District recommends restorations

PALMER -- The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District has released a list of recommended restorations before possible cuts have even been made. With hopes that Senate Bill 1 -- which provides $4,576 per pupil in the education foundation formula -- will pass. Chief school administrator Bob Doyle released the recommendations at last week's school board work session.

"I am not ranking these, but I am giving you a sense of what we would do [if the funds increase]," Doyle said.

The district faces $8 million in cuts if additional funding is not provided by the state.

Restorations would be as follows:

Maintain high school counselors

Maintain current level of teaching staff at Correspondence School

Maintain current levels of funding for co-curricular activities

Maintain "House" programs at high schools

Maintain School-Within-a-School at Palmer Junior Middle School and Wasilla Middle School

Maintain current school start times and bus transportation system (this would not change the current transportation system at Colony or Houston schools)

Maintain work study program

Maintain department heads at all schools

Use FY05 proposed allocation for teaching supplies and textbooks ($100 per student)

Maintain all resource specialist positions

Maintain all school psychologist positions

Maintain personal technician in Human Resources

Maintain current library services

Maintain current nursing services

The district would also evaluate other central office and school needs with focus on continued support for curriculum alignment, reading/math interventions in non-Title 1 schools and mandates under No Child Left Behind.

The district would still use the new, reduced class sizes for elementary schools, while maintaining current class sizes on the middle and high school levels. Based on parent response at the town meetings the district held in December, the ELP would still be restructured, regardless of the additional funds, based on results of program evaluation, but no cuts will be made in the program.

If SB 1 passes and the assembly chooses to fund to the state cap, the district will also consider the following restorations:

Consider previous cuts to custodians, maintenance, warehouse and others

Consider possible expansion of the School-Within-a-School program to Teeland and Colony Middle schools

Consider increased physical education offerings and lower class size at the middle schools

Consider increased course offerings and lower class size at the high schools

Consider increasing the allotment for teaching supplies and books

So far the Legislature has seemed positive about providing for funding increases, but the above cuts are still on the table until increased funding from the state is approved.

Contact Jen Ransom at jen.ransom@frontiersman.com.