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PIERCETON - To save more than $600,000, Whitko Community School Corp. has to make cuts in personnel, contracts and benefits to some employees.
Monday afternoon, the school corporation administration released its proposed list of where those cuts will be made. The changes will be formally presented to the Whitko School Board April 29 at 7 p.m. in the central office for a vote. The meeting date was changed from April 26.
In addition to the curriculum director already being cut, for the 2004-05 school year Whitko plans to discontinue two elementary school guidance positions, two elementary school physical education positions, one high school industrial technology position, two library clerks, one high school study hall monitor position and all general fund assistants.
Former Whitko Curriculum Director Dr. Diana Showalter left Whitko last year to become superintendent at Manchester schools, and she was not replaced. Current Whitko Superintendent Dr. Jeff Hendrix said at the March 24 Whitko School Board meeting that he, along with the building principals, is taking over the duties held by the curriculum director.
In addition, the middle and high school cross country paid coaching positions will not be filled.
"If someone wants to volunteer to do it, we can keep it going," said Hendrix, the same as any other position being discontinued.
Boys and girls basketball, girls volleyball, girls softball and boys baseball assistant varsity coaches paid positions will go unfilled.
The paid sponsor position for freshman cheerleaders will go unfilled as will all paid assistant coaching positions at the middle school.
Paid positions for lead teachers (department heads) will not be filled.
The paid position of audiovisual director will not go filled. Hendrix said the position is "not a highly paid position" and likely will be absorbed into the library. The duties of the AV director include keeping track of all equipment that goes into the classrooms and coordinating any new purchases.
As Whitko High School has not had a school newspaper in a few years, Hendrix said, no more money will be put into the newspaper fund. Money had been going into the fund in case a school newspaper were to start.
The administration wants to reduce the extended contracts between five and 15 days for guidance, Interdisciplinary Cooperative Education program, FFA and industrial technology. This is extra pay beyond the employees' regular school contracts.
Miscellaneous extracurricular program funds at all schools will be eliminated. These were funds available in case of new clubs starting up at schools or for existing clubs not specified in teachers' contracts. Hendrix said it doesn't mean they totally will be eliminated.
With all the proposed cuts, Hendrix said, "It will at least help us meet the $626,000 we talked about."
All the employees affected were notified of the cuts by Friday.
The cuts have become necessary due to funding cuts by the state and rising costs in such items as insurance.
In 2002, Director of Finance Phil Menzie said at the March 24 public work session, the state shorted Whitko schools by $180,000. Health insurance claims rose to $1.5 million during the 2002-03 school year, along with an increase in worker's compensation.
According to numbers presented by Menzie, from 1996 to 2001, the dollars in the general fund increased from approximately $9 million to $10.5 million. In 2002, the fund dropped slightly and then again to approximately $9.75 million in 2003 so far. Whitko schools, Menzie said, still has not received all of its 2003 final tax distributions.
Meanwhile, the history of total salaries and benefits has remained steady. Menzie said that even though the school corporation hasn't given much in raises, costs have risen, keeping the total salaries and benefits slightly above the $8 million mark.
Menzie also reported that in 2002, approved appropriations totaled $10,971,320, but total revenue was $10,731,695, making for a loss of $239,625. In 2003, the school corporation suffered another deficit of $233,329. And, though the 2003 budget still is not certified, Whitko expects to lose another $153,757. The total deficit for Whitko for the three years is $626,711.
Also contributing to Whitko's problems is a declining enrollment. At its peak during the 1996-97 school year, Whitko schools had 2,193 students. For the 2003-04 school year, Whitko's enrollment is 1,973, a difference of slightly more than 200 students.
The next regular school board meeting is April 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the central administration office, Pierceton. No discussion on the proposed cuts is planned for the night's agenda.
Whitko School Board members are chairman Dave Tranter, E. Marie Trump, Hal Trump, Michael Braddock and Pete Mitchell.
