MONROE - The decision on whether the Monroe School Board makes $444,100 in cuts and runs a $1 million budget deficit for the 2012-13 school year looms in March.
With the Monroe School District facing a projected $1.45 million deficit for 2012-13, several school board members supported a plan to cut $444,100 and operate with a $1 million deficit at Monday's board meeting. District leaders presented tiered reduction lists Monday night.
"It's a conversation that has become a ritual for this district," Monroe School Board President Pam Wyss said.
Monroe School Board Vice President Bob Erb said the district is already being aggressive with a plan to go with a $1 million deficit and attempting to bring its expenses in under budget. Erb supported a plan to make $444,100 in reductions and operate with a $1 million deficit. The district has $7.45 million in fund balance it can dip into to offset the deficit.
"That is assuming that we bring in our health insurance so we can save a few hundred thousand dollars," Erb said. "If we are not able to do that we will be a little under water. I think a lot can happen between now and the end of the year. We don't know our enrollment or our virtual school enrollment."
Voters rejected a four-year, $8 million non-recurring referendum last April. The district cut $1.9 million from this year's budget. District leaders first developed a three-tiered, $1.43 million reduction list for 2012-13, which included 39 individuals and 28.4 full-time equivalent positions.
Board member Les Bieneman was a proponent of a plan to make $149,500 in cuts that would include slashing $40,000 from the high school building budget, cutting $10,000 from the middle school building budget, reductions from a middle school aide retirement and a middle school teacher resignation as well as a reduction of a .40 speech and language pathologist.
"I would be hard pressed to make any more cuts than the $149,500," Bieneman said. "I won't vote for (the $444,100 cut). I have to draw a line somewhere."
Monroe School District Superintendent Larry Brown clarified the administrators' intent with the $149,500 of ranked, tiered reductions.
"No matter what the budget would be, we probably would have made those cuts to be more efficient as our enrollment changes," Brown said. "We are at a point now where there are no good cuts for our district. I can't bring this back in the first meeting in March and then we draw a line somewhere else or add other cuts."
The proposed additional cuts the district would have to make to get to $444,100 include $25,900 for nine assistant coaches at the high school and $18,600 from the high school and middle school co-curricular budget. The other reductions include 3.4 elementary school aides, a high school or middle school custodian and a virtual school teacher.
Monroe Business Manager Ron Olson said earlier this month the district must maintain at least $6 million in fund balance to avoid major cash borrowing that comes with high-interest payments.
The financial crunch was compounded by Gov. Scott Walker's budget plan that cut funding for education by $800 million. The budget plan reduced school districts revenue limits by 5.5 percent, which prevents schools from using property taxes to make up the difference.
The board did approve a transportation contract that will save the district $75,000 compared to this year.
Board member Michael Boehme cautioned the board to consider the public's views in the face of the cuts.
"We have to keep in mind that the more we cut, the more we will be expected to cut," Boehme said. "That has to weigh in our final decision."
With the Monroe School District facing a projected $1.45 million deficit for 2012-13, several school board members supported a plan to cut $444,100 and operate with a $1 million deficit at Monday's board meeting. District leaders presented tiered reduction lists Monday night.
"It's a conversation that has become a ritual for this district," Monroe School Board President Pam Wyss said.
Monroe School Board Vice President Bob Erb said the district is already being aggressive with a plan to go with a $1 million deficit and attempting to bring its expenses in under budget. Erb supported a plan to make $444,100 in reductions and operate with a $1 million deficit. The district has $7.45 million in fund balance it can dip into to offset the deficit.
"That is assuming that we bring in our health insurance so we can save a few hundred thousand dollars," Erb said. "If we are not able to do that we will be a little under water. I think a lot can happen between now and the end of the year. We don't know our enrollment or our virtual school enrollment."
Voters rejected a four-year, $8 million non-recurring referendum last April. The district cut $1.9 million from this year's budget. District leaders first developed a three-tiered, $1.43 million reduction list for 2012-13, which included 39 individuals and 28.4 full-time equivalent positions.
Board member Les Bieneman was a proponent of a plan to make $149,500 in cuts that would include slashing $40,000 from the high school building budget, cutting $10,000 from the middle school building budget, reductions from a middle school aide retirement and a middle school teacher resignation as well as a reduction of a .40 speech and language pathologist.
"I would be hard pressed to make any more cuts than the $149,500," Bieneman said. "I won't vote for (the $444,100 cut). I have to draw a line somewhere."
Monroe School District Superintendent Larry Brown clarified the administrators' intent with the $149,500 of ranked, tiered reductions.
"No matter what the budget would be, we probably would have made those cuts to be more efficient as our enrollment changes," Brown said. "We are at a point now where there are no good cuts for our district. I can't bring this back in the first meeting in March and then we draw a line somewhere else or add other cuts."
The proposed additional cuts the district would have to make to get to $444,100 include $25,900 for nine assistant coaches at the high school and $18,600 from the high school and middle school co-curricular budget. The other reductions include 3.4 elementary school aides, a high school or middle school custodian and a virtual school teacher.
Monroe Business Manager Ron Olson said earlier this month the district must maintain at least $6 million in fund balance to avoid major cash borrowing that comes with high-interest payments.
The financial crunch was compounded by Gov. Scott Walker's budget plan that cut funding for education by $800 million. The budget plan reduced school districts revenue limits by 5.5 percent, which prevents schools from using property taxes to make up the difference.
The board did approve a transportation contract that will save the district $75,000 compared to this year.
Board member Michael Boehme cautioned the board to consider the public's views in the face of the cuts.
"We have to keep in mind that the more we cut, the more we will be expected to cut," Boehme said. "That has to weigh in our final decision."