Fox Point-Bayside Schools Expecting Major Cuts

The is bracing for revenue losses from the state of Wisconsin that could be as much as $700 per student according to District Administrator Rachel Boechler.

But no one knows for sure how deep the cuts will be until Gov. Scott Walker presents his budget on March 1.

“School districts are normally in flux this time of year until we know what the funding will be,” Boechler said.  

“This year we are having an extended level of flux because the governor has signaled there will be significant, and deep cuts. We normally have been getting increases of $200 per student each year. We won’t get that this year,” she said. That means that the district is preparing for a potential cut of $700 per student.

A summary presented to the board by Michael Garty, the district’s Director of Business Services, projected a net budget deficit of $146,020 for the current year. Garty also projected revenue loses of $379,000 for 2011-12. Garty anticipates additional costs to the district of $309,833 to pay for salary, benefits and health increments for staff. The district has a settled contract in place for next year.

A meeting was planned to discuss budget options for the next school year. However, there is nothing to discuss while the current budget proposal is being debated, so the meeting was postponed.

Under normal circumstances, the school district would wait until they received their funding before making decisions on layoffs. However, Boechler said the district might be forced to give out layoff notices to teachers before the budget is passed.

In other Fox Point-Bayside School District news:

• Boechler praised the teachers in her district for their professionalism during the recent budgetary battle in Madison. The superintendent said several teachers did participate in the protests in front of the State Capitol last week, but they used personal days, not sick days.

• A contract with Reilly, Penner & Benton LLP to audit financial records for 2010-11 was approved by the board Monday night. The cost for the general audit is not to exceed $14,370, and the audit of Chapter 220 finances is not to exceed $1,500.
• The board approved the continuation of shared nursing program for the 2011-12 school year.  Currently, Fox Point-Bayside gets 15 hours of nursing services each week in an agreement with the Brown Deer, Glendale-River Hills and . Fox Point paid $20,000 for those services in 2010-11.
• The shared program with the Glendale-River Hills School District for instrumental music-strings instruction will also continue next year. The program, for fifth through eighth graders at Bayside Middle School, cost $22,000 for 2010-11.
• The board accepted the recommendation of the finance committee to continue the use of a survey to gauge satisfaction among student, parents and staff for another year.