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PORT ANGELES — A recommendation to cut 15 full-time teaching positions in the Port Angeles School District tops a list of recommendations from a special committee wrestling with diminished funds and enrollment declines.
The School Board quietly received the Fiscal Advisory Committee’s prioritized list of cuts at a meeting Monday night.
The list is a suggestion — the board can change it in any way — and the directors will discuss it and do its own cutback prioritizing Monday night at 6 p.m. at the Central Services Building, 216 E. Fourth St., said Superintendent Jane Pryne.
Public comment will not be taken at that meeting, but the public can speak up at the 7 p.m. April 26 meeting before cuts will be formally approved.
The district currently has about 290 full-time teachers, and the 15 positions cut back would be full-time equivalents.
The advisory committee of staff and public members estimated it would need to make about $2.5 million worth of cuts.
Out of the 62 items listed for cuts, only 27 would need to be implemented to cover the $2.5 million, the committee reported to the School Board.
First on the list is a cut of $690,080 — including the elimination of about nine teachers — based on where enrollment decline occurs most.
“If you look back at our numbers since 1997 and 1998, we have had a 1,266-student decline,” said Jim Schwob, district director of business and operations.
One big uncertainty was still looming as the board held its meeting Monday night.
The state Legislature was still debating in Olympia late on Monday how much of a fund called the “Kindergarten – Fourth Grade Ratio” would be cut.
The fund is intended to decrease class sizes in the primary grade levels, and the entire fund was potentially on the chopping block as lawmakers wrestled with plugging a $2.8 billion state budget deficit.
Schwob and Pryne served as ex officio members of the Port Angeles district’s Fiscal Advisory Committee.
School Board President Lonnie Linn was the board representative to the committee, which is made up of teachers, students, parents, administrators and community members.
“There was nothing nice about this,” Linn said.
“We’ve done this nine years in a row, and we will probably end up doing this again next year.
“This committee was very civil, when it came down to it. There were some hot topics, and there will be some hot topics when the five of us [School Board members] decide what we’ll fund.”
Administrative cuts
Second on the committee’s list of cuts was the elimination of three positions in administration including an assistant superintendent, a personnel supervisor and combination of several other positions.
Those cuts would result in about $200,000 in savings.
“These cuts are superintendent-initiated — so I will do these,” Pryne said.
“Although the board will approve them, they don’t really need to think hard about them because they are things I have already begun to initiate.”
The jobs of retiring Assistant Superintendent Mary Hebert will be divided among others in administration.
Lower on the list
Elimination of elementary band and curtailment of elementary school orchestra were low on the list.
Last on the list: Elimination of high school football.
For the full list of recommended cuts and more budget information, visit www.portangelesschools.org and click on “Budget News” in the right column.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
