Schneider outlines state-ordered budget cuts

by Mary Coblentz
The Mid-Prairie School Board Monday learned how the district will meet the 10 percent across-the-board cuts mandated by the state of Iowa.
The total amount to be cut from the M-P budget is approximately $573,000. Mid-Prairie Superintendent Mark Schneider outlined the district’s planned cuts of $417,000. The rest will come from the district’s cash reserves.
Building budgets will be cut a total of $95,000 amoung the five buildings. This will include instructional material and field trips. Activities, Technology, and Transportation will each have $10,000 trimmed from their budgets. The Home School Assistance Program will have $23,000 cut, the STP program $6,000, and Central Office $5,000.
“These are targets,” Schneider stressed.
Other areas being cut are overtime/ over contracted hours for a savings of $30,000 and utilities for a savings of $5,000. Thermostats will be set at 69 degrees in classrooms with the gyms being cooler. Set backs will be used for nights and weekends to further save on heating costs.
The district will buy one bus instead of two for a savings of $70,000. This will not be a direct help with the general budget because PPEL funds are used to purchase buses. However, Schneider explained that any area in the general fund that can be covered with PPEL funds will be, and the $70,000 not spend on a bus will open up PPEL funds.
Funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will be used to replace special education fund cuts. The amount is projected to be $73,000.
Schneider noted that next year and the following year could be “dicy” because the stimulus funds will likely not be available.
Another item Schneider brought up which will be on a future board agenda is possibly charging a fee for discretionary transportation.
Schneider told the board that, although there will be less revenue coming in, the district’s spending authority, at least for this year, remains the same. He said there are two general reactions to the budget cuts. One is, don’t worry, there are cash reserves, and you can always raise property taxes. The other reaction is the sky is falling.
Schneider wants the Mid-Prairie reaction to be somewhere in the middle, and he noted that the district making some cuts is no different from the belt-tightening going on in families because of the economy.
Schneider said, “Yes, it is a very serious issue, but it’s not the end of the world.”
Mid-Prairie is in a strong financial position currently with $900,000 in cash reserves.
In other business, the board:

• approved open enrollment requests from Nicole Upchurch that her daughter be allowed to participate in the Home School Assistance Program from the Clear Creek-Amana district; from April Stoner requesting that an 11th grade student remain at M-P despite having moved to the English Valleys District; and from Aaron and Alisa Meader requesting that their daughter attend Wellman Elementary from the Washington District;
• accepted the resignations of Jennifer Thrapp as Preschool Associate at Wellman Elementary and Phyllis Ladehoff as High School Special Education Teacher Associate;
• approved the first reading of board policy series 500 except for five items which have been held back for further discussion. A second reading is required before the policy is finalized;
• approved the graduation of Jamie Gillion who has met the requirements for graduation from the Alternative Learning Center;
• approved an out-of-state field trip for WE and WT first grade students to see a musical performance in Moline, Illinois, in April;
• created a part-time special education associate position at Kid’s Country Club and a full-time special education associate position at Kalona Elementary;
• set Thursday, November 5, at 2 p.m. at the Central Office as the date, time, and place to open sealed bids for new stadium bleachers for the football/track area. A public hearing was held first; there were no comments received.