School Board announces first ‘non-retentions’ of the century

PALMER — “Unfortunately we must return to the budget,” said Mat-Su Borough School District (MSBSD) Superintendent Monica Goyette at Wednesday evening’s regular school board meeting held at Sutton Elementary. She was referring to the additional budget cuts the district is facing given Mat-Su Borough Mayor Vern Halter’s veto of a partial district funding request (see separate story in this edition) and the still unclear funding from Juneau.

Goyette told the audience, district administrators and human resources personnel worked very hard to hand-deliver layoff notices to staff to give them as much time as much lee time as possible. Goyette said more than 200 employees were affected. She said it marked the first time this century that the district has had to issue “non-retention of teachers” notices. Affected are 18 teaching positions, 180 special education assistants lowered from full-time (1) to .875, 30 custodial positions eliminated or reduced to half-time, 14 school aide positions axed, and reduction from full to half-time for 14 elementary records specialists.

Goyette said with Halter’s veto and the assembly coming up one vote short of the “super majority” (five votes) to override it, the district’s funding picture is “very difficult right now.” She said status quo funding from last year equals out to $45 less per student into district coffers. Goyette said the district has made it that status quo from the borough and state means “…we are prepared to issue additional cuts…to the board.”

While financial cuts are in the works, one area will see an increase—the district’s pupil-teacher ratio. Grades K-5 will see a one student per classroom increase to 26.5 per class. Grades 6-12 will see a two-student per classroom increase to an average of 31 students. Goyette and assistant superintendent Luke Fulp spent the better part of an hour reviewing the plan to shore up the fiscal year 2018 budget.

Reviewed additional cuts include $1.8 million in certified staffing—counselors, instructional coaches, nurses and counselors (14.5 FTE’s); $2 million in non-certified staffing—school aides, special education assistants, monitors, administrative secretaries, registrars (28.5 FTE’s); $806,000 in day and night custodial positions (18 FTE’s); $560,000,a 12.5 percent across-the-board cut in student activities; $1.25 million in site-based metrics (discretionary spending) which works out to a five-percent cut at each level; and $320,000 in food service subsidy including eliminating 1.75 FTE’s (full-time employees).

Additional cuts of $3.7 million will come from a multitude of other areas including executive salary reductions, certified staffing reductions, curriculum supplies, charter school budgets, removal of accelerated learning allocation, Mat-Su Middle College transportation subsidy.

Board vice-president Kelsey Trimmer spoke about how many states allow districts to tax property owners. He said he still pays taxes on his out-of-state property. Kelsey said his job allows him to see the constant and consistent growth in the Mat-Su housing market.

“I’m going every day to a house that is sold. Eventually, they are going to stop selling and people are going to leave if we don’t support our schools and our education system,” said Trimmer. “And schools are going to close and that will solve our budget problem…we won’t have the community that we have now and the best will leave…the ones that support our schools.”

The district must have its budget balanced by June 30 regardless of what funding action is settled on by state legislators, which began a special session ordered by the governor on Thursday.

On a brighter note, the board approved already budgeted FY17 capital improvement projects of $850,000. Included are: nine portable classrooms, upgraded water system at Big Lake Elementary and lunchroom table replacement at 14 schools.