The Whitewater Unified School District has a public meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 26th at 7 p.m. on proposed budget cuts. A list of those proposed cuts appears at the bottom of this post, along with an embedded video of the latest school board meeting (from 5.16.11).
These cuts (the 5.20 proposal) are significant and fair. There’s sure to be someone who’s legitimately upset about a program being cut, but if we are to have prudent governance of this district, these cuts are necessary. It will be a test of board’s resolve to enact them. If even this is not possible, the failure to follow through will be a harbinger of worse problems.
The estimated savings is about one-half million dollars, and nothing is better evidence that the district can cut significantly and still maintain core services. This should be a positive example for the City of Whitewater, where cuts are long overdue (with only two members of council having proposed significant cuts during last year’s budget discussion.)
There’s one note — a considerable one — of caution in the district’s proposal, that emerges after reviewing an earlier version, from 5.06. The 5.20 version properly includes cuts to individual leadership benefits to approximate cuts to individual teachers’ benefits.
(Embarrassingly, the 5.20 proposal calls these cuts ‘voluntary.’ Voluntary: what else would they be? Unless brigands broke into Central Office, and stole from the benefits packages of each and every principal or administrator, of course these leadership cuts would be voluntary.)
Here’s the significant problem of outlook and ethos: these leadership cuts should have been in the first proposal (5.06), and been the first cuts of any kind. One leads by example, and if one is to lead those who experience salary, benefit, or program cuts, then one must accept his or her own cuts first.
This is no trivial matter — to whom much is given, much is expected. The leaders of this district — as with the leaders of the City of Whitewater — should understand that they must be the first to experience cutbacks. There is no principled alternative. There never was, there never will be.
These cuts are a step in the right direction, but as with much else in uncertain fiscal times, they’re likely only a first step.
Budget Reduction Recommendations for the 2011-2012 School Year *
(items appear in alphabetical order)
(revised 5/20/11)
4K and Head Start Program
Restructuring 4K district and UW-W staff $15,000
Additives (language per CBA)
Eliminate MS weight room supervision-$705, HS fitness classroom/weight room supervision- $940, HS W Club -$705- $2,350
Athletics
Reduce 1 varsity football coach – $3,290
Eliminate HS boy’s tennis and HS girl’s golf programs -$6,000
Buildings and Grounds
Eliminate Buildings and Grounds Director (non-represented position) and work with independent contract to devise a district capital plan – $20,000
Lawn care contract renewed at lower rate than the 2010-11 school year – $5,000
Building Budgets
5% reduction of all building budgets – $30,000
5% reduction of central office budget- $6,000
Building Leadership Teams
Eliminate elementary building leadership teams – $8,000
Core Academics
Reduce @HS .83 Science – $62,250
Eliminate Washington school bubble teacher (5th) and create LV multi-age (1st -2nd) classroom – $75,000
District Leadership Team
Voluntarily opened up contracts to contribute to Wisconsin Retirement System ($58,000) and health insurance ($22,000) – $80,000
Diversified Services
Reduce services by $10,000
Physical Education
Do not fill Lincoln PE position, transfer (.75) PE from MS to LN
.50 PE from HS to LV and .50 PE stays at HS
Reduce district wide PE by .25FTE – total of all departmental changes – $90,000 for all adjustments
Related Arts
Reduce FACE @ HS by .25 FTE- $12,750
Reduce @ MS .25 FTE (Introduction to World Cultures at 6th, Spanish and French remain@ 7th/8th) -$18,750
Title II
Receive approval for LINCS multi-age and inquiry based teacher trainer to be funded by Title II – $81,125
Total budget reduction- $525,515
Total FTE reduction district wide – <.50> district wide
*All items listed are predicated on Board approval and pending health insurance rates.
* All FTE calculations except the Title II position were based on a 1.0 FTE @ $75,000.