Conrath pushing board to make cuts, levy or not

 

Cuts could go deep if the 3.9-mill three-year incremental levy for Worthington schools fails in November, but some cuts will have to be made even if the levy passes.

Treasurer Jeff McCuen said the Treasury Advisory Committee and school board members will work to identify budget cuts to avoid a $4 million budget deficit in 2013, which is projected to occur even if voters approve the incremental levy.

He said board members currently are working on "levy pass" and "levy fail" cut lists.

"The actual cuts that will have to be made even if the levy passes still have to be decided, but they will come from the identified list of possible cuts," he said. "We are working to determine what final list to give to the public so that people can be informed."

McCuen said if the levy fails, however, the district deficit would jump to about $14 million in 2012.

Superintendent Melissa Conrath said she wants board members to commit to cut $1.6 million a year over the next three years, regardless of the outcome of the levy in November.

The incremental tax, if approved by voters, would begin at 3.9 mills in January and increase by 1.5 mills in 2011 and in 2012, to end with a continuing amount of 6.9 mills.

McCuen said if the tax issue is approved, the first year would cost a homeowner an additional $119 in annual taxes per $100,000 in property value. That amount would increase by $46 in each of the second and third years.

At the end of three years, the tax would cost homeowners a total of $211 annually per $100,000 in property value.

McCuen said the levy request would generate $7.1 million for Worthington schools in the first year.

Voters turned down a 7.4-mill continuing operating levy request in May.

Board members met in a workshop at 10 a.m. today, Sept. 2, at the Worthington Education Center to further discuss the "levy pass" and "levy fail" cuts.

McCuen met with his Treasurer Advisory Committee on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Board Vice President Julie Keegan said board members would ask for more clarification on the possible cuts.

She said she also hoped the community would not consider the completed list a "threat list."

"The list is a grouping of cuts that could happen if the levy fails in November, so it is a tool the administration needs if no new revenue is obtained," she said. "As a parent, I would want to know about the things on this list, such as the fact there could be no busing for high school students by January if the levy fails.

"I'm not a proponent at all of threat lists, but I'm hoping the community understands the need to know what we have to cut if no new revenue comes in from a levy request," she said.

At the board's last workshop Aug. 24, Conrath presented a list of "levy fail" cuts that included increasing athletic pay-to-participate fees at the middle schools and high schools to $250 per sport with no family cap, effective with winter sports in 2010; combining east-side middle school sports; and eliminating busing for high school students in January 2010.

Also on the list are 5 percent cuts to building and department budgets; reductions of professional development days for teachers by 50 percent; elimination of some summer school classes to make the program self-supporting; reduction of performance contracts and stipends; reduction of days for high school guidance; reassignment of elementary open enrollment students to home schools to balance class sizes; and the elimination of Rockbridge Academy.

About 51 certified staff positions also could be eliminated if the levy request fails, including one district administrator, two high school deans, two high school activity directors, two athletic trainers, 11 library media specialists and 24 high school teachers, which would reduce courses and increase class sizes at the high school.