SEQUIM — Ten or more teachers, two librarians and the only school nurse are on the list of potential layoffs at the Sequim School District.
Such cuts in the district budget — only a dent in the $1.823 million that may be slashed this fall — will be outlined today by Superintendent Bill Bentley during a community meeting in the Sequim High School Library.
With Washington state facing an estimated $9 billion deficit, every school district must brace for a drastic reduction in funding, Bentley writes in a narrative on the Sequim district Web site, www.Sequim.K12.wa.us.
Bentley is budgeting for the worst-case scenario, which is if the state Senate’s proposed budget passes. That budget would include $16.68 million in funding for Sequim schools — meaning severe cuts in the district’s $25.13 million annual budget.
Gov. Chris Gregoire’s budget and the state House of Representatives’ proposal aren’t much better. Those proposals would provide Sequim with $17.989 million or $17.344 million, respectively.
Enrollment decline
Compounding the problem: The district anticipates a slight drop in enrollment this fall. Lewis said the dip could be just 30 students — but that would mean $150,000 less in state funding for Sequim schools.
District enrollment this year is hovering just above 2,800.
Among the possible layoffs and other cuts in the Sequim School District budget for the 2009-2010 school year:
• $576,000 in salaries for 10 teachers.
• $100,000 trimmed from athletic programs including cutting Sequim High School C (freshman) teams and Sequim Middle School B teams, plus a $75 fee for each student who plays on remaining teams.
• $205,000 in salaries for paraeducators, secretaries, custodians and transportation staff.
• $120,000 in salaries for two of the district’s four librarians.
• $50,000 for the school district nurse.
• $280,000 in curriculum, technology and facilities expenses.
• $42,000 from the First Teacher activity and newsletter program for preschoolers and their parents.
The state Legislature is scheduled to end its 2009 session April 26 and by early May send its final budget to Gregoire for her signature.
Deadline looms
Lewis said Sequim can’t wait that long; the district must notify teachers and staff of impending layoffs by May 15.
There may be some relief, however, from three sources.
One is attrition, since if the district learns later this summer that teachers are moving away or retiring, some laid-off faculty members could be reinstated.
Another is federal stimulus funding, though that is typically earmarked for reading assistance and special-education programs.
Finally, the school district could tap its reserves, estimated to be about $2 million, to cover a relatively small portion of the state funding shortfall.
Lewis said that up to $250,000 could be withdrawn from those reserves in each of the next two years.
Lewis and Bentley emphasize that in Sequim, slim enrollment and funding have kept the district frugal.
So the deep cuts will hurt even more, Bentley said.
He noted that $7,986 is spent per year per Sequim student, compared with the $8,777 per-student average in districts of similar size.
“We’re fitting our expenditures to amount of resources we have available. If we had more resources available to us, we’d spend those,” Lewis added Wednesday.
“We’re already lean.”
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
