Sparta School Board to consider more budget cuts

The board has already made $1.8 million in decreases to each of the next two years’ budgets through reductions in staffing (through natural attrition) and health insurance premiums, along with reallocating funds for capital projects, delaying purchasing math textbooks, using one-time ESSER funds to replace student electronic devices, and shifting funding for middle school co-curricular programs.

On Tuesday, board member John Hendricks proposed additional budget reductions that would generate another half million dollars. They included funding three teacher positions using ESSER funds for a $250,000 savings, reducing three K-5 teacher positions (also through natural attrition) that would increase class sizes but save $85,000 per position, and reducing building budgets to $100 per student for a $100,000 savings.

While he especially didn’t like cutting the per-student building budgets, he said there weren’t many options left.

“There’s still additional cuts that will need to be made in order for us to reach the $1.2 million, which is just the base,” he said. “After we go to negotiations we’re going to need to do additional cuts above that.”

Related to staff negotiations, board member Pat McKenna said he wanted to remove a proposal dealing with the employee retirement benefit from a menu of suggested budget reduction items. That proposal to suspend employee retirement contributions would result in an annual savings of $510,000, but McKenna argued that in the present worker-shortage environment it was contrary to the district’s effort to retain staff.

While both Hendricks and board member Todd Wells said they also oppose the reduction, they argued that removing it from the list would potentially take away a negotiation tool.

“Everything is on the table,” said Wells.

The board delayed Hendrick’s budget reduction proposals to a future meeting since they were not listed as agenda items.

Leah Hauser, the district’s director of business services, gave the board some good news on the transportation front. She said the district had allocated funds for 30 bus routes in this year’s budget but Southwest, the district’s transportation operator, found efficiencies to drop that to 28 routes.

Southwest told Hauser it believes it can remain at 28 routes next year. Each route currently costs the district around $52,000. Hauser said increased fuel costs and a 4.7% rise in the consumer price index will increase the contract cost with Southwest.

However, she added that with the reduced routes from this year and savings generated through closing Cataract, the district might be able to address long bus rides.

In other business, the board:

• Increased the district’s contribution to $600 for students who advance to and attend a national competition. The maximum amount a single club could receive for attending nationals is $5,000.

• Approved a $30,975 bid to sand and refinish the Meadowview gym floor with an additional $3,800 payment to include the Spartan head logo on the floor. The work will be done only if there are funds remaining in this year’s budget.

• Approved a bid from Fowler & Hammer to remove the canopy at Southside Early Learning Center and replace the sidewalk. Market & Johnson, the only other bidder, submitted a $53,000 proposal.

• Approved an additional track coach due to members at the middle school.