Board votes to close West and make cuts to balance budget
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Update 5/13/10: The Eudora Board of Education finalized the 2010-2011 fee schedule on May 13, eliminating the activity fee that had been adopted in April and capping the instructional supply fee at $100 per family. The change came in large part as a response to the Kansas Legislature's action earlier in the week that holds steady base state aid per pupil next year. Click here to read more.
It was difficult, and it was painful. But the Eudora Board of Education acted on April 22, 2010, to use a combination of deep cuts and student fees to balance the school district’s budget for next year. The changes will include the temporary closure of the West Early Childhood Family Center and the permanent closure of the Nottingham Community Learning Center, among others.
The cuts are required to deal with projected cuts in state funding for the 2010-2011 budget that currently range from $410,000 to $1,000,000. The changes adopted by the board will amount to approximately $800,000 in cost savings and increased revenue.
“This is not good for students, and it’s not good for the community of Eudora,” said Don Grosdidier, superintendent of schools. “The board had no choice but to cut the budget, since the Kansas Legislature has repeatedly cut the rate of base state aid per pupil and other elements of school funding. Left with no other option, I firmly believe that our school board members have been wise and prudent in their decisions. But in no way are these changes good for the way we educate the children of Eudora.”
The cuts approved for the 2010-2011 school year are:
- Temporary closure of Eudora West Early Childhood Family Center. Classes at West will be moved to Eudora Elementary School until future years when state funding has improved enough for the early childhood center to be reopened. In the meantime, the facility may accommodate some very limited needs of the district, such as office space.
- Permanent closure of Nottingham. This building will be completely vacated and will no longer be used by the school district or any other community organization.
- Reduction of administrators at Eudora High School from three to two, thereby eliminating a full-time activities director. Those duties will be reassigned to existing positions and a supplemental contract for a current EHS teacher.
- Reduction of the equivalent of 1.5 teaching positions in the Eudora-De Soto Technical Education Center. This will remove EDTEC programs currently offered at Eudora Middle School and reduce the high school level graphic communications class to a half-day program.
- Elimination of the EMS math skills teacher position, reducing remedial math instruction for students.
- Elimination of the EMS/EHS library aide position, reducing library hours of operation at both the middle and high school.
- Various activity cuts at EMS and EHS, including the elimination of sub-varsity non-league activity competitions, the elimination of the EHS forensics program and the elimination of the Scholars’ Bowl team assistant sponsor.
- Restructuring the building custodial responsibilities at EMS to contract for evening cleaning services.
- Eliminating 10 school days from the district calendar. (This was change was adopted at the April 8 board meeting.)
The current decisions leave in tact a handful of positions and programs that the board had considered, including the Eudora Middle School reading program. The board also voted on April 8 to preserve the all-day kindergarten program for all students, with the addition of a $100 student fee.
“I’ve been on this board approximately 15 years,” said President Kenny Massey, “and tonight’s tough. We’ve never faced anything like this before, and it’s tough because it affects people. And because we’re having to do this as a result of the fact that others have dumped this mess on us.”
In the same meeting, the school board adopted general student fees for the first time in the district’s history. Beginning next year, all students in preschool and in first through twelfth grades will pay an annual student fee of $50. Additionally, a new activity fee was adopted for EMS and EHS students participating in activities sponsored by the Kansas State High School Activities Association, including competitive sports, band, choir, cheer and dance. Students in grades six through twelve will pay a once-yearly fee of $50 for participation in KSHSAA activities. (This fee will not apply to music classes at EMS, which are not KSHSAA activities.)
Note (5/13/10): The activity fee was removed from the fee schedule at the May 13 Board of Education meeting. Click here to read more.
The board discussed creating a fee ceiling of some kind for families with several children in the district; the details of this will be discussed further at the May 13 board meeting.
“This is a big step for us now,” said Vice President Joe Pyle. “We’ve never, ever, once charged fees. I’ve been on the board some 10 years, and it’s been one of our guiding principles. We’ve always believed in providing a public education free of charge, along with providing student activities free of charge. But they say desperate times call for desperate measures, and that’s where we are today.”
Click here to read more about the originally proposed cuts.
Click here to learn more about how to communicate with legislators to advocate for public education.
