Park Falls school board details devastating cuts
What impact are school district revenue caps having on the schools of Wisconsin? Below is the latest example of the devastation they are creating:
Following the overwhelming defeat of an April 3 referendum to exceed state-imposed school district revenue caps, the Park Falls School Board on Monday (April 30, 2007) recommended dramatic cuts. According to the Park Falls Herald, the district released the following news release:
The Park Falls Board of Education, in executive session on Monday, April 30, made the following recommendations to the school administration to reduce expenditures to meet the available funding:
- Reduce staff by one full-time staff member in the district offices.
- Reduce staff by one half-time staff member in the elementary school office and one half-time staff member in the high school office.
- Reduce by one maintenance position.
- Reduce by one transportation position.
- Reduce by 1-1/2 food service positions.
- Reduce by one high school history teacher, one elementary and middle school guidance counselor, one high school technical education teacher, one half-time middle school consumer education teacher, one elementary music teacher, one half-time high school physical education teacher, one half-time high school English teacher, one elementary school teacher, one .6-time middle school music teacher, and one special education aide. Further reduction includes five positions due to attrition/retirements.
- Eliminate the position of middle and high school disciplinary assistant.
- Eliminate all middle school [grades six to eight] athletics and other extracurricular activities -- club or volunteer activities only.
- Eliminate the following sports: cheerleading, hockey, gymnastics and golf.
- There will be varsity and junior varsity sports only, no freshman or “C” teams.
- Two coaches only per sport, varsity and junior varsity -- any others must be volunteers.
- Only authorized WIAA programs will be funded.
- Eliminate the summer marching band program.
- Reduce the FBLA program by disallowing national competition, unless other funding can be found.
- Eliminate the forensics program.
- Cut participation in any music competitions beyond the solo and ensemble competitions.
- Reduce district’s technology budget by $30,000.
- Reduce building administrators’ budgets by $55,000.
- Reduce overall maintenance budget by $25,000 - $30,000.
- Close the swimming pool.
- It is further recommended that all athletic coaches and extra-curricular advisors be laid off at the end of the 2006-2007 season, including the position of grades seven-12 athletic director. These positions will all be re-evaluated, posted and rehired as necessary, as per collective bargaining agreement, with first consideration being given to employees of the school district.
- It is also recommended that a system of fees and charges be established for school activities and events to raise additional revenue. A committee has been established to determine fair fees and charges. Such fees and charges would be for all athletic and music events, for use of the building by any profit-making activity [such as drivers’ education, karate, etc.], for special course textbooks and materials, for any non-class-related school computer usage, and for anything else the committee deems appropriate.
"These changes will be painful, and will reduce the quality of the education that our students will receive, but the members of the Park Falls Board of Education are left with no other options,” the release concluded.
The district also is involved in discussions of possible consolidation or reorganization with the Butternut and Glidden school boards.
Posted May 3, 2007
