LH needs to trim $431,000 from budget
?The Laurel Highlands School Board has just two more weeks to trim another $431,000 from the 2011-12 budget, or find additional revenues.
无毛视频淭he state could make it a whole lot easier if they tell us tomorrow they无毛视频檙e going to give us $500,000 or $600,000 more,无毛视频� said Dr. Gary Brain, district superintendent.
The district lost $2.2 million in state subsidy in the proposed state budget over what it received for the 2010-11 school year. Jesse Wallace, who will be taking over as superintendent as of July 1, said the administration has been working hard to trim the deficit.
无毛视频淲e started out $2.3 million short. As of the last meeting it was $900,000. As of today it is $431,000 short and that无毛视频檚 including everything,无毛视频� Wallace said.
The budget under discussion doesn无毛视频檛 fill some of the teacher vacancies resulting from retirements or resignations, does not order new elementary text books and limits the purchase of new high school text books and elementary work books to the bare minimum this year.
It also uses the district无毛视频檚 entire fund balance of $2.9 million. The board is also considering not calling in substitute custodians for absences of two days or less and possibly cutting two security positions.
Wallace said administrators have been calling all of the district无毛视频檚 vendors, trying to reduce expenses by asking for 10 percent cuts.
无毛视频淪ome other districts are considering a user fee for athletics and possible eliminating lower level sports,无毛视频� Wallace said. 无毛视频淭hat would decimate our sports program to do that.无毛视频�
Wallace said parents in the district could not afford additional fees for their children to play.
无毛视频淲e need to turn more to our booster clubs,无毛视频� said board president Angelo Giacchetti.
Another proposal was to eliminate clubs for one year. School director James Tobal questioned that concept.
无毛视频淭hat affects our Middle States accreditation,无毛视频� Tobal said.
无毛视频淚 know we need to cut, but this is to the bone.无毛视频�
Wallace said all options were presented to the board so members knew everything they had to work with.
无毛视频淭hese cuts are not in the budget,无毛视频� Brain said.
无毛视频淣or are we recommending these. We just wanted you to be aware,无毛视频� Wallace said.
Melvyn Sepic, who won both the Democratic and Republican nominations for a two-year and four-year term on the school board, suggested the district consider an after school child-sitting program to generate income for the district.
Sepic said St. Mary无毛视频檚 School had such a program and generated $15,000 with a student body of less than 200 children.