee declining enrollment could result in 8.5 teaching positions cut.
Another estimated six teaching positions in the kindergarten through fourth grades could result from legislative cuts.
The district expected a cut of $2.5 million from its budget after Gov. Chris Gregoire released her proposed budget last year.
Since then, the Legislature has wrestled with what has become a $2.8 billion deficit.
District officials expected a probable loss of Initiative 728 funds — which voters approved to reduce class sizes — and decreased funds because of declining enrollment total about $2.5 million.
The breakdown of the $4.2 the committee has listed in its possible cuts is $2.42 million to the operating budget, $690,080 in a decrease in 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.
The School Board can use any combination of any part of the proposed cuts to create a balanced budget.
The Legislature is constantly changing how the budget looks — which means every-changing numbers, said Jim Schwob, executive director of business and operations.
“It would be really helpful if we could get some solid numbers,” Pryne said.
The cuts based on declining enrollment are estimating a drop of about 135 students and in past years have been made in the areas with the classes with the fewest students.
The state reductions include a reduction of a state Learning Improvement Day, which essentially means a state cut to teacher salaries, since it won’t pay for an extra training day.
Some of the other cuts include:
• Reducing extended-day kindergarten to half-day.
• Eliminating the district newsletter “Visions.”
• Eliminating the district communications specialist.
• Transferring no funds from general funds to the capital projects fund.
• Reducing custodial staff.
The full list of the potential cuts can be viewed on the district Web site www.portangelesschools.org.
New ideas may be submitted to the district by e-mailing budget@portangelesschools.org or mailed to 216 East Fourth Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
