District 112 releases budget cut proposals

Tomorrow night, District 112 Administration will present their budget recommendations to the School Board.  The District’s Budget Committee has developed four scenarios based on different expectations of state funding for schools.  The four scenarios are flat state funding and reductions of 1.5%, 3%, and 5%.  Even with flat state funding, spending cuts will be required because of loss of some federal dollars and a projected 2% increase in expenses.

Here are the primary recommendations for the worst-case scenario — the 5% reduction in state funding, or $4.06 million in cuts:

Instruction (56.2%, or $2.365 million):

• Increase class sizes by 1.5 students (reduction of 21 FTEs, $1.65 million)
• Reduce remedial support for high school students (4 FTE, $308,000)
• Move beginning band to Grade 6 (3.2 FTE, $259,000)
• Reduce pay for substitute teachers ($72,000)

Administration (16.3%, or $686,400):

• Reduce deans at middle and high schools (4 FTE, $290,000)
• Reduce elementary lead teachers (1.7 FTE, $131,000)
• Reduce one cabinet member (1 FTE, $125,000)
• Chanhassen High takes responsibility for ALP (1 FTE, $112,000)

Operations (9.8% or $413,000):

• Fund balance transfer ($300,000)

Instructional Support (9.3%, or $378,000):

• Reduced clerical support and lunchroom supervision (6.5 FTE, $343,000)
• Reduced support to technology, high school professional development, and curriculum redesign (1.1 FTE, $107,000)
• Increased expense for middle school professional development (add 1 FTE, $77,000)
• Consolidated registration center (add 1 FTE, $66,000 — offsets some of the clerical reductions above)

Special Education (4.9%, or $204,000):

• Setting IV tuition ($119,000)
• Reduce paraprofessional support (5 FTE, $33,000)

Student Activities (3.9%, or $162,000):

• Increase activity fees and raise student and family fee caps ($102,500)
• Increase student parking fees ($40,000)

Public meetings to discuss the budget cut proposals will be held on April 5 at 7 p.m. in the Chaska High School Auditorium and April 6 at 7 p.m. in the Chanhassen High School Auditorium.  The School Board will take action on the budget at their April 14 meeting (6:30 p.m. at the District Education Center).