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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (June 6, 2002)
Page 10 The INDEPENDENT, June 6, 2002__________________________ ____________________________________________ _____ ______________________________ Potential future cuts discussed in Vernonia budget committee Three “levels” of cost cutting for the Vernonia School District, beyond what is in the recently approved budget, were devel oped by administrative staff at all levels, with input from their staffs. They are all undesire- able, but they will serve as a starting point if the legislature fails to deal with the problem. Hopefully, S uperintendent Larry McClellan said, the dis trict will have to make addition al cuts to the proposed budget only at the first level proposed. This level represents a total re duction of $45,000 that would include reducing the contin gency and ending fund bal ances by $10,000, selling sur plus equipment worth approxi mately $5,000, eliminating one in-service (teacher training) day for $20,000, and eliminating all field trips, a $10,000 reduction. Level two, totaling $135,000, would eliminate funding for jun ior high sports, for $25,000. The programs (football, volley ball, boys and girls basketball and track) could be operated with volunteers and community funding. Additional cuts at level two include reducing staff in the K-8 Media C enter ($15,000), re placing a certified librarian in the high school with an aide ($15,000), eliminating a half time leadership team position ($40,000) and two more in- service days ($40,000). Any other alteration to the district calendar, such as a reduction in instructional days, becomes a contract issue with certified em ployees. The final level of cuts pre sented by McClellan plunged the committee into depressed silence. M cClellan said that these deep cuts would dramat ically undermine the district’s strengths and am ount to "shooting yourself in the foot.” First, a half-time position in grant writing and public/rela- tions would be elim inated. Since $800,000 of revenue in cluded in the proposed budget is in the form of competitive grants, the impact of the loss of this position is obvious, and hardly seems worth the $30,000 ‘savings’. Second, with old, high maintenance buildings Vernonia students take first in contests Two Vernonia students took top honors in the Colum bia County segment of the 26th an nual Spelling Contest for the State of Oregon. Columbia County will be rep resented by the following win ners at the Oregon State Fair Competition on August 31: Division I (Grades K-5) - Yolande G endron-H erndon, Washington Grade School. Division II (Grades 6-8) - Elizabeth Johnson, Rainier Middle School. Division III (Grades 9-12) - Charles Gendron, Vernonia High School. Also participating from W ashington Grade School were Celia Gendron-Herndon, who placed second in Division I; Jessie Gehrke, who placed second in Division II, and Brit- tanie Roberts, who participated in Division II. Coordinated by the Oregon Department of Education and the Northwest Regional ESD. Country Kitchen & Pizza BREAKFAST • LUNCH • DINNER Soup & Salad Bar • Pies & Pastries “SOFT SERVE” CONES & SHAKES Home of the Paul Bunyan Burger Across from High School throughout the district, an addi tional half-tim e m aintenance position would go. Currently the district has two full time mainte nance workers and the ap proved budget reduces that by one-half. The cuts at this level go on. McClellan said that the district would undoubtedly be joining districts across the state in writ ing to the Federal government because, with the elimination of a full-tim e special education aide, the district would not be able to meet federal require ments. Level two cuts continue. In this worst-case scenario of level three cuts, one full time teaching position would have to be eliminated from the district. The final element of this level would be elimination of high school wrestling. Level three cuts total $155,000. Com bining level one ($45,000), level two ($135,000) and level three the total reduction in district pro grams and services would be $335,000. This represents a 12 percent reduction from the lev el of school funding today. Ac cording to McClellan the ex pected worst case, if the legis lature takes no action to pro vide additional money for schools, would be a reduction of $320,000. Chargers/Boosters • Grease Guns • A ir NAPA TOOLS & EQUIPMENT STO R E/TR U C K SA LE DAYS ONLY! 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