Archive: News

Lansing's Board Of Education (BOE) was dealt another blow at their Monday meeting when Interim Business Administrator Dave Klemm told them that if spending isn't reversed the district could overspend the 2007-2008 budget by almost $300,000.  A $22.1 million budget was approved by taxpayers in May.  But Klemm says that current estimates show that while revenues will be on target, expenditures may reach $22,389,869 if measures aren't taken to reduce spending now.  "I believe I am giving you the worst case scenario," Klemm said.  "As the year goes on those numbers become firmer and firmer."

Klem noted that about $130,000 budgeted revenue is not going to be realized.  He said the BOE could use reserves to make up that shortfall, but he didn't recommend doing so.  The district's reserves have been depleted over the past several years to raise budgets without raising taxes too much, a strategy that has only been partially successful with negative consequences to the reserves.

Interim Superintendent Tom Helmer reported he had sent a memo last week freezing expenditures.  "I've never had to do that this early in a budget year before," he said.  "But it seemed to be the prudent thing to do.  We said in that memo that we are going to be evaluating every position for its impact on the achievement of our desired student outcome.  If we have a movement in a position, if we have a transfer, reassignment, retirement or resignation we won't just automatically post and fill it without looking to see if we need it."

School Board (From left) David Dittman, Anne Drake, Tom Keane, Interim Superintendent Tom Helmer, Mike Cheatham, Sandi Dhimitri, Glenn Swanson, Bonita Lindbergh

Helmer also reported that he will be conducting a district-wide faculty meeting today (Friday) to explain the situation to the entire teaching staff and invite them to become involved in helping the district find ways to control spending.  He said he intends to present them with a formal survey that they can use to suggest solutions for the remainder of the school year and the future. 

After much discussion and controversy the position vacated last year by Deb Pichette had been redefined and the search process completed.  Helmer said that he was prepared to announce the person who would fill the job Monday, but decided not to do so.  "We have made the decision to put that appointment on hold now," he said.  "I still believe that we need it, but we're going to give Steve a chance to take a look and make sure that it's the right thing to do in light of the situation."

"We have met with most of the supervisors, we've met with the principals, we've met with the union leaders," Klemm reported, "to try to resolve some of the concerns that we have.  The principals and the union leadership have offered to sit down with us to figure out some ways in which we can bring some of these things under control between now and the end of the year.  And planning for next year.  That was all done voluntarily, and it was very well received and appreciated by Tom and me."

He also said he would be following a purchasing procedure more closely, and changing procedures in his office, and increasing his communication with supervisors that impact spending. 

"The purpose of doing this tonight is to shine some light on the situation so that people know what we are dealing with," Helmer told the board.  "It wasn't to tell a nice story, because it's not a very nice story.  But we believe it to be a true story."

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