BonnerSprings.com

More pink slips may be handed out before school year’s end.

During Monday night’s USD 204 Board of Education meeting, superintendent Robert Van Maren said an unofficial consensus estimate released by the state this week had reported more cuts to public education this year were on the horizon. The announcement came, Van Maren said, as a reaction to the state being about $100 million behind what it had thought it would collect in taxes.

At the meeting Van Maren gave his own estimate: The district’s finances will be down $2 million by next year.

“So all the positions that we talked about (cutting) so far are going to be have to’s at this point in time,” Van Maren said. Those already discussed may include positions in the secondary media center, nurses, counselors and technology aides.

Van Maren also went so far as to say a reduction in force in teachers might also be in the district’s future.

“If we end up with a huge cut … we have to (lay off) all the teachers that are the youngest, that have been with us the shortest amount of time,” he said. “If we get some additional money (later), we try to hire them back.”

An across-the-board salary decrease and an increase in class sizes, Van Maren said, also may have to be taken into consideration.

An official estimate from the state will be released April 16, Van Maren said, and he added the board might have to make its decision as to what positions will be cut next month as well.

Also on Monday, the board:

• Heard patrons’ questions and viewpoints. Parent Mashawna Thompson addressed whether the district had plans to make cuts to gifted education. She noted that in a an earlier Chieftain article about Expeditionary Learning superintendent Robert Van Maren had been quoted as saying that when the Kauffman grant, which pays for the EL program, runs out, the district would continue to fund the program on its own steam if it could.

Thompson asked whether some of that funding might go to the gifted education program instead.

“Maybe we can compensate for … gifted education cuts so that (gifted education students aren’t) taking a step back,” Thompson said.

Van Maren said that any cuts made to regular education would also have to be made to gifted education.

“What is going to compensate for the loss in regular education? It’s a matter of equity,” he said.

Both Van Maren and board president Gregg Gibson said it was their hope the district could continue much of the components of the EL program at no cost. Either way, Gibson said, when the Kauffman grant runs out in two years, the program would have to be continued “at a reduced funding level.”

“Right now nothing’s been proposed, nothing’s on the table, nothing’s been discussed … a lot of the programs will have to reduced,” Gibson said.

• Unanimously approved that night’s agenda.

• Approved, with Dave Pierce and Lewis Wood abstaining, the minutes from the Feb. 16 meeting.

• Unanimously approved the treasurer and clerk’s report.

• Unanimously approved warrants totaling $357,383.33.

• Heard a presentation from Delaware Ridge Elementary art teacher Dennis Stanton about the new symbol that had been created through a collaboration between his students and Bonner Springs High School industrial technology teacher Kris Munsch. The wooden symbol, which represents Keith Haring-inspired illustrations of integrity, self-discipline, passion, quality and collaboration, will hang at DRE.

• Discussed how the board would take its savings from the 2000-A bond refinancing it is set to do this year, which it will have to do through taking out a new loan at a lowered interest rate to close out the initial bond. Choices include taking all of the savings at once, taking it over the life of the new loan or taking it at the end when the board has paid off the new loan. The board decided that taking the savings over the life of the loan was the best option as it would allow for extra funding as the district continues to deal with state-imposed budget cuts.

• Unanimously approved the resignation of Bonner Springs High School industrial technology teacher Kris Munch and the retirement of Delaware Ridge Elementary teacher Jackie Rickert.

Comments

1. 

   triedntru (anonymous) says…

   Best wishes to Mr. Munsch. He truly was an inspirational asset to the district and the community. He will be missed.

   March 4, 2010 at 7:13 a.m.

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