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By KEVIN MCKEE
kmckee@lockhaven.com
MILL HALL -- Keystone Central's latest attempts to lower expenses and raise revenues saw the board vote to support 10 line items Thursday night, reducing the district's current 2018-19 budgetary deficit to $4,780,109.
The deficit started at $8,837,448, after accounting for changes from the state budget proposal, real estate's natural growth, and the already-approved merger of secretarial positions and debt restructuring.
"Last month, we presented the board with information and strategies. Bottom line, revenue is not keeping up with our expenditures," Dr. Alan Lonoconus, the acting interim superintendent, began.
"Tonight, I'm charging the board to take a look at the expenditure reductions, and I need yays and nays from the board," he said.
The board voted to include the following actions in the proposed budget:
r Eliminate teaching positions due to attrition -- two English, one art , two music , three Special Education , and one Elementary position. Two other music positions, from 2018-19, are still under discussion. This reduced expenses by $792,000.
r Reduction to operating budgets (department and classroom), by $1,592,000.
r Reduction to the athletic operating budget by $57,000. Board president Charles Rosamilia stated that he views this cut as a starting point, and that he "wants additional reductions here." Dr. Lonoconus said that they will revisit athletics in May, and that "eliminating Jr. High sports district-wide is possible down the line, but I am not prepared to go there yet." The board voted r Capital project transfer reduction of $180,000. The board verified that enough money would be left available for capital projects to still be able to get some work done.
r Elimination of summer paint crew, reducing $15,000.
r Reduction of non-instructional administrators due to attrition, including a business office administrative assistant, the PIMS supervisor, and a property services manager, for a $220,000 reduction.
r Reduction of instructional administrative positions due to attrition, including the director of Curriculum and Assistant Principal at Renovo, for a savings of $325,000.
r Reduction of $147,339 due to attrition of support positions: five housekeepers, one custodian, and three building assistants.
r Reduction of $616,000 due to attrition of teaching retirement positions, including one art, two special education, three elementary, and one in the library. Board member Jennifer Bottorf asked what this would do to library coverage. Dr. Lonoconus replied that the district "may actually pick up some library coverage," due to positions being shuffled around.
r Elimination of Renovo Pre-K classroom -- one teacher and one teacher assistant -- for a reduction of $113,000. Board member Eric Probert asked about sign-ups at Renovo, and was informed that Pre-K, at last count, had received "around 73 sign-ups across the district....at Renovo, four sign-ups." He was also told that "Head Start is looking at picking up those four, assuming they qualify," when he asked what was being done to accommodate those students. Probert opposed this vote, but the other eight board members carried this item.
Of note: the positions attritioned by the board are ones which had already been open throughout the current school year due to staff departures and retirements, and which the district administration feels it can continue without filling.
This brings the current preliminary 2018-19 budget deficit down to $4,780,109.
From there, board member Bill Rupert asked about the proposed tax increase of 3.3 percent, inquiring when was the last time taxes were raised.
Business manager Susan Blesh replied that "taxes were raised to the index last year, but were not raised for the two years before that."
The board then briefly discussed the Career and Technical programs which are still up for possible attritioning, including auto body, auto mechanics, and cosmetology.
CITE Director Ken Kryder spoke to the board, saying "we are getting some of our registrations for the classes at this point."
"We have 49 students interested in cosmetology for next year, and we are only allowed one more by state law," he said. Kryder said 19 of those students are returning, with 30 new students.
Preliminary numbers were also available for auto body and auto mechanics.
"Auto mechanics has a total of 12; but also some currently pending. Five students are returning, while seven are new. Auto body has a total of 11, with three returning students and eight new," Kryder said.
"We have a tendency to pick up some students in IMP meetings, which are continuing," he said. Some of those students have expressed their intent, but others are still pending.
There was also news that the "auto body/mechanics programs have been approached for some diesel mechanic positions and training," which could potentially help fund those programs, Kryder said.
Board members also touched on the music program.
Dr. Luncheons said, "We've been doing a great job. We have come up with a solution to help keep music instruction at K-5 in the elementary buildings, even with the reduction in the music positions. We need to double and triple check to make sure, but it looks good," he continued,
Dr. Luncheons said the plan would see students receive "same instruction but at a little less time."
Principal Mike Hall spoke briefly on this plan, saying that his "quick work with it looks like a double process for next year."
The plan would service students from K-5 in music instruction, and provide time for enrichment activities and time for lessons.
Board member Tracy Smith asked Hall if there would still be "band and instrument instruction," and Hall replied that it "would be included."
The district has not yet talked to the current music teachers with this plan, as they are checking the plan before revealing it to staff, but said that's their next step.
The dollar amounts for these items, which all remain on the table for discussion at this time, are as follows:
r Attrition auto body CTE program: $55,000.
r Attrition auto mechanics CTE program: $56,000.
r Attrition cosmetology CTE program: $111,000.
r Attrition two music positions for 2018/19: $176,000.
r Reduction of Non-Instructional Administrator: $80,000. According to Blesh, this is Angela Harding's Communications and Fundraising Coordinator position.
r Reduction of Instructional Administrator: $150,000. According to Blesh, this is Ken Kryder's director of CTE position.
Additionally, the board expressed interest in pursuing additional cuts to athletics, although there are no current numbers or targets of specific programs yet known.
Board items which have not yet been decided or voted upon include:
r Tax increase to the index, of 3.3 percent, which would bring around $700,000 in revenue.
r Use of fund balance reserves of $2 million.
r Increasing athletic participation fees to $100/participant, which would raise around $51,200 in revenue.
r Update facility use policy fee schedule, a gain of "to be determined" revenue.
r Closing Dickey Elementary School, which, according to the district, would save $1,605,093.
The next meeting scheduled is Thursday, May 17, at 6:30 p.m. at Bucktail High School.
However, Dr. Lonoconus has asked for an extra budget meeting for further discussion prior to that meeting. The time and date of this extra meeting is not yet known and depends on the schedules of the board members.
The May 17 meeting will see approval of the proposed budget, which must then be publically displayed for 20 days, with a June 14 meeting to include adoption of the final budget.