Stark contrasts

Whether harsh reality or ‘scare tactic,’ school budget offers tough choices

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff writer

Late last week, the Burlington Area School District sent out a press release, outlining four different budget scenarios – at one end, extensive cuts under a zero-percent tax increase levy; and at the other end, minor cuts and a less than 2 percent tax levy increase.

Since then, the labels of “scare tactics” and “rhetoric” have been bandied about as some called several of the cuts ridiculous and others called it reality.

Any way you look at it, the press release raised the question: is it possible for BASD to put forth a viable 2012-13 budget with acceptable cuts and a zero percent levy increase?

Like everything else discussed with the district over the last eight months, the answer is: it depends on whom you ask – and what you call acceptable.

“You’re going to tire of me saying this, but we have to find the balance between what taxpayers can support and the

needs of the district,” said BASD Business Manager Peter Smet, who will be the district’s new superintendent come July 1.

“Different people have different views,” he added. “We have to find some sort of consensus going forward. Otherwise, it’s not sustainable either way.”

The options

According to current Superintendent David Moyer, the budget process has broken down into four different options.

Option A would be a zero-percent tax levy increase, but with extensive cuts: the reduction of 17 full-time equivalent teachers; elimination of Project Lead the Way courses at the high school and Montessori at grades five and six; a reduction of slots at the Southern Lakes Alternative High School; the elimination of boys swimming, wrestling cheerleading, middle school cheerleading, elementary pom-poms, fifth and sixth grade boys and girls basketball and several other paid coaching positions; as well as savings in substitute teacher pay and a reduction in aid staff.

Option B would restore Project Lead the Way, Montessori and boys swimming, while Option C would also restore a third-grade section at Waller School and make other adjustments to reduce class sizes at the high school. Both options, however, add to the tax levy.

Option D, meanwhile, would allow for some additional downward class size adjustments, and restore middle school cheerleading, elementary pom-poms and fifth and sixth grade boys and girls basketball.

That option, according to Moyer, would include staff reductions only to allow for declining enrollment, the high school schedule change (from an eight-period block schedule to a seven-period day), a reduction in middle school physical education minutes and some other “minor program adjustments.”

“At this time, it appears as if we can bring Option D in at a levy increase slightly below 2 percent,” Moyer said in the release.

All of the options also assume a loss of $2.5 million in state aid (roughly what the district has projected the entire winter), use of $569,000 of the fund balance, a reassessment of a City of Burlington TIF district and savings in insurance costs of about $400,000 through plan design and possible premium contributions by staff.

According to Moyer, the impact of a 2 percent levy increase on a home valued at $200,000 is approximately $40.

Levy increase under fire

The opposition to the current School Board – with challengers Philip Ketterhagen and Roger Koldeway running for the two available board spots in Tuesday’s election – have said repeatedly that the board could bring the budget in without a levy increase.

All that would require, according to Ketterhagen, would be to have teachers pay more for benefits – both through premiums and by ending “freebie” benefits such as long-term disability insurance, dental insurance, life insurance and payouts for unused sick days.

Smet is willing to concede that yes, cutting those programs and/or requiring teachers to pay more could eliminate the need for a tax levy increase.

“His proposal is to find more reductions in employee benefits,” Smet said of Ketterhagen.

Teachers currently pay deductibles of $250 for a single person and $500 for a family in network, and $500/$1,000 out of network. After the deductible is met, the costs are covered 100 percent in network, and 70 percent out.

There is a $10 co-pay for office visits, and a $150 co-pay for a visit to the ER. There are three co-pay tiers for prescription medication: $10 (for generics), $25 (for normal brand name drugs) and $40 (for high-price brand names).

“It is a good plan, no doubt about it,” Smet said.

This year for the first time they also began making their own retirement fund contributions.

The question remains, though: what is fair to ask of teachers and staff?

Smet has pointed out in the past that a balance needs to be struck between simply “sticking it” to the teachers or “sticking it” to the taxpayers.

Moyer, for his part, said Option A of the budget scenarios is not a scare tactic, merely a tool to show the public where tough cuts would have to come if the district simply tried to cut as opposed to balancing its options.

“I was trying to give a range,” Moyer said, adding that the budget process has to take into account the balance Smet is aiming for.

BASD must send out preliminary notices of layoff by April 30, and the School Board will vote to send out those notices next Monday. The board will not yet be voting for a specific budget option or to eliminate programs. Moyer said the preliminary notices are called for by contract, and are just that: preliminary.

“It might be that some teachers are issued a preliminary notice of non-renewal, but as we fine-tune our budget process … we might not issue them a final notice of non-renewal.”

School Board President David Thompson explained the board “could” do anything with the options it is given. What is done will hopefully meet the needs of not just teachers and staff, but of the taxpayers as well, and vice versa.

The election next week, he added, will be key to the future direction of the debate.

“I think they need to go out and cast their vote,” Thompson said. “For Door No. 1 or Door No. 2.

“The choices are clear.”