School Board Trims $105,000 from Extra/Co-curricular Budget
Cuts in Sports and Activities to Help Close $3.4 Million Budget Gap
7/16/2009
The Central Valley School District Board of Directors has approved a plan to trim at least $105,000 in district-wide extra/co-curricular expenses from the 2009/10 budget. The cuts will impact middle and high school athletics and student activities including boys’ soccer, dance/drill team and middle school competitions outside the school district.
The five percent reduction in district-wide extra/co-curricular expenses is one of 18 items in the district’s Budget Reduction Plan, developed to close the gap left by a $3.4 million state funding shortfall. The reduction plan was approved by the School Board on May 11.
“The reductions we are proposing tonight aren’t any easier than the cuts we’ve already made to close our $3.4 million funding gap,” explained Superintendent Ben Small. “Any time we impact our programs and services to kids, it is painful.”
School Board members discussed the suggested extra/co-curricular program reductions at length during their meeting on Monday evening. At issue was the proposed elimination of 7th grade football, middle school “all-league” events, boys’ and girls’ high school golf, and middle school athletic competitions outside the school district. Board members voted to retain middle school football as a fee-based program for the upcoming school year. Instead of eliminating middle school all-league events, the School Board voted to require a minimum of six competitive events for each middle school sport. Board members also voted to keep the high school golf program for another year and to eliminate middle school competitions outside the district.Nearly all the cost savings will come from reduced transportation and salary costs through trimmed and streamlined programs.
“This isn’t the only year we will have to cut extra/co-curricular expenses,” cautioned Superintendent Ben Small during his presentation of the proposed reductions. “The state budget outlook is not improving fast enough and we will likely be back together having similar discussions next year.”
The approved extra/co-curricular program reductions impact middle and high school sports and activities for the 2009/10 school year and include:
· Eliminate C-Squad Boys Soccer at Central Valley High School ($4,200)
· Eliminate high school Dance/Drill teams ($6,450)
· Limit high school athletic transportation to 200-mile day trip only ($12,000)
· Change budget allocation for high school co-curricular activity travel from mileage to dollar allocation ($3,900) (band, orchestra, choir, debate)
· Reallocate high school leadership costs from district to ASB budget ($5,000)
· Reduce all middle school sports from 10 to 8 games per season ($400)
· Eliminate middle school sports competition outside the district ($19,000)
· Reconfigure and reduce middle school intramural budget ($2,500)
· Allow middle school JV teams to travel only with varsity teams ($500)
· Eliminate middle school “all-league” events which exceed a minimum requirement of six competitions per sport (estimated $1,250)
· Retain middle school football as a fee-based program ($25,000)
· Adjust policy to allow costs of adult travel (eg: teachers, bus drivers) to be charged to ASB funds ($25,000)
The $3.4 million Budget Reduction Plan includes the elimination of staff positions and hours, a number of program reduction measures, operating efficiencies and the elimination of a portion of student transportation services. On May 11, the Board also reviewed an additional set of proposed reductions totaling $445,000 which may be necessary if state revenues continue to decline in the coming months, including a reduction in custodial time and an additional five percent reduction in extra/co-curricular expenses.
Central Valley School District serves more than 12,000 students, operates 22 schools and three learning centers, employs about 1,600 and has a current operating budget of $111.4 million. Click here to view details about the budget reduction plans.
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