The Shawnee Dispatch / De Soto school board cuts $788,700 from budget

Archive for Wednesday, March 10, 2010

March 10, 2010

De Soto USD 232 has a $1.9 million budget gap for the 2010-2011 school year, but after some belt-tightening and pencil-sharpening, that gap has gotten a little smaller.

Superintendent Ron Wimmer told the district’s Board of Education on Monday that with 82 percent of the district’s budget spent on staff, big cuts still needed to be made.

“These are challenging times for all school districts in the area,” Wimmer said. “It is difficult to implement savings and not get into the kind of reduction in personnel that we have to do.”

During Monday’s De Soto School Board meeting, the board decided to move forward with staff suggestions that would trim $788,700 from the 2010-2011 budget. The cuts are necessitated by a state budget crisis that means less funding from Topeka for public schools.

The reductions approved Monday included cutting Youth Friends staffing for $51,000 in savings; reducing one integration supervisor at a savings of $60,000; cutting two learning coaches to save $116,000; cutting two elementary associate principals, $135,000 in savings; cutting one early childhood education administration staffer for $70,000 in savings; eliminating the director of the Parents as Teachers Program to save $56,000; cutting a district level director for $96,000 in savings; cutting 10 extra-duty days for the middle school athletic director for $3,700 in savings; laying off five full-time staff from the technology department for $242,000 in savings; and cutting two teacher aide positions to save $44,000.

The plan also included some added costs. The Monticello Trails Middle School will be adding one part-time building secretary at $10,000, and it is yet unknown how much added cost there will be for the new superintendent and new district athletic director.

Staff recommended cutting eight full-time positions from the facilities department, but the board held off on that suggestion.

“Many of (the job cuts) will occur through attrition,” Wimmer said. “One thing I can assure the board is that you will be aware… when we get to the point where we are talking about s specific individuals you authorize employment and you also authorize those people we may have to nonrenew in order to achieve these goals.”

The staff also suggested cuts to special education and possible cuts to extra-curricular activities, including sports.

Wimmer said the board had more time to look into those potential costs and potential revenue sources, including a proposed activity participation fees, which could include sports.

During the meeting other board members gave cost-cutting suggestions.

Board member Randy Johnson wanted to see a 5 percent pay cut to all district administrators.

He said since he got on the board he felt the administrative budget was “fat.”

“If everybody’s got to hurt, then everybody is going to have to help us pull things together,” he said. “If they want to keep working here then they may have to take a little bit of a pay cut.”

Board member Bill Fletcher wanted to see if cuts could be made in the number of sick days available to staff. He also wanted the board to look into extending the number of hours in school each week to decrease the number of days in the school year and to see how efficiently the buses were running.

Johnson and the rest of the board wanted to encourage staff to contact the board if they have other ideas to reduce costs because they don’t know what it is like in the classrooms.

Ken Larsen, USD 232 director of finance, reminded the board that $2.4 million in federal money the district had received was not going to be there forever and if no other revenue sources were found to replace it even deeper cuts would be needed.

“We are talking about a lot tougher decisions than what we are looking at right now,” he said.

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LuceoNonUro1 (anonymous) says…

Why is the De Soto School Board hiring a "Superintendent-Elect"?

Several members of the board are constantly complaining the administration is "top heavy", yet they are going to pay for TWO superintendents for a year.

Why are they laying off teachers, special education specialist, and para-professionals if they have enough money to pay for 2 Superintendents?

The parents of children in the De Soto USD232 school district should be outraged at how their district is being run!

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/02/23/...
March 10, 2010 at 10:16 p.m.
jj1230 (anonymous) says…

As a USD232 staff member of 15-plus-years. I've worked under three Superintendants. I am responding to LuceoNonUro1's concern - again. As one in the trenches I applaud our new and improved BOE. They're doing a great job rebuilding the trust we haven't had here for too long. We now have transparency to the community and the fear-factor of speaking up for ourselves and those we serve is dissolving. Talk to staff. Do your homework. Attend a board meeting. Most importantly - beware those who poison the well. We now feel safe talking to Dr. Wimmer, our building principals, and BOE without fear of retribution. As to your comments, FACT: NO teachers have been laid off. We have lost some through attrition - resignation and retirement. Yes, other staff cuts will be made. Some in areas too fat for too long, some in areas we took for granted, but all painful because of the FACES attached to them. Regardless of who or why these are tough decisions the BOE must make because the well of tax money from the State has been shut off. Cuts must and will be made. The BOE understands that educators are critical and must be last. Not one of us, including BOE, likes putting people out of work. As for paying “two superintendants” for one year, again, you are misinformed. Dr. Wimmer, a man I have found to both listen and act on concerns will, most-likely, step down quickly once the superintendant-elect is brought up to speed and a seamless transition is established, common practice in many districts. Good sense given the state of our economy and the importance of our goal: Providing a safe environment and quality education to our students as creatively as we can with whatever we have to work with. I hope I get the privilege of helping our district lead Kansas in doing this but if not, there will be no hard feelings and a whole lot of cheering from the sidelines.

.
March 13, 2010 at 5:41 p.m.
LuceoNonUro1 (anonymous) says…

“jj1230”, please take note of the first few sentences of the De Soto Explorer article from March 11, 2010.

From the De Soto Explorer
“Before Ron Wimmer steps down as superintendent at the end of the 2010-2011 school year, he wants to have his successor lined up.
And if all goes according to plan, the De Soto USD 232 Board of Education could name the new administrative leader by April 19.
On Monday, Wimmer discussed with the board the steps needed to hire his replacement.”
From the March/April USD232 School News
“One Year Transition
The board believes a smooth transition of leadership is essential to the continued success of the school district. Dr. Wimmer, interim superintenent, agreed in October, 2009 to continue guiding the district through the end of the 2010-11 school year.
The plan is to have the superintendent-elect work side-by-side with Dr. wimmer for a period of twelve months, if a highly qualified is located over the next several weeks. “We sincerely appreciate the strategic leadership of Dr. Wimmer, but know he cannot remain with us long term,” said Board President Tim Blankenship. “We believe this plan will ensure a smooth transition for the school system and build on the positive influence of Dr. Wimmer.” The board agreed to move forward on the plan by posting the open position and will not seek the assistance of a search firm. The salary of the superintendent-elect will be offset by the reduction of administration costs.”

Do you have information that is not available to the Patrons and Parents of the District? If so, where did you get the information?
March 16, 2010 at 11:53 a.m.