Ark Valley News - School district may cut bus routes

School district may cut bus routes
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: May 14, 2015

The Valley Center school district is poised to make more cuts to next year's operating budget, thanks to anticipated shortfalls in state aid.

This time, possible cuts include the elimination of some bus routes.

"I feel like this is a reoccurring nightmare," Superintendent Cory Gibson said. "… Every spring, we've got to cut. The challenge now is that the low-hanging fruit has already been cut."

The school board on May 11 gave Gibson the authority to trim more than $600,000 from next year's budget if it needs to.

Gibson anticipates entering the 2015-16 school year with a shortfall of $459,000. The amount could change depending on what happens with the state's grant-funding system approved earlier this year, which would freeze state aid over the next three years.

The potential cuts include eliminating jobs — instructional coach, aides, sports coaches — as well as freezing support for Communities in Schools and reducing athletic programs.

Two potential adjustments stood out. One was an increase in property taxes, by about 1.5 mills, while the other was the possible elimination of bus routes for students who live less than 2.5 miles from their schools. The district receives no funds for those routes.

If needed, the potential cuts will go through the budget proposal process this summer.

In a related move, the school board approved a new fee structure for athletic participation. Students who participate in sports in grades seven through 12 will be charged $65 and $10 for each additional sport during the year.

The board stopped short of implementing a policy to charge a participation fee for extracurricular clubs and organizations. The district has proposed charging $10 for the first activity and $5 for each additional activity at the high school and middle school. The proposal did not include co-curricular organizations, such as band or forensics. The fee would be above the dues already collected by the clubs. The district pays for club sponsors, and was looking for a way to recoup some of those expenses.

Board member Rhonda Price said she wouldn't support a system that could potentially discourage student involvement.

"I personally don't like this," Price said. "I think activities at the high school help keep kids engaged. … Anything we do to decrease the number of kids engaged in the high school is a bad thing."

Though band wasn't part of the proposal, board President Brad Barbour and board member Dave Spears asked whether it should be considered since the program travels a lot.

"I'm just trying to be fair to all groups," Spears said.

The board voted 6-1 to approve the athletic fee, but tabled the activity fee proposal until next month. Barbour voted against the athletic fee proposal.

The district could bring back a proposal to charge a $5 activity fee to everyone at enrollment.

"Someone who is overseeing the budget is going to have to say, can we afford to do what we've been doing," said board member Colin McKenney. "… Can we afford today what we decided we could afford seven years ago?"

The board also approved increases in facility use fees to help cover costs. Some rental fees increased by about $5. The approved policy also placed coaches, the booster club and parent-teacher organizations in a category eligible for a waiver of the fees if they use the facilities for students.

Coaches who host camps at district facilities, for example, would be eligible for exemption.

"We found out that if our coaches are charging a fee for more than T-shirts or insurance, it's to pay some assistant coaches to come in and help. It's minimal," said Mike Bonner, assistant superintendent.

In other business May 11, the board:

•Learned that the end-of-the-year staff luncheon will be 11 a.m. May 21 at the high school.

•Approved an out-of-state travel request for the high school football team, which will participate in a seven-on-seven tournament July 9 through 11 in Springdale, Ark.

•Approved an out-of-state travel request for Jeremy LeDuc to attend certification training in Project Lead the Way's engineering course computer integrated manufacturing this summer at Auburn University in Alabama.

•Approved the disposal of 500 computers. They are to be recycled.

•Accepted a gift of $5,000 from the intermediate school PTO for playground equipment.

•Accepted a gift of $720 in memory of Marian Droegemeir to purchase library books at West and Abilene.

•Approved 2015-16 Kansas Association of School Boards membership dues ($11,308) and legal assistance fund service fee ($1,650).

•Heard a report on special-education funding.

•Heard an update on progress with the district's strategic plan.

•Gave final approval to student handbooks for 2015-16.

•Tabled until next month approval of the classified staff handbook for 2015-16. Highlighted changes included an increase in the longevity benefit for employees completing 15 years of service from $500 to $875 and the addition of a sick leave bank policy for staff, which allows employees to share sick leave days.

•Met in executive session for five minutes to discuss a student matter.

•Approved a supplemental contract for Trent Preheim (high school girls' basketball head coach, $5,249, Aug. 6).

•Accepted resignations from James Bratt (bus route driver, April 13), Joyce Banning (nurse aide at Wheatland, retirement, May 21), Linda Hohler (at-risk aide at Abilene, May 20), Bradley Hawthorne (computer support technician, May 15), Donna Fiene (high school administrative assistant, May 8) and Kristen Howie (third-grade teacher at Abilene, May 22).

•Approved the hiring of Emily Snyder (social studies teacher at the middle school, $44,324, Aug. 6), Chanel Switzer (third-grade teacher at Wheatland, $39,415, Aug. 6), Bryce Westphal (science teacher at the middle school, $39,314, Aug. 6) and Tate Lowe (physical education teacher at the high school, $43,789, Aug. 6).

•Approved transfers for Amy McDaniel (from second-grade teacher at Abilene to third-grade teacher at Abilene, Aug. 6), Steen Danielsen (from social studies teacher at the middle school to social studies teacher at the high school, Aug. 10) and Sarah Gould (from second-grade teacher at West to second-grade teacher at Abilene, Aug. 10).

•Approved bids from Massco and Southwest Paper for custodial supplies. The bidding process is expected to save the district nearly $30,000 next year.

•Approved a bid of $238,952 from Midwest Bus to purchase two 46-passenger buses to be used for activities. Also approved was an additional $3,000 each for a graphics package.

•Watched Sean Miller with Knipp Equipment present an Energy Star plaque to Barbour May 11. Wheatland Elementary School earned the Energy Star rating after completing a series of energy saving upgrades to the building.

All board members were present. Spears came late to the meeting.