03/16/2010
As school districts across the state begin what has become an annual spring ritual of trying to balance significantly shrinking budgets, Gladwin Community Schools is in the process of deciding what reductions might be necessary for next year. Decreasing enrollment and reductions in state aid are putting a strain on budget projections for next year.
Right now the per pupil allowance from the state is projected to decrease by approximately 250 dollars and the district is expecting to lose up to 85 students. If both of these projections hold true, the budget will need to be trimmed by over a million dollars.
The Board of Education is very committed to making these reductions with minimal impact on the programs and services that the school provides for the students and community. We firmly believe that the budget axe should fall as far away from the students as possible.
Approximately 82% of the total budget is spent on wages and benefits so it stands to reason that most reductions will come from this area. There are three ways to accomplish this, we can reduce the number of people that we employ, reduce the wage and benefit package that we offer, or some combination of these two. I recognize that none of these options are pleasant, but we are committed to not solving our budget issues on the backs of the students.
If the budget must be reduced, it will be a very painful experience for all employee groups. All groups will be impacted and the process will be very controversial. It will be tempting to place blame and argue that one group should be cut in order to spare another, but we must not fall into that trap. We have seen hard times before and we have prevailed by sticking together as one proud Flying “G” family. We have resisted the temptation to become negative and behave in a counter- productive manner and instead focused on supporting our colleagues during the difficult time.
By working together and remaining positive in the face of fear, we can find solutions to the problems that we encounter. As always, I invite your input and ideas.
Take Care,
Rick
