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Schools

Northfield School Board Members Review Proposed Budget Cuts Ahead of Wednesday's Public Hearing

The board is one step closer to finalizing a reduced budget for 2011-12

The emotion in their voices no doubt reflected the pain of many people in Northfield as the school board grapples with budget cuts.

At Monday's meeting, Charles and Deonne Gray, Wendy Russell and Joy Riggs spoke passionately about their love of music and their support for the elementary orchestra program, one of many proposed cuts.

Music improves children’s brain development, said Russell, a licensed music educator. But more than that, art forms like music sustain us when we suffer, she added.

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“I did not understand the purpose of beauty until I suffered a deep personal tragedy,” Russell said, choking back tears.

St. Olaf Professor of Music Charles Gray said that developing the skills of a fine string player is best done by age 12. Thanks in part to its elementary orchestra program, he said, Northfield is well represented in the Minnesota All-State Orchestra, with around six local high school students securing the highly sought after spots each year.

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Apparently Superintendent Chris Richardson concurred with these and other comments, because that staff position was one of only two things he recommended be restored to the proposed 2011-12 budget.

Budget cuts have dominated the school board agenda for some months.

Monday’s meeting was just one step in a weeks-long program-based budgeting process seeking to trim $705,000 from next year’s budget.

Over the last month, some 123 people from the schools and the community have worked together to figure out how to cut 4 percent from the district budget in each of five categories: district operations, special education, athletics/activities, and the biggest part of the budget, elementary and secondary education.

These committees presented their recommendations to the 55-member district budget review committee on March 2, which ranked the cut items in the event that some could be avoided.

The next step in the process is a March 16 public hearing scheduled for 7-9 p.m. at the auditorium. The school board is expected to vote on a budget at its April 11 meeting.

The cuts are in anticipation of reduced state aid, the result of Minnesota’s estimated $5 billion budget deficit.

Lacking firm numbers from the Legislature, the district has prepared for the “worst-case scenario,” according to Director of Business Services Stephanie Shawback. Projections placed that figure at $2.4 million for the district. At an earlier meeting, the board decided to cover $1.7 million from a fund reserve, leaving $705,000 in needed cuts.

In addition to the $56,000 orchestra staff position, Richardson also proposed keeping school nurses at seven hours per day, rather than cutting their work day by 20 minutes as the committee suggested, at the cost of $8,215.

Among other cuts being considered by the board are:

  • elementary gifted education teacher
  • five high school teacher and staff positions
  • not filling vacant positions in the district office
  • reducing the use of consultants and specialists around the district
  • and increasing fees for extracurricular programs.

“People need to understand ... that this is not our first rodeo,” Richardson said.

The district faced a budget crisis of its own making in the . A lack of increases in state aid since 2007-08 has, with rising costs and inflation, amounted to a decrease.

Good fiscal discipline following the district’s mid-decade fall into the educational equivalent of bankruptcy has allowed the district to build up a fund balance of $7 million—putting Northfield in an enviable position compared to many of the districts in the state also struggling with reduced aid, Richardson said.

Board members expressed appreciation for community members who served on the budget committees as well as for those who have contacted them to share their feedback on the budget.


WHAT'S NEXT?
Public hearing to discuss proposed cuts
WHERE:
WHEN: 7-9 p.m. Wednesday
WHO: Everyone

WHAT'S BEING CONSIDERED?
Click on the PDFs on the right to see what's being considered to be cut.

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