The Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City School Board took a hard look at its shrinking reserves and 20-student enrollment decline, making some tough decisions Monday evening.
The final list of cuts provides $361,000 in savings, which includes one elementary teacher, one secondary teacher (business education), a media specialist, a half-time art teacher, one tech support person, two full-time and one part-time paraprofessionals (mostly in the Boost Up and Mind Up programs designed to increase physical activity among students), one girls’ basketball coach and two assistant coaches in football and golf. The late activity bus would be discontinued (saving $18,200) and $50,000 in scheduled capital projects would be postponed.
The cuts are slightly different from the initial cuts proposed at the regular school board meeting in March but reflect further prioritizing on the part of school officials, based in part on input from the public and staff.
“What do we want to cut? Nothing,” said Board Chair Mike Hendrickson. “But what can we afford to cut as options? We are cutting some of the ‘nice to haves’ and are asking ‘what are the have to haves?’.”
The board did not cut a second full-time elementary teacher, proposed at its March meeting. School officials decided cutting a third-grade teacher would raise class sizes by too much.
Board Clerk Jeanna Lilleberg said that cutting some of these programs would place a heavier workload on the remaining classroom teachers to meet district goals and state criteria with less staff, cutting into prep time.
“I see your point,” replied Board Vice Chair Megan Morrison, “but I don’t see that we’re at the point where we are able to keep everything.”
Elementary Principal Kodi Goracke said she reviewed programming in neighboring districts, and several of them, too, had opted for incorporating art and activity programs within existing classrooms rather than being taught by specialized staff.
At last month’s board meeting, Superintendent Nels Onstad explained to the board and others in attendance that the cuts would need to come from general operations as the district cannot, by state law, dip into bond funds or grants designated solely for capital improvements.
If the state legislature designates more money toward public school operations before the close of the session, this may alleviate the need for ACGC to make further cuts for the 2020-2021 school year. The district is on track to spend approximately $650,000 more this year than it will receive in revenue. But as has been pointed out at previous school board meetings, annual inflation alone eats up a 1.5-2 percent raise in funding.
Notices will be sent later this month to staff affected by the approved program changes. Although a few positions will be vacated by retirements or other attrition, some will come in the form of layoffs, based upon seniority and other considerations.
