STAFF WRITER - Published: October 13, 2010
The Rutland School Board was given an ominous warning Tuesday as it entered the budgeting process for 2011-12.
Superintendent Mary Moran said the board would have to make “deep, drastic” cuts in the Rutland district's more than $45 million budget to meet the state's expectations.
Top district administrators have already met with teachers and staff members districtwide who may get cut, and positions in question include anything from volunteer coordinators, nursing staff, administrators, general educators, teacher's assistants, crossing guards and busing staff.
Classroom materials, supplies and athletics will also be looked at as potential reductions, according to Moran.
Each year the board shaves expenses by looking at myriad sources of savings. This year, more cuts have to be made per the state Legislature's new Challenges for Change recommendation.
The board is being asked to voluntarily cut $607,000, or more than 4 percent, from its current year's budget, to help the state offset deficits in the General Fund.
With revenue down at the state level, legislators are asking all schools statewide to ask for $23.2 million less from the state's pool of K-12 education money called the Education Fund, according to Rutland Chief Financial Officer Peter Amons and state officials.
The state is legally obligated to transfer money from the General Fund into the Education Fund, but the revenue isn't there this year.
For Rutland, the suggested cut equates to roughly $2 million, considering what legislators didn't — inflationary costs of teacher raises, fuel and other variables and covering revenue shortfalls.
Inflation will account for about a $1.2 million cut and revenue shortfalls — drops in tuition and grant awards — will force the budget to be cut by another approximately $193,000, according to Amons.
Rutland is one of the largest beneficiaries of the money pool.
There are only two options — forecast more revenue or cut the budget.
With declining enrollment and decreasing federal payouts, more revenue is highly unlikely, according to Amons.
Board member Peter Forshay pointed out that the district would be faced with more than a million-dollar cut even if the state recommended the budget stay the same, because of inflation.
Blake Bohlig, the student representative on the board, asked how course offerings at the high school would be affected.
Moran said it was too early to tell.
The Rutland School Board's next meeting is Nov. 9.
cristina.kumka@rutlandherald.com
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