Spencer schools proposing to not change 2009-10 tax asking

Spencer school board members have previewed preliminary budget numbers for next school year and scheduled a 5:30 p.m. public hearing on Tuesday, March 24 for residents to offer their feedback on the certified budget proposed for 2009-10. A second public hearing is set for the same time and date in regard to a budget amendment proposed for this year in the categories of instruction, total support services, non-instructional programs and total other expenditures.

Superintendent Greg Ebeling announced to the board this week that the overall tax asking of $14.59 per $1,000 valuation proposed for 2009-10 is the same as this year, which did mark an increase of 62 cents valuation from the $13.97 rate levied between 2006 and 2008.

Following the board's cutting between $716,742 and $741,812 from the 2009-10 budget during a meeting held Feb. 26, board members took additional action to diminish the district's projected deficit next year by voting to reduce a special education teacher at the high school, middle school and elementary level next year on Monday. In turn, they approved adding one special education teacher at the early childhood level in order to address the increase in 3- and 4-year-old students identified with special needs. (See "Spencer Special Education Numbers.")

"We want to emphasize that we probably could have reduced caseloads before this. We probably could have done it for this fiscal year, but we didn't," Ebeling said. "We chose instead to reduce some of the TAs that we had (in the special education area). Last year, we actually reduced 10 TAs across the district instead of reducing special ed teachers.

"The thing that I've noticed, though, is that teacher associates tend to creep back into the district and our number tends to go up a lot quicker than what staff does. So, I feel like if we're going to address our (approximately $143,000) special education deficit that we have, we've got to look at the teaching arena as well."

The superintendent also stated that Theresa Golden, zone coordinator for AEA 8, has been telling him for years that Spencer is overstaffed in its special education area.

"We have to deal with this because our special ed deficit that we constantly carry year in, year out is the result of having too many staff," Ebeling told board members. "If the district had additional dollars and could make up that deficit, it would be great to have that. But, right now what we're doing is making cuts in other areas to compensate partially for our special ed deficit. It really is not equitable to say we're going to continue to do that and then make cuts in other areas, in regular ed, and say special ed is never going to be affected."

Of the reductions approved, Ebeling added, "This won't get us in balance, but it will get us closer."

In other action, the board approved hiring Henkel Construction to serve as a construction manager at the old Spencer Middle School building. The company is currently working on site for Community Housing Initiatives, which is creating housing units on the building's second and third floors. With Monday's signed agreement, Henkel Construction will also work on behalf of the district on the building's proposed first floor improvements.

The Spencer Area Activity Center is anticipated to move into the former school building's first floor area once these improvements are made. Hopes are to finish both renovation projects by either December or January 2010.

Monday's approved agreement will make the district responsible for covering a reduced $3,300 construction-management monthly fee and other reimbursable costs.

Ebeling also alerted board members to two items he'll formally bring to their attention during the 5:30 p.m. meeting on Tuesday, March 29. The first is a student's recent 10-day suspension. The superintendent told members he'd be recommending extending that suspension another 10 days because of something he did at school.

The second item for board members to contemplate, Ebeling said, will be three prospective projects the district may bid out for work this summer. These include proposed senior center renovations on the old middle school building's first floor, redoing the parking lot and fixing drainage issues at Lincoln Elementary School, and altering the front entryway, windows and parking at Spencer High School.

INFO BOX ONE:

Spencer Special Education Numbers