The independent., April 17, 2003, Page 10, Image 10

Page 10
The INDEPENDENT, April 17, 2003
Budget-driven decisions often maddening to parents and kids
not be accurate. The original
education funding level passed
for the 2000-2003 fiscal bienni­
um was $5.2 billion - which
school districts used to develop
their budgets, but the state
school fund has been reduced
to $4.7 billion.
According to Funderburg, at
the time of the board meeting,
the highest funding under dis­
cussion by the legislature for
next biennium is $4.59 billion.
Therefore, though funding may
be slightly more than the 1999
level of $4.5 billion, local dis­
tricts will have to meet increas­
ing costs, due to inflation and
contractual obligations, with
even less money than they re­
ceived this year.
Board chair Carla Strand
told the audience that BAT has
been looking at various scenar­
ios to fund schools next year.
Options for Mist School and all
other district programs have
been discussed. Directors Cari
Levenseller and Darrell Ham-
blet, both BAT members, told
the audience that no decisions ’
have been made about next
year’s budget. Hamblet said
the discussions have been
about what programs can be
saved, and have focused on
what is best for kids. Strand
told the audience that the pro­
posals developed by the BAT
will be presented at the first
budget meeting, April 24, and
invited members of the public
to attend.
Sports Transportation
Richard Forster, parent of
two high school students, ex­
pressed his concerns about the
elimination of bus transporta­
tion for softball and baseball.
He told the board that he, and
many other parents, have seri­
ous concerns about their chil­
dren’s safety. Parents were
most upset, Forster said, by the
inadequate notice of the
change. He said that the only
information he was given was a
form releasing the district from
liability for students who pro­
vide their own transportation to
games. A dialogue with the
board began when Forster
questioned whether or not all
alternatives had been dis­
cussed.
Funderburg explained that
the district saved $12,000 by
eliminating transportation for
softball and baseball (Track
and golf were already providing
their own transportation.). Ac­
cording to Funderburg, the only
other option would have been ing areas of teaching primary
to cut another school day. Audi­ students is watching the excite­
ence members expressed frus­ ment of the emergent reader,
tration that students are asked when the letters and words on
to pay a sports participation fee the page finally begin to make
and for uniforms and still are sense to the student. She intro­
having programs cut from the duced C.J. Hieronomous, a
budget. Board member Jim kindergarten student who has
Krahn, after saying that no one just learned to read, who read I
supported sports programs
Went Walking, by Sue Williams.
more than he, responded that
Students from Mrs. Jones’ 4-
there just wasn’t any money 6 grade class, Meghan Hi­
available.
eronomous, Katie Wilson and
Asked whether the district’s
transportation provider had
been approached about alter­
natives, Funderburg and the
board explained that the district
is locked into a contract until
January, 2004, and will look at
alternatives at that time. He
added that Curl’s Transporta­
tion cooperates with the district
on a variety of issues. Forster,
and other audience members,
asked whether using volunteer
drivers, collection of an addi­
tional fee for continuing trans­
portation or other options had
been discussed. Funderburg
said that he would pursue fur­
ther negotiations and invited
Forster to meet with him to dis­
cuss the budget.
Hamblet told the audience
that, since 85 percent of the
budget is used for contractual
obligations, the remaining 15
percent has had to absorb all of
the funding reduction. The
community is going to have to
raise money to save programs,
Hamblet said, and he has not
seen an organized effort to do
In spite of the grim economy,
so.
Mayor Cindy Ball, Sen. Joan
Student Reports
Dukes and Doreen Richards
Mist Grade School (MGS) found something to laugh
teacher Kari Hansen told the about during Dukes visit to
board that one the most excit- Vernonia April 12.
Bradley Worthington, reported
on leadership activities, state
reports and fundraising for Mad
Science at MGS.
Sammy Purvee invited the
board to the April 17th Vernon­
ia High School Renaissance
Assembly, when 96 students
will be recognized for academic
and attendance achievement.
Spring sports are going well,
she said, and the prom will be
April 26th at the Shilo ballroom.
ANNUAL
STURDY
COMFY
READY TO
FINISH
She also said that planning for
Spring Fling was underway and
that leadership class was look­
ing forward to this activity.
Fiscal Report
Deputy clerk Dawn Plews
told the board that the budget
summary presented to them
every month now includes a
new column that shows the
am ount of funds currently en-
Please see page 14
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