Possible changes in D-11 budget
On Wednesday, the Colorado Springs School District 11 board will take up another set of recommended budget cuts.
The administration is recommending $2.6 million in changes that include some cuts and some places to increase revenue.
They are:
• $6,000 in mileage allowance reductions (a reduction of $5 a month for those who receive the allowance).
• $250,000 in utilities setbacks.
• $1.2 million cut in instructional supplies and materials.
• $1 million in capital reserve transfer reductions.
• $20,000 revenue increase by raising student parking fees to $20, from $10.
• $30,000 revenue from a 10 percent increase in facility rental fees.
• $92,000 reimbursement from the food service enterprise fund for lunchroom custodial costs.
• $3,481 cut by decreasing the number of extra days for teacher coaching.
The items were culled from a larger list that the board could consider for cuts, including employee furloughs and pay cuts.
Superintendent Nicholas Gledich said he was not recommending across-the-board pay cuts or furloughs. Some administrative and support positions were eliminated in the first round of cuts, but many of them are vacant, and the district believes most of those cuts can be handled through attrition and retirements.
The Colorado Springs Education Association has offered its suggestions for more than $6.1 million in “global cuts,” should the higher number be needed. The CSEA list includes most of the superintendent’s recommendations, although some of the dollar amounts vary. In particular, it suggested cutting $3 million from instructional supplies, more than double the superintendent’s recommendation.
CSEA also recommended:
• Saving $400,000 by increasing the walk radius by a half-mile, meaning fewer children would be eligible for bus transportation.
• Eliminating high school bus transportation to save $275,000.
• Adjusting class size by one pupil at Bijou and Tesla alternative schools to save $100,000.
• Eliminating summer school transportation to save $50,000.
• Eliminating transportation for students who choose to attend Galileo School of Math and Science but live outside the attendance boundaries to save $20,000.
• A reduction in extra days worked by literacy resource teachers and library technology educators to save $437,000.
• Reducing mileage reimbursement to 35 cents, from 40 cents, to save $10,000.
• Increasing athletic participation fees by 10 percent to raise $22,000.
• Increasing athletic gate fees by $1 to raise $25,000.
