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Total cuts for the 2009-2010 school year will stop just short of $1.2 million, but school officials are remaining optimistic the district and its staff will stay afloat — at least for now.

“It’s gonna go fantastic, and we’re gonna make it through no matter what the legislature decides,” said superintendent Robert Van Maren of the coming school year during Monday night’s USD 204 Board of Education meeting.

Van Maren cautioned, however, more work would need to be done in the way of reducing expenses to prevent a future string of layoffs.

“I think we need to deal proactively in September and October with what possibilities we might need to do should doom and gloom set in,” Van Maren said. “If we can’t find a way to reduce costs by the end of January, then we’re going to have to look at staff reductions and a reduction in teaching force.”

The district is up against cuts in the 2009-2010 budget that include an additional 2 percent cut, or $177,000, Gov. Mark Parkinson made earlier this month in the already depleted general fund. Because of the additional cut, Kansas schools across the state will see a $62 drop in their base state aid per pupil, from $4,280 to $4,218. This further amounts to a $182 drop per student from last school year’s base state aid per pupil, which was $4,400. As more cuts are made, and Van Maren said this was almost a guarantee, the situation could ring a death knell for several school programs.

“My best guess is there’s gonna be another cut,” he said. “Which would mean automatically summer school, tutoring, anything like that would be completely gone.”

Director of business and finance services Tami Koppang said with mounting expenses, such as staff salaries and benefits totaling close to $14 million, one of her main concerns was whether the budget would even out once the year came to a close.

“I’m just hoping I don’t have less revenue than expenses for the end of this year,” Koppang said.

Also of concern was the stimulus money and money from delinquent taxes — neither of which the district has received to date. Koppang said she hadn’t definitively heard how much delinquent tax money the district may get, but she hoped whatever the amount was, it would be in by month’s end. Van Maren said the stimulus money was supposed to be in already, and district purchases had already been made with that expectation.

Despite these monetary concerns, and the overriding issue of how to provide the same quality of education with a whole lot less money, Koppang said she felt confident the district would survive the coming year.

“We’re making it do,” she said.

Though Van Maren reminded the board survival wouldn’t be the only focus.

“We want to be a part of doing the best for the kids part, rather than the cutting and trying to survive part,” he said.

In other action Monday, the board:

• Nominated and appointed board member Gregg Gibson as board president.

• Nominated and appointed board member Olliea Jarrett as board vice president.

• Nominated and appointed Jackie Anderson as board treasurer.

• Nominated and appointed Tami Koppang as board clerk.

• Approved the adoption of the agenda.

• Approved the minutes from the June 15 meeting.

• Approved the treasurer and clerk’s report.

• Approved warrants totaling $418,313.75.

• Heard a presentation from Gus Fasone and Pete Peterson of Pheonix Consultants, Inc. The presentation was regarding the future, and as yet to be approved, 450-unit apartment complex to be built near the Delaware Ridge neighborhood. The complex would be funded through tax credit financing and would use section 42 financing, where an income cap would be placed on prospective occupants. Peterson said for someone to be eligible for an apartment in the complex, they would have to make $32,500 or less per year. Couples would have to make $65,000 or less per year.

“We’re losing a lot of our young people,” Peterson said of the need for such an apartment complex. “It’s our children that have money, and they’re gonna want to live in a nice place. And I hate to see them taking off across the county line all the time.”

Peterson said similar tax credit financing complexes had already been built, to highly successful results, throughout the Kansas City metro area, and now was the perfect time to build such a complex in Wyandotte County.

“Between Schlitterbahn and the casino, there’s probably going to be three to 4,000 employees,” Peterson said. “And where are they gonna live?

Peterson and Fasone requested the board’s approval of this project, but board president Gregg Gibson asked the two to bring in more information in writing before an approval would be given.

• Tabled a decision regarding a change in the sick policy in Edwardsville Elementary’s 2009-2010 handbook until the Aug. 3 meeting.

• Approved a milk bid for the 2009-2010 school year to Roberts Dairy.

• Changed the policy regarding out-of-district students being accepted after Sept. 21. Formerly, students enrolling late would be charged tuition. With the new policy change, no tuition will be charged, but no students will be accepted after Sept. 21.

• Approved the annual audit for 2009.

• Approved the designation of Charles Thomas as board attorney, Robert Van Maren to the federal funds administration, Cheryll Arnett as the food service representative, Renee Stanley and Arnett as Kansas Public Employees Retirement System representatives and Tami Koppang as the hearing officer for free and reduced lunch.

• Changed the policy regarding the suspension and expulsion committee. Formerly a three-person committee, it will now be made up of only one person: Larry Chanay, director of staff services.

• Approved Union Bank and Trust as the official depository.

• Approved the authorization resolution of the board president, clerk and treasurer.

• Selected 1,116-hour school year for 2009-2010.

• Adopted a resolution to waive the fixed asset requirements in Accordance with K.S.A. 75-1120.

• Approved the district’s participation in federal programs.

• Approved the home rule authorization.

• Unanimously refused a request from Lansing to help form a cooperative boys and girls swimming program. Van Maren said this was because the district had, in the past, refused similar requests from Basehor and Mill Valley.

• Heard the bond issue update. Such items in the update included the tile had been replaced in Edwardsville Elementary, and the concession stand was nearing completion despite some electrical issues. The board will tour the new concession stand at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3, prior to that night’s board meeting.

• Heard the superintendent’s update. Such items in the update included the district had been approved for stimulus money, and Head Start had applied for a health and safety grant.

• Approved new, summer school and Head Start contracts, as well as the resignation of Lorene Sinclair, former second-grade teacher at Delaware Ridge Elementary.

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