Girard USD 248 officials are tentatively preparing to reduce district expenditures by up to $175,000 to help offset reductions in state aid, Superintendent Gary Snawder said Tuesday.
Few details regarding what would be cut are available at this time, as Snawder said the district is still in the process of deciding “what we can live without.”
“We’re working on it,” Snawder said. “The process is involving the administrative team, our staff and the Board of Education. We’re looking at ways we can survive.”
Snawder said the district remains committed to not reducing personnel to save money, although there are some positions that may not be filled once they become vacant due to retirements or resignations. He also said the hope is to not eliminate any major programs that have a “significant impact” on the students.
“Some way we have to figure out how to cut without having a too big of a negative impact on our students,” he said.
Reductions in state funding for education have reduced the Girard district’s budget by approximately $780,000 this year. Base State Aid Per Pupil, once at $4,433, is down to $4,012 and could go lower if the state Legislature does not approve Gov. Mark Parkinson’s revenue-enhancing proposal, which includes an increase to the state’s sales tax rate.
Without additional revenue, it’s estimated that BSAPP could drop to $3,726, which would take USD 248’s $7.136 million budget down to $6.68 million.
Snawder said the district probably needs to cut more than $175,000 in expenditures, but with the uncertainty surrounding state finances and school funding, he said the district does not yet want to take too drastic of measures.
“We feel like we can cut that much right now and survive, and depending on the funds, we may have to go deeper,” he said.
How much deeper, however, is as yet an unsettling unknown.
“It’s hard to tell at this point,” Snawder said. “I wouldn’t even want to venture a guess. I have no idea what the political machine may be thinking. It could be anywhere from zero to who-knows-what.”
|
|
|
Girard USD 248 officials are tentatively preparing to reduce district expenditures by up to $175,000 to help offset reductions in state aid, Superintendent Gary Snawder said Tuesday.
Few details regarding what would be cut are available at this time, as Snawder said the district is still in the process of deciding “what we can live without.”
“We’re working on it,” Snawder said. “The process is involving the administrative team, our staff and the Board of Education. We’re looking at ways we can survive.”
Snawder said the district remains committed to not reducing personnel to save money, although there are some positions that may not be filled once they become vacant due to retirements or resignations. He also said the hope is to not eliminate any major programs that have a “significant impact” on the students.
“Some way we have to figure out how to cut without having a too big of a negative impact on our students,” he said.
Reductions in state funding for education have reduced the Girard district’s budget by approximately $780,000 this year. Base State Aid Per Pupil, once at $4,433, is down to $4,012 and could go lower if the state Legislature does not approve Gov. Mark Parkinson’s revenue-enhancing proposal, which includes an increase to the state’s sales tax rate.
Without additional revenue, it’s estimated that BSAPP could drop to $3,726, which would take USD 248’s $7.136 million budget down to $6.68 million.
Snawder said the district probably needs to cut more than $175,000 in expenditures, but with the uncertainty surrounding state finances and school funding, he said the district does not yet want to take too drastic of measures.
“We feel like we can cut that much right now and survive, and depending on the funds, we may have to go deeper,” he said.
How much deeper, however, is as yet an unsettling unknown.
“It’s hard to tell at this point,” Snawder said. “I wouldn’t even want to venture a guess. I have no idea what the political machine may be thinking. It could be anywhere from zero to who-knows-what.”
