Worthington high-school students would have to find their own way to school, and fees for middle- and high-school athletes would double to $250 per sport next year, if voters defeat an operating levy request in November.

 

The changes are part of a $15 million budget-reduction plan that the school district's board approved yesterday. The plan would be phased in over two fiscal years. Some reductions, such as trimming building and department budgets by 5 percent, would be implemented immediately after a defeat of the levy.

Other cuts, such as eliminating field trips and returning students on open enrollment to their home schools, would be delayed until the 2010-11 school year.

Also, middle-school and high-school extracurricular activities, including athletics, would have to be self-supporting by then.

In all, about 80 teaching and administrative positions and 45 support-staff jobs would be slashed.

"It's a path that makes you sick -- it makes me sick," board Vice President Julie Keegan said. "We hope to never go down that path."

For months, district officials have discussed possible reductions and gathered input from the staff and the community.

Superintendent Melissa Conrath presented a proposal for $14 million in cuts last month. It also included a list of additional items that could be cut if needed.

School officials decided to include those items in the overall reduction plan because there's no certainty that the board would return to voters in May if the November request goes down.

Passage of a May request could result in the reversal of some cuts, but officials have not determined what those would be.

If the 6.9-mill incremental operating levy is approved in November, it would raise tax bills in three phases. In 2010, 3.9 mills would be collected, then an additional 1.5 mills in 2011, and another 1.5 mills in 2012. The owner of a $100,000 home would pay $119 more in taxes in 2010, then an additional $46 in each of the next two years.

The district's funding has been virtually flat in the past five years, as expenditures have risen, officials said.

"It's very difficult to go through this list and agree with any of them," board President David Bressman said. "On the other hand, the financial issues are clearly stated."

Even with a levy victory in November, officials would have to make about $4 million in cuts to stretch funds over four years, Conrath said. Those reductions have not been determined, she said.

cboss@dispatch.com

Budget cuts

Worthington school-board members approved $15 million in budget cuts that would be implemented if voters reject an operating-levy request in November. The cuts would be made over two fiscal years, but some reductions would take effect immediately after a levy defeat.

The cuts include:

• Increasing sports fees at the middle and high schools to $250 per sport with no family cap, effective winter sports 2010.

• Making extracurricular activities at the middle and high schools self-supporting, fall 2010.

• Eliminating high-school busing, effective January.

• Eliminating busing for middle- and elementary-school students living within 2 miles, fall 2010.

• Cutting building and departmental budgets by 5 percent, effective November.

• Reducing teacher professional-development days by half, effective November.

• Making summer school self-supporting, effective summer 2010.

• Eliminating extended days for middle-school guidance counselors, deans and career-based intervention, and reducing days for high-school guidance counselors, effective June 2010.

• Returning students on open enrollment to their home school to balance class size, effective fall 2010.

• Delaying the replacement of two elementary-school principals until fall 2010.

• Eliminating all field trips, effective fall 2010.

• Cutting more than 125 positions, including 24 high-school teachers, by eliminating 20 percent of courses and 11 elementary-school art, music or physical-education teachers.

Source: Worthington schools