District cuts looming?

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District may be forced to cut 100 teachers next year.

The news came to light during a school board work session early Monday and was made public during the evening Board of Education meeting.

Board President Debra Mullins said the school district received a letter from borough Mayor John Williams saying schools would not be “funded to the cap,” but would be held to current year numbers.

Funding schools by the borough at this year’s budget amount would mean a shortage of $1,776,949 below the school district’s preliminary fiscal year 2007 budget.

The preliminary budget also assumed the state would increase per-pupil expenditures, which would have increased the amount available through local funding.

Mullins said besides losing up to 104 teachers, the cut would equate to an additional 3.5 students in each classroom.

In a letter describing the impact of the funding shortfall, schools Superintendent Donna Peterson said the district was informed by the borough “that the past practice of funding education to the maximum amount allowable under the law — to the cap — may no longer be an option.”

She also said the district has been underfunded by the state since 1984, and a study by the Institute of Social and Economic Research last year showed the shortage to be $10 million.

The school district already had proposed reducing teacher numbers by 22 next year; the borough funding shortfall would necessitate a reduction of 25.5 teachers; and in order to balance the budget, as required by state statute, 52 additional teachers would have to be cut.

As projected revenues stand, the needed reduction would be 99.5 teachers, according to Peterson’s impact statement.

“We just don’t have the staff to do that,” Peterson said Tuesday.

Currently the district has 620 teachers and a $96 million budget for fiscal year 2007.

Some board members said they would travel to Juneau to meet with legislators over the funding dilemma.

Board Vice President Sammy Crawford described the anticipated teacher cuts as “really devastating,” and board member Marty Anderson said, from information presented at the afternoon work session, the increase in the pupil-to-teacher ratio actually would be five to six additional pupils. Mullins stood corrected.

“The one good thing that comes out of the need to cut 100 teachers is it gets the public’s attention,” said board member Sunni Hilts.

Mullins said education is the last item on the Legislature’s agenda during the current session, implying educating children may not be the number-one priority for the state.

At the start of every school board meeting, one of the district’s schools is featured in a presentation by its principal.

Kenai Central High School Principal Alan Fields opened Monday’s meeting with music provided by a portion of the school choir singing, “Weep O Mine Eyes.”

Choir director Renee Henderson told the board the title of the selection was not in reference to the budget situation.

In other business, Peterson said Seward High School has met a requirement of having a head coach for the upcoming baseball season.

At its Jan. 16 meeting, the board conditionally approved outsourcing the boys baseball program as long as a head coach was named by the second board meeting in February and the person is committed to coaching throughout the season.

“No further action is required by the board,” Peterson said.

The board also proclaimed Feb. 6 to 10 as National School Counseling Week, recognizing school counselors are “actively committed to helping students explore their abilities, strengths, interests and talents as these traits relate to career awareness and development.”