District Braces for More Cuts Following Release of State Revenue Numbers

Last week's for the 2011-13 biennium reflected that revenues were expected to be $31.9 billion, which is $698 million less than the last forecast released in November. That news didn't sit will with local school officials who are already grappling with more than $300,000 in retroactive cuts currently in the works for the 2010-11 school year, according to schools superintendent Mike Nelson.

At Monday's school board meeting, Nelson indicated that though eyes are still on Olympia and watching how the state Legislature would proceed given the new numbers, the school district is using Gov. Chris Gregoire's proposed 2011-2012 budget as a guide for looking into what cuts are necessary on the local level for the 2011-12 year.

Vulnerable areas include:

• K-4 staffing ratio support meaning the loss of five teaching positions and high class sizes in kindergarten through 4th grade. For 2010-11, the district is already adjusting its budget due to retroactive cuts of $330,953, also for K-4 staffing reductions.
• Local Effort Assistance funds to help districts like Enumclaw where total assessed property value is low (as opposed to districts like Bellevue) to supplement the property taxes collected in order to fund local schools. 
• Highly Capable Funding which provides student access to accelerated and enriched learning.
• Salary support for National Board Certified Teachers. Enumclaw in recent years has significantly increased the number of National Board Certified teachers who spend a lot of their own money to complete the rigorous and demanding process for certification
• Salary support for teachers to earn higher degrees due to a freeze on the state salary schedule. Teachers continue to learn and return to school to earn high degrees in order to bring that benefit back to the students.

Total projected cuts for 2011-12, he said, could be up to $1,372,730.

To give some perspective, Nelson provided board members and school staff with a hand-out that outlined cuts the district has made over the last four years. They include everything from eliminating the assistant superintendent position in 2007 and full-day kindergarten in 2009 to reducing hours for various positions like school counselor and the student support services and business office secretaries. And cumulatively, they amount to more than $3 million in cuts already.

These cuts over four years have affected the infrastructure of the entire school system, Nelson said. 

More so now than ever, "it's important for voices to be heard," he said. "We need to share our stories" about what further reductions would mean for the district.

School board member and legislative representative Tim Nickson emphasized Nelson's plea to speak up and called to parents and community members: "Kids can't vote. We need more volume in education. ... contact your legislators."

K-4 represents quality in education in that it gives students a good start and is a good investment for the community, Nickson said. Similarly, levy assistance is an equity issue since Enumclaw can't levy property-rich taxes.

In the 31st District, your legislators are:

• Sen. Pam Roach
• Rep. Christopher Hurst
• Rep. Cathy Dahlquist

In other news:

• Nelson reviewed the presentation that school officials made to the regarding school impact fees, explaining that the Council had questions over the level of discount provided for the fees and that the city's Community/ Economic Development committee will be taking on that question ahead of any action the city takes to put forth an ordinance for impact fees. The issue was brought forth as the district does project growth in the coming years. In the end, it is the city that will decide though the school board can made recommendations, Nelson said. The present City Council has not worked with school impact fees. Tim Madden, the district's director of business and operations added that without impact fees, the district would need to negotiate directly with developers.
• The school board passed new language for district policy 3207 which pertains to the "Prohibition of Discrimination, Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying." Nelson explained the new language was adopted by the state Legislature during year year's session and all local school districts are required to have it incorporated by August 2011.
• The school board also approved the early release plan for 2011-12 during which 75 minutes are set aside on Fridays for teachers to collaborate in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to strategize and plan how best to serve students. 
• Madden indicated in his general fund report that the district is already seeing the full effects of the reduced revenue in the current school year. Expenditures are also down and unreserved fund balances are way down, but they should go up in April with taxes.
• The school board recognized the . Eight team members along with their coaches addressed the board and thanked the district and the community for its support. Head coach Lee Reichert took the opportunity to praise the wrestlers for their drive and professionalism. "When we step on to the mat, we come with class, dignity; we're humble but we do like to be successful," he said. The wrestlers know to "push a little more than the rest, and big things will happen."