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The mood was somber at Monday's Lansing Board Of Education meeting as school board members struggled with the grim reality of cutting positions and programs to attempt to begin the process of pulling the district out of a large financial hole.  Elementary school music teacher Karen Menges told the board that she fears that the depth of this year's cuts will be long term ones that will dramatically impact the quality of education in Lansing.  She suggested being more aggressive about taking the problem to the community to brainstorm solutions to the district's financial woes.  "We can't do it without them," she said.  If they don't come to us, then we need to go to them."

But to judge from the standing-room-only crowd in the high school library, the problem has already caught the public's attention.  Parents and other residents, teachers, students and administrators jammed into the library, waiting patiently for the meeting to get to the budget agenda item.  "I think it's outstanding that we have this interest level," said Superintendent Steve Grimm.  "There were also a significant number of community members here on Thursday night when I held the budget town meeting.  That was great to see."


Grimm has been conducting 'focus forums,' and other meetings with all stakeholders in the district to get a clear view of what could be cut, but also what the impact of the cuts would have on kids and on the district.  He has met repeatedly with the budget committee, teacher and staff groups, and the 'leadership team' that included Principals Chris Pettograsso, Jamie Thomas, and Michelle Stone, and High School Dean of Students Ed Redmond and Director of Special Services and Grants Pam DiPaola.  He said a three hour leadership team meeting grew to eight hours last week as they continued to work through the problems and possible solutions to the impending cuts.

"We had to get past being overwhelmed to be able to think clearly with strategic focus," Grimm said.  I think we're almost there."

Board of Education (Left to right) Bonita Lindberg, Anne Drake, Tom Keane, Superintendent Steve Grimm, Mike Cheatham, Sandi Dhimitri, David Dittman (Glenn Swanson was out of town)

The school board is faced with cutting over a million dollars from a budget that does not add anything to employees and services included in this year's budget.  Additionally the district is faced with having to make up a projected $262,000 that will be overspent this year.  With homeowners struggling to pay taxes, rising costs, a declining economy, and loose budgeting in the past several years, cuts will necessarily impact programs and staffing.

Interim Business Administrator David Klemm presented a list of items that are on the chopping block in order to achieve a 3%, 3.5%, or 4% budget, meaning that the budget would be that much more than this year's, but actually impacting the tax levy that residents must pay from between 3.96% to 5.53%.  If the district cut nothing the tax levy impact would have been 10.12%, which given the current tax climate in Lansing, would almost certainly be defeated when it comes to a vote this summer.

Klemm showed the assembly a shopping list of cuts that range from a laundry cleaner to the controversial Director of Instruction position that was to be filled this year.  While enrollment declines take more than $100,000 out of next year's budget, six retiring teachers will leave positions that will most likely not be filled.  Also on the list is 40% of monies used for field trips, a secretary, half an enrichment teacher position, sabbatacals for teachers, summer school, four teacher aids, and fewer bus runs, among others. 


But that would only get the district down to a 4% budget, or a 5.53% tax rise.  To get down to 3.5% a micro computer specialist, elementary science teacher position, and $17,000 of cuts to the athletics budget would be cut.  Junior varsity football, girls soccer, and some cheerleading cuts would be gone.  Athletic Director Ed Redmond says that these programs have low participation, and the cheerleading cuts will also help reduce transportation costs.

And to get to a 3% budget with a 3.96% rise in the tax levy an elementary school librarian position and .2 of an orchestra teacher would go.  Klemm worried that a third of district residents are seeing an assessment rise above and beyond the 15% resulting from the change from 85% to 100% of fair market value assessment, meaning that their taxes will be much higher even than the 4% rise in the levy, because their share of the levy will be higher than last year.

There was a small bit of good news in the quagmire of bad news.  Lansing Faculty Association President Stacie Kropp announced the union would be 'giving back' $24,000 of dollars allowed in their contract for developing the curriculum during the summer months.  "In light of this year's budget the LFA will be returning that money back to the district via a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in hopes that we can buy back some of the programs that are currently on the chopping block," Kropp said.  "We would like the money to go to those programs that most directly affect Lansing students.  The kids are why we are all here.  I will be working with the LFA Senate, Dr. Grimm, and Mr. Klemm to negotiate an MOA stating our intent and which programs we would like to fund this summer and in the next year."

But when it was all laid out, school board members couldn't agree on exactly how much to cut.  David Dittman, who has been an advocate of responsible spending and lower taxes started at 3%, but agreed to go up to 3.4% if other board members would negotiate downward.  At the other extreme Sandi Dhimitri said she wanted more than 4%, but agreed to start there because it is the highest rise the board would realistically consider.  Dittman noted that each half point cut or retained represents $100,000.  Although Grimm asked the board to commit to a rise within 0.1%, board members finally agreed on a range between 3.4% and 3.75%.


While a list of cuts is now in writing, it is still a draft that Grimm says stakeholders will have a chance to address.  April 22 is the latest date for a final decision, but the district will be losing Klemm on the 15th.  That will leave it to yet another interim business administrator to try to help the school board get a budget passed.

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