Lawrence school district budget likely to include teacher cuts

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

Members of the Lawrence school board meet Monday, June 13, 2016, at the district's offices.

When the Lawrence school board begins its discussion on Monday of the district’s budget for the upcoming school year, cuts will likely be a key part of the conversation.

Similar to last school year’s budget, the district’s budget plan for the 2016-2017 year includes deficit spending as well as some reductions in staffing and programs.

An outline of additions and reductions to the 2016-2017 budget plan includes 17 full-time classroom teaching positions, one nurse and cuts to some programming. The teacher positions include eight elementary, four middle school and five high school teachers.

Together, the reduction of 17 teaching positions will save the district about $987,000. District officials have previously said reductions in positions are the result of not filling all vacancies created by retirements and resignations last school year.

Other reductions include $48,000 in combined cuts to the district’s wellness program, professional services for teacher evaluations and online enrollment options for students.

Like last school year, the budget plan relies on some deficit spending. The spending, though, is intentional. District leaders have said they are strategically spending down cash balances following criticism by some state Legislators that districts maintain an abundance of reserves.

The budget plan also calls for a reduction in the district’s property tax rate. Recent state funding changes essentially walked back reductions to equalization aid made by state lawmakers last year that resulted in the district voting to raise its property tax rate. The changes provide the district more than $1.5 million in equalization aid, which allows for a 1.5 mill decrease in the district’s property tax rate.

Other recent changes made by the Legislature were less beneficial. The recent reduction in state aid for virtual schools amounted to a significant loss in aid for the district. Specifically, of the $2.8 million that was cut statewide from virtual schools’ budgets at a special Legislative session in June, more than $440,000 was pulled from funding that the Lawrence district expected to receive and could have used toward its general budget expenses.

The district will propose the 2016-2017 budget at the school board’s meeting Monday, which will be at 7 p.m. at district offices, 110 McDonald Drive. The board’s budget hearing and approval will take place Aug. 8.