Bainbridge School cuts will sting support staff

Published 1:00 pm Tuesday, June 2, 2009

From the beginning, Bainbridge School District’s budgeting effort this year has made protecting classrooms a priority.

But with a projected $2.05 million deficit, the axe has to fall somewhere.

Shielding classrooms will come at a heavy cost to support staff throughout the district – those classified employees who keep buses running, computers humming and offices orderly.

“Without classified staff, kids might not have heat in the morning or a hot meal at lunch,” said Lydia Scheiber, co-president of the Bainbridge Island Educational Support Association, which represents classified staff in the district. “There’s a lot more involved in the education of a child than curriculum and classrooms.”

At a school board meeting Thursday, the DBAC presented recommendations for nearly $2.1 million in cuts and increased revenue for the district’s operating budget for 2009-2010. The school board is expected to approve a preliminary budget at the end of June. District Director Human Resources Cami Dombkowski said the district plans to notify BIESPA of staff cuts by June 3.

Nearly all the budget recommendations will have some impact on staffing – not surprising considering more than 80 percent of the district’s budget is spent on personnel. Already, 17 certificated staff members have received notification that their positions may not be renewed.

Putting an exact figure on the impact to classified staff is trickier. Cuts to hours will be spread across many positions. Some classified staff members will lose their jobs, others will have enough seniority to stay on with the district in another department.

Among the largest cuts identified by the DBAC is a proposed switch to a two-run bus system, estimated at $200,000. The plan would move the start time for elementary schools to 7:45 a.m. Sakai Intermediate School and the high school would start at 8:45 a.m.; Woodward Middle School at 8:55 a.m.

A half-time bus dispatcher position is also slated for removal, along with substitute time for bus washing.

Scheiber said a number of bus drivers may not be able to afford to remain with the district considering the reduced hours.

The district could save an estimated $90,000 by eliminating its centralized print shop. A full-time classified position and two part-time positions would be cut..

Para educator time for grades K-12 will be cut by just over $70,000. One to two custodial positions may be cut, along with a half-time groundskeeper and a half-time high school security position.

Even relatively small savings will come at a cost to staff. Eliminating the opening day school breakfast could save the district $16,500, at the expense of cutting 1.5 hours for close to 200 employees, Scheiber said.

Next school year the district could save $500,000 when it brings its staff in line with enrollment – an adjustment made each year – as enrollment is expected to dip yet again. The move will impact both certificated and classified staff.

BIESPA members have been working on alternatives to some of the recommended cuts, which it would be bringing to the school board, Scheiber said.

“These might seem like simple solutions that look good on paper or in black and white,” Scheiber said. “But these cuts are going to hurt people, and they are going to hurt people who are already struggling to make ends meet.”

Among the DBAC’s recommendations are revenue boosting measures. One is to increase sports fees – $45 at the middle school level and $85 at the high school level, for $85,000 in added revenue. Financial assistance would still be available for low-income students. Fees for extra-curricular clubs may also be hiked as teacher stipends for clubs are cut.

At a DBAC meeting Tuesday, BHS Principal Brent Peterson said the fee increases were painful.

“This is a hard one. It’s one of those situations where if I don’t have a better idea to throw on the table, I should just keep my mouth shut,” Peterson said. “It’s not pretty, but I don’t know where else we can go.”

Bainbridge Schools Foundation plans to contribute $100,000 for staff retention. It has also launched a “Save Our Teachers” campaign to solicit private donations. It plans to have money from the campaign in hand by the end of June and will donate whatever else it can, BSF Executive Director Vicky Marsing said.

“We’re going to empty our coffers,” Marsing said. “This isn’t a time to hold anything back.”