D-49 budget will take $7.5 million hit

The board of Falcon School District 49  will  have to make roughly  $7.5 million in cuts from the $98 million budget for the 2010-2011 school year.

This comes on the heels of a $2.5 million cut in the 2009-2010 budget.

The board is expected to vote next week on a plan calling for reducing staffing numbers by 98 positions including teachers, assistant principals,  nurses and others.

However,  the district believes that attrition and retirements will absorb those losses, said Danielle Lindorf, board president.

This year the district had to hire 140 teachers because of attrition, she notes, and it anticipates a similar shortage again.

Officials anticipate possibly having to cut another $7 million for the 2011-2012 school year. 

School districts everywhere are in the same boat because of state budget woes.

The state Department of Education, which pays the bulk of school  districts’ operating budgets, has signaled that by June it will have to cut anywhere from $260 million to $509 million.

“It’s really tough times,” Lindorf said.  “We recognize that any cuts we make will effect families’ livelihoods and it’s important for us to cut everything else we can before we look at staff cuts.”

This week Superintendent Bradley Shoeppey sent out e-mails to staff explaining that they were doing everything possible to make sure no current employee will be without a job. “He hopes to find a place for everyone,” Lindorf said.

She added,” We hate to discuss budget figures right now because they change all the time.” She says they haven’t addressed specific line items yet.

“We have a very competent administration and are confident they will come up with proposals that will allow us to concentrate on student achievement. The district has been very fiscally conservative and anticipating the cuts won’t reach the classroom for a while,” Lindorf said.

Earlier in the year the district cut more than $2 million from central administration and auxiliary services costs.

The board has discussed asking voters for a bond this year. “With the way things are, we feel like local taxes and control are important,”

The  board meeting will be at 6 p.m., Thursday  at the administration building, 10850 E. Woodmen Road.