Oxford Area Community Schools joined the state-wide sigh this past Thursday when Gov. Jennifer Granholm presented her proposal for the upcoming fiscal year’s budget.
“We were ecstatic with the news,” said Assistant Superintendent Ron Franey. “However, things are not final – the budget still has to go through the legislature and it never looks the same once it gets to us.”
Granholm’s 2003-2004 spending proposal restored the per-pupil funding for public schools districts to the amounts set prior to a cut that took effect this year. However, the proposed budget is making cuts in categorical spending such as adult education, remedial reading, Golden Apple Awards, math and science centers, career preparation and programs for gifted students.
“This budget will freeze our foundation where it was,” said Franey, “which is still going to hurt because our costs are rising.”
Oxford School administrators have been spending the past month looking for ways to save the $1.5 million deficit expected for the upcoming year, down from the projected $2.7 million if Granholm had included more per-pupil cuts. Committees across the district have been preparing lists that would cut all departmental spending by 10 percent.
“Because the process is already started, we’re going to continue with it,” explained Ron Franey. “We still need to cut, we will just need to decide what is necessary to cut now.”
Franey declined to comment on the impact the categorical spending cuts will have on the district since he is uncertain where the final decreases will fall.
“I would rather see all the money put in foundations,” he said. “Assigning money to programs restricts how a district can spend that money. A district may need the money in one area more than another.”
“If we need to make the cuts, it would be easier for the board to decide where to make the best cuts for the district without the restrictions.”
The biggest concern for Oxford Schools is whether the state government will hit educational communities with any more “surprise” decreases during the year.
“We just don’t want any more surprises this year,” added Franey.