School Beat: Evansville School Board: Budget Consideration Begins: Highlight Half-Day Kindergarten: Audioblogger post pending

(Ed. note. The Observer will post audioblogger selections of this meeting as soon as some satellite problems are resolved. Click on the post to access the summary of the Supr. Carvins remarks. As always, participants who were at the meeting who wish to add to the post are welcome on the comment line. You may click on anonymous but after your comment list your name for the record. )

If you had only one Evansville School Board meeting to attend in recent memory, last night was probably the one you should have attended. It bodes well for the school district as it faces the Wisconsin school revenue caps because the school board was in listening mode and the parents were prepared and articulate in the point and counterpoint. Even Mr. Steve was in attendance and spoke.

Getting the numbers straight----The budget gap was presented by Supr. Carvin as $184,000 as one looked foreward---however, that presumed the board would approve the increase of 1 social studies teacher at the high school for a projected cost of $50,000. So, to compare apples to apples----the budget gap is $134,000. The decision to add the social studies teacher is one that the board will make, and is not a done deal.

The buildings committees have identified $75,000 in cuts that are possible as Supr. Carvin has asked for a broad %10 cut and asked the buildings to make suggestions as to where they should occur. The budget gap is now $59,000---for the upcoming year.

Supr. Carvin then went on a long list of cuts that are POSSIBLE. She noted that the school district is at the point where cuts looked for are as low as $1000. The first cut is a "no-brainer" and is a cut of SBC telephone costs that occur because of transition from the centrex system. The dollar saving is $6,400.
The budget gap is now $52,600.

The next item is a revenue increase due to middle school material fees and the revenue is $10,000. The budget gap is now $42,600.

The next item is a change in how the study hall coverage will be handled. The saving here is $10,854. The budget gap is now $31,746.

A varsity basketball assistant coach would be no longer salaried and the saving would be $2400. The budget gap is now 29,346.

Printing costs would be cut for a saving of $1500. The budget gap is now $27,846.

There would be a saving for some reduced course offerings in H.S.
There would be a increase of a fee for materials for K-5
The Elementary school GT-reading position of Nancy Kress will be vacant and the option is for "saving" if board decides to eliminate.

So----the bottom line is that the apples to apples comparison is that BEFORE any discussion of the half day kindergarten is begun and BEFORE and decision on the social studies position----the budget gap is relatively small and can be remedied.

Now---the debate on the half day kindergarten------

For purposes of full disclosure, I will have to admit that The Observer was one of Mr. Steve's classroom helpers some nine years ago when my daughter was in his class--in his class for exactly the reasons that the parents explained. Their presentations brought back the emotion of those days and refreshed my memory about the desire of parents to be able to make the best choices for their kids. Yes---- I did have to learn "The Grove Song." The words have escaped me, but I think I can hum the melody. Anyway----

Supr. Carvin explained that under the revenue caps, any new student is only "counted" for revenue purposes in a 1/3, 2/3, 3/3 sequence, meaning that if the state revenue per pupil were $10,000, the aid would only be $3300 the first year, $6600 the second and the full $10,000 the final year. This was enacted to aid those districts, which are many, that are in declining enrollment situations in order to soften the blow. The unintended consequence is that this formula harms districts such as Evansville with moderate growth because if we add 60 students in a year we only get revenue to support 20 of them---yet the resources have to be found to teach all of them----i.e. teachers etc to teach the 40 that are not bringing in revenue.

Cutting the half day kindergarden and substituting the full day would have the effect of doubling the revenue----16 students now count as 8 for revenue purposes. There would be a drop in the first year, and savings would only be $1000, but by the third year, it would total over $100,000.

The parents said: We want the choice that is best for our child
Supr Carvin said---We are forced to do this because of the revenue situation. No other districts near us offer half day, so there is no choice for parents.
The parents said: We want choices. Parents have made significant sacrifices for their kids already, and in your calculations you need to consider the loss of students due to this decision short and long term. Show us the numbers.

So, the parents, responded to the numbers questions of The Observer. They said on a numbers basis alone---if one factored in the loss of families due to decisions to home school or private school the children, it is possible that this could be a LOSE-LOSE transaction. The district might lose students long term and the parents who moved here to Evansville because of this program would have lost also.

One board member spoke to the parents and asked that they contact their elected representatives re the revenue caps. Art Phillips spoke also, and stated that this is a decision that the board will decide on. The board can and will evaluate what is best for the community and no revenue cap analysis alone will be the deciding factor. The board will and can make these decisions. That is what they are there for.

All parents who wished to speak did so. So there it is.

Should the Evansville School District cut the half day kindergarden---on what dollar saving analysis will this be based?
Should the Evansville School District add a $50,000 social studies position.

The questions remain. You make the call.