Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education meeting, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
The Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education voted 9-0 Thursday night to cut $5 million from its 2024-25 budget.
Chief Financial Officer Virgil Harden said that the district is cutting $5 million out of a $162 million budget. The Board finalizes the budget in August.
“No one wants the cuts, but we have to be fiscally responsible,” Harden said. Making cuts “as far away from the classroom as possible” was the mantra as staff members discussed possible budget cuts. “I’m not sure that state is giving us the resources to do what we want to do,” Harden said.
Harden said, “We really want to protect our core classroom teachers.” He said that the budget spreadsheet provided to Board members for Thursday’s meeting was a “roadmap for moving forward.” Staff members have been meeting since October to discuss a budget reduction plan, Harden said.
The Board will hear a Reduction in Force plan at its February meeting, and April 15 is the deadline for staffing reductions.
Superintendent Matt Fisher said in his report to staff: “Because we are in the people-helping business, nearly 80 percent of our operational costs are for staffing. Consequently, we cannot do a $5 million reduction without reducing some staff.”
At Thursday’s Board meeting, public and Board member comment focused on budget cuts affecting middle school social workers and middle school instrumental music staff.
The district currently has three middle school social workers. Two of the three school social worker positions would be cut. During the public comment section of the Board meeting, two school social workers and one middle school teacher spoke in favor of keeping all three middle school social workers.
The district initially started its social worker program through a U.S. Department of Education grant that provided funding for six elementary school social workers. After the grant expired, the school district chose to continue funding the elementary school social workers as well as add secondary school social workers.
A Skills Academy social worker said that the district has had social workers for approximately 18 years.
Dana Pavuk is an English Language Newcomers teacher at Barr Middle School.
“I have seen families that are beyond stressed” helped by social workers, she said. “I know this is a hard job” to make budget cuts.
John Schultz, a band teacher at Walnut Middle School, said he was informed that budget cuts will affect two middle school instrumental music positions, described as “floaters.”
“We can’t do what we do without them,” he said.
Several Board members said they were concerned about cutting the middle school social worker positions.
“I’m really concerned about doing away with the social workers,” Board member Lisa Albers said. She noted that some of the budget cuts “affect our most vulnerable students.”
Board member Katie Mauldin said, “I wish we could keep all of the social workers.”
Board member Lindsey Jurgens said that a lot of people had contacted her in the last two days about the social worker situation.
“I am so disappointed in our state in its lack of support for education,” she said. “This is a call to our community. We (the community) really need to step it up.”
During discussion of the school social worker situation, it was mentioned that middle school counselors, who are already busy, would have added responsibilities with the loss of the social workers. School social workers and counselors have different job tasks. For instance, school social workers find appropriate school and community resources for students and their families. School counselors assist students in selecting their classes and planning their academic future.
Board member Amanda Wilson said cutting the social workers is “super concerning” and would affect many students.
Board member Dave Hulinsky said he was concerned about the cuts to the middle school instrumental music program. He was concerned that the cuts could cause the demise of the program.
Board member Eric Garcia-Mendez said he was very concerned about how cuts in the transportation would affect truancy. He noted that a number of families in the district are struggling just to pay rent. Garcia-Mendez said that the city does not have a good public transportation system.
Fisher responded that the bus transportation system “is not going to go away altogether. We’re going to find ways to get our kids to schools.”
A spreadsheet provided with the Board’s agenda and a written report Friday from Fisher posted on the district’s website outlined the proposed cuts.
District Level
*The District Leadership team will reduce one position and will not replace two outgoing individuals for a total reduction of three people.
*Several vendor contracts will be eliminated.
*Licensing, software, and services features for technology will be adjusted.
*The Communications Department budget will be reduced.
*Spending reductions at the district level will cover between $1 million and $1.5 million.
*Eliminate a contracted lobbyist.
*Eliminate the front receptionist position. The current main entrance to the building would be closed. People would enter the building at the human resources department doors.
Elementary Level
*The overall goal is to reduce budget spending by $500,000.
*Individual elementary school budgets will be reduced by 10 percent.
*Preschool class size will increase from 15 students to 20 students. Each classroom is staffed by one teacher and two paras. Although it does not lower costs, “serving more students will generate additional revenue from the state,” Fisher wrote. Current preschool locations that provide programs include the Early Learning Center, Starr Elementary School, and Howard Elementary School. Howard Elementary School has had all-day preschool. That will be reduced to half-day preschool under the budget cut plan.
*General before- and after-school busing will be eliminated. Busing for specialized programs and special education programs will be continued.
Middle School
*The overall goal is to reduce the budget by $1 million.
*Each middle school building budget will be reduced by 5 percent.
*There will be a reduction of 11 certified staff positions.
*There will be a reduction of three classified staff positions.
*General before- and after-school busing will be reduced. “Students using the Gates and Knickrehm bus routes to Westridge; after-practice evening bussing, and students utilizing the bus for specialized and/or special education programs will still continue.”
*Walnut Middle School Principal Rod Foley addressed the board. “Our goal is to protect our classroom teachers,” he said. “It’s time for our community to step up” to provide resources.
High School
*The overall goal is to reduce the budget by more than $2 million.
*The Wyandotte Learning Center at 315 Wyandotte St. (former location of Starr Elementary School) will be closed and sold. The High School Newcomers program will be moved to the Career Pathways building on Adams Street. The Education Pathway will move to Grand Island Senior High School. The Success Academy will move to the Islander Annex. The High School Skills Academy will move to the current Success Academy facility.
*One administrative position will be cut.
*17 certified staff positions will be cut.
*Two classified staff positions will be cut.
*General before- and after-school busing will be reduced. Students using buses for specialized programs and special education programs will continue.
*The largest spending reduction is at the high school level. The number of Academies was reduced by one, and the number of pathways was reduced from 20 pathways to 11 pathways. “While the number of pathways is significantly fewer, the intent is to still provide students access to most of the previously offered pathway courses as elective courses.”
General Comments from the Superintendent
“As we think about the overall impact of these cuts, we recognize that the most significant impact will be on our staff,” Fisher said. “We are optimistic that most staff members will be able to stay with the district. However, in a number of cases staying will mean moving to another position.” The number of staff members who retire or move on is typically 75 to 80 positions.
“With potentially fewer staff there may be a need to discontinue some programming. Reduction at the district level means less support in some areas,” Fisher said.
“Loss of transportation services will present special challenges for some of our students,” Fisher said. Fisher said the district may provide some limited busing that covers large parts of the city. However, with that, a student would have to ride a bus for a longer time to reach a destination. “We’re going to find ways to get our kids to school.”
“Everyone is going to be impacted in some way,” Fisher said.
In other business Thursday:
*Board members re-elected current Board President Hank McFarland by a 5-4 vote. Board member Lisa Albers was the other person nominated to be Board President.
*After a closed session, the board voted unanimously to extend a contract to Fisher for the next year with no salary increase of his $275,000 annual salary.
