Board struggles with budget

With only 24 hours remaining for the seated board of education to vote on anything (five of seven seats were up for election in Tuesday’s election, see related story), members of the community, board and district employees and even some students packed Monday night’s 2011-2012 budget workshop meeting, slated to start at 6 p.m., by a quarter to, the room was already a-buzz.
On the agenda, administrative recommendations to reduce the Lake Orion Community School District’s budget, something Superintendent Marion Ginopolis called, ‘not an easy task.?
Ginopolis told the board after public comments, what they had before them were $3 million worth of recommendations — even though the board previously directed her to come up with $7 million in reductions, ‘Reaching $7 million will require reductions in benefits and salaries? she said.
The administrations recommendations for the night dealt with reducing costs by eliminating the police liaison, secretaries, office assistants, high school monitors, lunch aids, media specialists, counselors; there was also talk of upping pay to play for athletics (from $250 to $275 or higher); having non-Lake Orion Education Association coaches become employees of a private staffing company; and across the board salary decreases.
No cuts were made at the meeting, as the board directed the administration for clarification on some of the items discussed — they wanted a picture of how departments would be structured if the recommendations were accepted. Ginopolis was to have this ready for the board by next week.
Ginopolis told the board the budget draft is built on ‘what ifs,? meaning they are budgeting without knowing how much of a cut in per pupil spending will be passed down from the state of Michigan.

Board struggles with budget added by Don Rush on May 4, 2011
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The administration’s proposed reductions broke down roughly like this:
Counselling
Cuts to total $282,638
Reducing middle school counseling from 2 per building, to 1.5 each; cutting one high school counseling secretary; reducing work days to 4 a week duing student days only, family school coordinators.
Staff Associates
Cuts to total $142,086
Cut from 4 to 2, elementary lunch aids; high school from 4 to 3; high school monitors from 5 to 4; plus cutting overload costs $5,132.
Instructional Staff Support
Cuts to total $283,738
Cut number of media specialists from 7 to 5; eliminate special education supervisor.
General Administration
Cuts to total $142,464
Eliminate line item election costs for 2011-2012 school year; cut consulting fees, purchasing services and board conferences by half; minus retirement and health benefits for the superintendent and cut severance pay to previous superintendent.
School Administration
Cuts to total $462,938
Savings from two retiring principals and one associate principal at high school; eliminate Learning Options Supervisor, seven elementary office assistants, Learning Options secretary; reduce middle school secretaries from 1.5 per building to 1 per and for 11 months; reduce high school office assistants from 2 to 1.
Also on the reduction list were cutting the police liaison for a $61,000 savings; reducing custodial department by two people, overtime and utility costs for a savings of $300,000; reducing the building budgets by $10 per student, saving $78,000; classroom staff reductions by 14.1 for $850,000 in savings.
* * *
A number of people spoke before the board discussed Ginopolis? recommendations.
Kathy Eveland lobbied successfully to have the board reconsider cutting back the elementary school office staff to just one per building. The board accepted Ginopolis? suggestion to find others areas to cut.
Lake Orion High School Senior Suzie Corker, 18, told the board medical problems left her short of graduation requirements, how her grade point average fell from 3.5 to 2.5 — and if it wasn’t for the Learning Options program and staff, she would not be graduating this year, nor would she have been accepted by Central Michigan University.
Jeannine Crissman and Melissa Middleton asked the board how teachers and the district would implement new technology by reducing the number of media specialists.
Cody Heidtt, Maureen Schabil and Alicia Conner all spoke, imploring the board to find other ways to cut, than by eliminating support staff.
Next week, the new board of education will meet on Wed., May 11 at 7 p.m. This is a regular board meeting date.

Board struggles with budget added by on May 4, 2011
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