Ark Valley News - District budget options are fair

District budget options are fair
Last Updated: May 23, 2013

The Valley Center school board is taking a balanced and well-reasoned approach to keep the 2013-14 budget in the black.

The school board last week waded through a list of proposed budget cuts and revenue enhancements to balance next year's budget. Cuts were balanced nearly down the middle with increased fees and taxes as well as reserve spending. That's the right way to do it.

Like balancing household budgets when times are tough, governments should always look at both sides of the ledger and not be content with merely raising taxes.

As reported last week, the district estimates it will lose about $775,000 in state funds it received this year to open its new facilities, $76,000 in state funds for local option budget equalization and $15,000 in federal funds. Costs also are estimated to increase by about $216,000.

Meanwhile, the state per-pupil funding is expected to remain at 2012-13 levels.

To combat the deficit, Superintendent Cory Gibson has proposed the following cuts:

•A 10 percent reduction in paper and printing costs.

•A shorter school year by five days, which has already been approved by the board.

•A 5 percent decrease in heating and cooling costs.

•An increase in facility rental fees, which has already been approved.

•A delay in the purchase of buses for one year.

•Leaving open the director of operations position.

•A 50 percent reduction in classified staff overtime.

•A reduction to four the number of building improvement team members at each school.

•A reduction of four classified staff positions.

•A 10 percent reduction in building and district budgets.

•The elimination of the technology committee.

•Offering a cellphone stipend instead of providing phones, which was approved.

•A reduction of the number of district leadership team members by five.

The proposed revenue enhancements include:

•Using $215,000 in carryover funds from 2012-13.

•An .85-mill increase in property taxes to support the local option budget. With the increase, the owner of a $150,000 home would pay about $14 a year in additional school district taxes.

•An increase in all-day kindergarten fees, which was approved.

•A 5 percent increase in the number of career and technical education students.

All told, 49 percent comes from fees, taxes and carryover funds, while 51 percent comes from reductions in spending.

We offer our thanks for the balanced approach.

We also are hopeful that the Kansas Legislature will be directed to get state funding back on track.

— The Ark Valley News