Schools scrape by this year with tight budget

The Edmonds School District this year will be able to make ends meet, but they face deeper classroom and staff cuts next year.

The 2003-04 budget, including $3 million in reductions, was approved at the Aug. 12 school board meeting. The final result:

• Reduction of 0.9 full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching positions in career and technical classes.

• Nine non-teaching positions eliminated, plus 17 other part-time jobs eliminated.

• 17 FTE teaching positions have been “moved around” to accommodate eliminated programs and positions.

• One FTE teacher on special assignment (TOSA) position will be reduced.

• A reduction of 12 days a year for a counseling coordinator position.

• Before- and after-school child care and traffic safety programs were eliminated.

The cuts made this year were based on a struggling economy and declining enrollment. With fewer students, fewer teaching positions were needed. And because the district receives about $6,800 per FTE student, officials had to make budget adjustments for the estimated 550 fewer students enrolled this fall.

District officials said that even though they are about to “close the books” on the 2003-04 budget, they are already looking towards the 2004-05 budget. And it doesn’t look good.

“Next year we will feel more of an impact on the classroom, and given what I know today, I feel there will be fewer positions next year,” said Marla Miller, executive director of finance and operations for the district.

The district is using about $1.8 million in one-time resources, including unfilled positions and fund balance reserves, for the 2003-04 budget. And, the state recently reduced the amount of money school districts can collect from levies, a major funding source for the district. With those deficits combined, officials said the 2004-05 budget already has several million dollars in reductions.

“(Using one-time resources) softens the blow for a year,” Miller said. “But cutting a minimum of $3 million is already on the radar screen, and we will have to be much more rigorous next year.”