The Monday, January 26 school board meeting was more popular than most, as parents and students made emotional pleas to the school board to consider NOT eliminating, primarily, the high school activities. Those who spoke during the public comment portion spoke mostly on behalf of the boys swimming and diving team, but also spoke for skiing and speech. They encouraged the board to allow the parents to come up with other funding possibilities before they make a decision to eliminate any activity.
Middle school and high school activities directors John Hayden and Tom Bauman, respectively, presented their list of proposed activities to eliminate. Each shared how various factors were taken into consideration such as: cost of the program per participant; can participants find a similar activity in another setting; reductions fit Title IX compliance requirements; activity does not have a counterpart at the high school; cuts spread throughout the activity seasons; what is the history of the activity; are the reductions balanced—athletics/fine arts/academic.
The high school has to find $75,000 in reductions/revenue as a part of their contribution to the reduction plan. Bauman shared that the 25% increase in fees and elimination of some of the coaching staff was considered before determining activities that might need to be eliminated. He estimated $25,000 could be raised in the additional revenue, leaving $50,000 remaining to be reduced. As a result, Bauman said he came up with the following list of activities proposed for elimination: co-ed alpine skiing, co-ed Nordic skiing, speech (academic), girls dance team, boys swimming/diving, drumline (fine arts), and grade 7-8 coaches.
The proposed 25% increase in the Buffalo High School three-tier fee schedule for next year would bring fees to $155, $120 and $85. With the fee increases and parents wishing to pay more to keep the activity “alive,” Bauman said fees would have to be $255, $205 and $175 to keep all activities in place. He emphasized that with these increased fees, participation numbers would also have to remain where they are today.
On the other hand, the middle school is to find $30,000 in reductions/revenue for activities. Hayden shared the great support of the programs makes these reductions just that much more difficult. He shared that the activities proposed for elimination at the middle school are: girls soccer (fall), boys soccer (fall), wrestling (winter), baseball (spring), softball (spring), golf (spring), speech (winter) and drama/theater (winter).
The school board asked Hayden if the middle school could run a full intramural program, how much would it cost and what would the program look like? He responded that it would be difficult to determine this because the district has never attempted anything like this before.
Board members had many questions and some lengthy discussion about the options and what can be done. They asked what other districts have done with activities and what neighbors are currently doing because Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools is not the first to deal with this reduction process and won’t be the last. Board member Patti Pokorney commented that the board has always had the philosophy that it’s important that as many students should participate in activities as possible because research shows it makes a better citizen. She said they need to decide, as a board, if this is the philosophy they want to keep, or raise fees significantly to keep everything in place, and then you are allowing only those who have money to participate; thus creating the “haves” and the “have nots.”
In an emotionally charged “20 cents worth” Pokorney said the energies of the people in the room for activities needs to be out there asking why the over 8,000 people in the district voted “no” on the levy. She restated that the reductions are a difficult process, but more of an impact is going to happen in the classrooms and on our standard tests. She concluded by asking where are the parents saying they will donate $50,000 to keep a teacher in the classroom?
Superintendent Jim Bauck encouraged the parents in the room to visit with the middle school and high school principals and activity directors to discuss the options they may have to save an activity. He also asked the board if there is something else that should be considered and to bring those ideas and comments to the February 23 board meeting. He stated again that the board will not take final action on the reduction list until the June board meeting.
Administration Reductions
The 1.5 positions for the administrative reductions is not a straight cut. About 10 positions will be affected by the reductions. The target amount to reduce for administration is $150,000. The total proposed reductions range between $180,000 and almost $182,000. Superintendent Bauck said the larger amount is to brace the district for the possible additional reductions that could come from the state’s almost $5 billion budget deficit.
One of the more notable changes in administration will be Discovery Elementary Principal Michelle Robinson splitting her full-time status between Parkside and Discovery Elementary Schools. Parkside Elementary Principal Shane Thielke will fill the Buffalo Community Middle School Assistant Principal position that will be open as a result of current AP Josh Swanson taking on the responsibilities of part-time technology director and special education coordinator.
Bauck also noted that Parkside Elementary Media Specialist Mike Quady will take on an administrative assistant assignment at Parkside with the new principal transition. He will provide some stability for the staff, being in the building full-time to help the part-time principal position with possible issues that arise on a daily basis. Bauck reassured that his new role carries no additional administrative cost factors such as responsibility, additional days or stipend. His salary will continue to be based on his teacher contract.
