Jan. 14, 2003

At last night's board of education meeting, USD 470 administrators provided a clearer look at the district's plans for possible budget cuts. The district is waiting to hear the newly sworn-in Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' State of the State address Wednesday before making any definite announcements.

Ron Ballard, assistant superintendent/business manager, reminded the board and the public of the reasons USD 470 will be forced to make cuts to the current year's budget. One of the reasons is that the state underfunded both local option budget increases and the growth increases for general funds and special education. The other factor: The Kansas Legislature never fully funded the original finance package for education.

As a result, local boards of education must now make the decision of how to recapture these lost funds, Ballard said. It is projected that the impact for USD 470 will range anywhere from approximately $155,000 to nearly $300,000. This range is based upon either an across-the-board, $49 per pupil general fund budget cut (the lower figure) OR an elimination of most new LOB funding and some small general fund cuts (the higher figure).

"Since USD 470 had a substantial increase in LOB funding, we would be harmed far more by the LOB/general fund mix cut," Ballard said.

The 470 administrative council prepared a three-column chart illustrating where cuts could be applied with the least impact upon the day-to-day educational process. The first column, comprised of supplemental and transfer funds, and the third column, expenditure reductions, will provide an adjustment large enough to address cuts coming from the $49 per pupil across-the-board scheme. If necessary, Ballard said, the district could later consider the center column personnel adjustments.

The supplemental and transfer column includes the reassignment of $100,000 from the LOB to capital outlay and a reduction of $20,000 in the professional development budget. The district budgeted $65,000 for professional development, so a decrease in $20,000 will not have a major impact, Ballard said.

The third column includes a reduction in utilities usage of $8,000 and a reduction in building budgets totaling $30,000. Ballard said the administration believes people at the building level are "much more adept at making those choices" of where they can cut their budgets. The district will provide each building with a dollar figure to cut from its budget and it will be up to the principal's discretion where to cut his/her budget without interrupting instructional flow.

If the state imposes a cut to the per pupil amount, USD 470 could survive the cuts without cutting personnel. But, if the state imposes a cut to LOB/general funds, the district will be forced to look at cutting personnel, Ballard said.

"I do believe that the pain should be spread equally among all school districts in the state; this is a state problem," Ballard said. "The shortfall should be invited among all districts, not just LOB growth school districts only."

Following the budget discussion, Superintendent Perry L. Perkins provided an update on the BOE/district goals. Goal I, student achievement, is a major goal and emphasis for the board, district staff and students and the entire community.

"If this goal is to be realized and if our district's graduation rate is to be increased, the entire district and the community must work together," Perkins said. "Schools, on average, have a direct influence on children for about 35 hours in a 168-hour week, or 21 percent of the time. The other 79 percent of the child's week is influenced by families and the community. Although schools need to improve what they do during their 21 percent, families and communities also need to examine their commitments as well.

"We are all in this together; Goal I: Increasing student achievement, including graduation rate, in the Arkansas City School District is vital to the future of our community," Perkins said.

Perkins provided updates on the preliminary strategies being used to achieve this goal. These strategies include public presentations, newsletters, administrative and other staff meetings and evaluations and school/classroom visits by the superintendent.

Perkins and Jan Voss, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, along with all principals, have analyzed the last three years of test scores and have confirmed the district's strengths and weaknesses. Perkins said K-12 writing is a district strength but math and reading are weaknesses.

"We have to be concerned about weaknesses," Perkins said. "There needs to be a great deal of emphasis on research-based strategies. We're on the right track. We'll get to where we need to go."

Perkins said the district is examining the effectiveness of current district and school strategies to improve achievement of all students.

"Some of the strategies used in the past to improve student achievement have not been particularly effective," he said. "However, within the last two years, under Dr. Voss' leadership, I believe a renewed focus on research-based strategies has been implemented. We are hopeful these strategies will result in increased student achievement during the next one or two years."

Perkins said the idea of every teacher as a reading teacher is important. "I know programs are important, but putting highly-effective teachers in every classroom and teaching curriculum aligned to the state's standards is more important," he said.

Board President Daren Reese also commented about Goal I. "I believe student achievement is our No. 1 goal," he said.

Perkins also described what the district is doing to reach the goals of developing a strategic planning model and a performance-based administrative evaluation model. He also provided an update on the review and revision of BOE policies and development of a "learning community" via improved communications.

The board was provided with copies of board meeting briefs and monthly staff newsletters, both efforts to improve internal communications. Perkins also provided a list of his school visits and Student Council visits.

Other items

At the request of board members, the group watched the "Fish" video. Voss also announced the new woodworking teacher at the high school, Steven McRae, who started teaching after winter break.

Action items

I. The lease-purchases of buses passed 6-0 (six of the seven board members were present for the meeting). Union State Bank had the low bid of 3.12 percent for 60 months and will receive the contract. Ballard pointed out that the district may trade in some buses, which would reduce the amount the district will expend on the new buses. The funds for the first year's payment are coming totally from the transportation fund. The amount will be the $55,000 allotted for transportation.

II. The board voted 6-0 to adopt the proposed resolution for reauthorization of the capital outlay mill levy. This resolution only authorizes capital outlay; it establishes no applied taxation at this time. The resolution provides the board with the authority to propose a capital outlay levy for a maximum of eight mills for a period of time not to exceed four years.

III. The board voted 6-0 to approve the superintendent's job description as presented. The job description is from the Kansas Association of School Boards and appears to be general enough to be inclusive of most job tasks of the superintendent.

The board went into executive session for one hour to discuss negotiations and non-elected personnel. No action was taken following executive session.

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