Faced with a $5 billion to $6 billion state shortfall, Gov. Christine Gregoire’s office is considering cuts to public schools.
Many school districts will have to make reductions for next year even if there are no state cuts. Add in state cuts on top of that and the situation could be extreme, school officials say.
While the battered economy has contributed to the state funding shortfall, the problem of state underfunding is not new. In recent years, districts have made cuts because the money they get from the state has not kept pace with costs.
Proposed cuts
This fall, state officials made a list of priorities of what to cut to fill the state’s budget gap. They included cuts to public education.
On the chopping block is about $900 million in Initiative 728 money, voter-approved funding.
Other cuts being considered are $342 million that helps school districts with small property-tax bases, about $20 million that pays for gifted programs, a program to boost reading in elementary schools and more.
The governor’s budget will be released later this month and may or may not include the proposed cuts. The budget could also scale back on some programs rather than eliminating them.
State lawmakers will vote on the budget this spring, when it becomes final.
Shoreline
Since 2006, the Shoreline School District has been digging its way out of a budget crisis. Officials made such deep cuts that this fall, for the first time, they were done cutting.
But new state cuts could create a whole new budget crisis for Shoreline.
Superintendent Sue Walker said that while it’s too early to comment on the governor’s proposals, she was alarmed by an editorial in the Seattle Times that argued I-728 money should be cut.
I-728 money was initially intended for enrichment, including lowered class sizes, but in most districts it’s become crucial funding, she said.
The money funds 40 teaching positions in Shoreline.
Losing it would mean a $4 million cut on an $88 million revenue stream, and most locals remember what a huge impact earlier cuts of that size had, Walker said.
“It’s absolutely huge,” she said. “You can’t even begin to imagine. Forty teachers — that’s a huge impact. It would affect a huge number of students.”
“We just got whole again.” said Craig Degginger, district public information officer.
Even if I-728 money is only reduced, rather than eliminated, cuts to teaching positions mean bigger class sizes.
The money also pays for high school summer school, before- and after-school programs at middle schools and paraeducators in all-day kindergarten, as well as teacher’s professional development in Shoreline.
Edmonds
The Edmonds School District, like most, will have to cut to operate next year, even without new state cuts this session, officials said.
Officials declined to be interviewed, saying it was “too early” to talk about the subject, but responded to some questions via e-mail.
“If the state cuts us even more, it will result in us having to make further reductions,” Debbie Jakala, district spokesperson, wrote in an e-mail. “While we would do our best to work with our staff and community as to how best do these, the magnitude of the reductions based on further state funding shortfalls could be extreme.”
Last year, the district cut about $3 million, with cuts to special education and more. The year before, it cut $4.5 million and closed teaching positions.
Losing I-728 money would be devastating, as it would for all districts, Jakala wrote.
The district received almost $9 million in I-728 money last year, which funded about 78 full-time teachers. Mostly it goes to reducing class size, and the rest goes to teacher professional development and extended learning.
Everett
The Everett School District is facing a $5 million budget gap for 2009-10, director of finance Jeff Moore told the school board in October.
Everett School District officials declined to be interviewed on the subject, saying they didn’t have “answers” at this point.
Between 2002 and 2006, Everett made about $5 million in budget cuts. This year, the budget projections show the district dipping to under 5 percent of its fund balance.
“If there are reductions from the state and increased COLA costs, and if we do not make spending cuts, we will dig even deeper into the savings account — not a wise or prudent management of funds,” Mary Waggoner, district spokesperson, wrote in an e-mail.
The district received about $8.5 million in I-728 money last year. Waggoner said she did not know how many teachers that funds.
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