Stillwater Area Schools: School Board Cuts $2 Million from Current Budget

The cost of spring sports is going up as part of the budget adjustment plan approved last week by the Stillwater Area School Board.

High school athletes will pay between $15 to $60 more than last year to participate in a spring sport.

The new fee structure is modeled after structures in place at schools across the metro area, according to District 834 officials. The charges for sports are based on the cost to participate, such as equipment and transportation.

In addition to increasing fees for athletics, the Board also cut supply budgets for school buildings and departments, delayed the purchase of new textbooks and curriculum for social studies, postponed technology purchases and reduced staff-training opportunities this spring.

Click here for a full list of the approved budget adjustments.

Last week’s $2 million budget adjustment for the current school year came in an effort for next fall. The adjustments will take effect on or before Jan. 24, with the start of second semester.

Forty-seven percent of the cuts for second semester are in the area of administration and support staff at the building and district-wide.

A hiring freeze instituted earlier this year will result in nearly $160,000 in savings. Additionally, the district will restructure several departments and reduce hours and/or cut support staff.

The district will also take advantage of new state laws allowing money to be transferred between accounts, freeing up dollars in the general fund.

“Our goal is to protect the classroom and support our students the best that we can,” Stillwater Area Schools Superintendent Cory Lunn stated in a press release. “We feel this list does just that by focusing on streamlining the support systems in place for our schools. While $2 million in budget adjustments is significant, this is really just the tip of the iceberg. There is much more work to be done.”

The second phase of budget cuts will be presented to the school board on March 8.

The Budget Adjustment Advisory Committee, which is made up of staff and community members, is working closely with district administrators to put the finishing touches on a recommendation for the school board to consider as it looks to fill the remainder of the $10 million funding gap for the 2012-2013 school year.

Click here for a list of the potential budget adjustments for the 2012-2013 school year.

Some items being considered include:

• Decreasing the number of days students would be in school
• Cutting all junior high sports and activities
• Reducing activities (sports, fine arts, clubs) at the high school
• Cutting back on transportation services
• Charging for all day kindergarten
• Reducing supplies for teachers and students
• Closing a swimming pool
• Increasing fees for activities, parking and Community Education classes
• Cutting staff (thereby decreasing services and increasing class sizes) 

The public still has the opportunity to weigh in with their feedback on the proposed budget adjustments for next fall during public hearings to be held on the following dates and times:

• Tuesday, January 17: 6:30 p.m. at Oak-Land Junior High
• Tuesday, January 24: 6:30 p.m. at  

“The decisions ahead of us will become even more challenging,” Lunn said in the news release. “There is no doubt our students, parents, staff, and community will be significantly impacted by the cuts as we dig deeper to make up the gap for the coming school year.”