Doors of 56572 (6)

Spring brings cuts

By Jonathan Knutson
jknutson@forumcomm.com

The Forum - 03/06/2005

Superintendent Kent Baldry hopes this doesn't become a habit. For the second consecutive year, the Pelican Rapids School District is making budget cuts. "It's tough, but it needs to be done," Baldry said. Pelican Rapids is among a half-dozen northwestern Minnesota school districts already planning budget cuts for the 2005-06 school year. And cuts could be coming in other districts, too. State aid to schools, which averages about $5,000 per student, hasn't risen since 2001. Declining enrollment in many districts exacerbates the problem. "Our backs are against the wall," said Janet Mohr, superintendent of Frazee-Vergas, which plans a third straight year of budget cuts. School districts statewide are struggling with budget problems and potential cuts, said Vernae Hasbargen, director of legislative affairs for the Alexandria-based Minnesota Rural Education Association, which represents about 150 districts outside the Twin Cities. School officials across the state hope the Minnesota Legislature will ease their financial woes by approving a sizeable increase in state aid, she said. Whether that happens is still anyone's guess. Gov. Tim Pawlenty recommended a 2 percent increase in state K-12 funding, which works out to about $100 more per student. "That's not enough," Hasbargen said. State legislators agree. They say they want to do better -- but that their help is restricted by state budget problems. State officials recently learned they have $234 million more than expected, but still face a $466 million budget gap. Given that, "There is general agreement we need to increase funding. But an increase of 8, 9, 10 percent just isn't going to happen," said Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead. Sen. Keith Langseth, D-Glyndon, said each increase of 1 percentage point on K-12 funding costs about $120 million. He said he's sympathetic to districts' financial problems, but added the state can do only so much. "The money is needed. Coming up with it is something else," he said. Legislators should have a better idea by the end of March on how much K-12 spending could increase, Langseth and Lanning said. Area school administrators said they and their boards will be studying a several factors - including anticipated enrollment and potential state aid increases - in coming weeks. After that, districts will review - and then recommend - potential spending cuts. Decisions on what to cut likely will come in April, administrators said. Economic pressure isn't always a bad thing, administrators said. It helps make us more lean and efficient," said Tamara Uselman, superintendent of Perham-Dent, which faces more cuts next year. To become more efficient, her district already has reduced administrative and support staff and allowed class size to increase, she said. But more cuts would threaten the quality of education, Uselman said. "Kids have only one K-12 experience." Pelican Rapids cut about $370,000 from an $8 million budget for this school year. The savings came from teacher retirements and reduced spending on supplies and equipment, Baldry said. For 2005-06, the district will need to cut about $400,000. The savings are expected to come from cuts in coaching and part-time teaching positions, he said.



Superintendent Kent Baldry
Bruce Crummy - The Forum

"We don't think we're cutting into any vital program," he said. The district's enrollment decline is expected to end in two to three years, which offers hope, Baldry said. On May 12, the district is asking voters to approve a $33 million building program - $29.5 million for a new high school and $3.5 million to upgrade the elementary school. The existing high school, a portion of which dates to 1928, needs millions of dollars of improvements, and building a new one makes more sense, Baldry said. He said the proposed building program and the budget cutbacks are separate issues. "We're trying to get people to understand that," he said.