Cuts are looming
Board to decide on budget reductions at March meeting
Andrea Sheridan, Athens schools superintendent, unveiled on Monday a list of $900,000 in possible cuts to this year’s school district budget that need to be made regardless if the April 4 referendum passes.
The Athens Board of Education will make its final decision on what items in this year’s school district budget will be cut at its next regular monthly meeting currently scheduled at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 20, in the middle/high school library.
Athens School District is asking voters on the April 4 spring election ballot to authorize it to exceed its revenue limit by $1.67 million for the 2023-24 school year and by $1.2 million per year for the 2024-25 through 2026-27 school years for non-recurring purposes consisting of operational and maintenance expenses. If the referendum fails, then the school district would need to somehow find ways to cut these additional amounts of money each school year that it didn’t receive from taxpayers.
The following is a list of $900,000 in cuts Sheridan has proposed the school board makes at its March meeting based off her discussions with school district staff. She said personnel comprises 80 to 90 percent of the school district budget, therefore Sheridan said the largest amount of money cut should come from here. She wants to cut $548,000 in school district personnel by reducing the amount administrators are getting paid; decreasing certified teaching staff, coaches and paraprofessional jobs which are normally special education assistants and eliminating the fitness center supervisor job. School board member Kristen Winter asked Sheridan how many jobs she thought the school district would need to eliminate between teachers, coaches and special education teaching assistants. Sheridan told Winter right now she estimates the school district would need to cut between nine to 11 jobs, but the exact amount will depend on student registration numbers for next fall.
The school board would donate back its salaries to the school district to save $9,000. Sheridan is proposing the school district cut in half the amount of money staff can put into their Health Savings Account from $2,000 to $1,000 each year to save the school district $42,950. She said the school district would no longer pay employees who take their spouse’s health insurances instead of using the school district’s health insurance, which would save the school district $49,200.
Sheridan is proposing Athens School District not hold summer school programs this year which would save the school district $38,000. The school district would also not hire additional summer custodian help which would save the school district $17,735. Sheridan is proposing a wage freeze for school district staff next year that would save the school district $166,046.
Athens School District would no longer contract with vendors to provide weed control for a savings of $2,379 and pest control for a savings of $525. Sheridan is proposing the school district no longer contract with CESA 9 for services to save $3,750. The school district would not add cable boxes to save $900.
Sheridan is also proposing the school district reduce or eliminate the use of paper and plastic products used for school lunches to save $12,896. The school district also will no longer hire substitute kitchen workers to save $2,552. Sheridan is proposing Athens School District eliminate middle school forensics to save $800.
Athens School District will use school vans instead of paying Fischer Transportation money to transport students by bus to athletic and other extracurricular events. The school district has already eliminated one ticket taker at home sporting events for a cost savings o $950. Sheridan is proposing to no longer have teaching staff participate in professional development learning to save the school district $4,500.
Sheridan is also proposing ways Athens School District can generate revenue starting next school year, based on her discussions with school district staff. She said the school district could start charging outside groups a fee to use its facilities; add items to student school supply lists; charge students for parking and to participate in sports and other activities and cut the amount of cost to participate in Marathon County Special Education.
“We are cognizant that we don’t want to overtax our school district families,” Sheridan said.
Sheridan told the school board she planned to present the April 4 referendum fact sheet to school district staff this week, before unveiling it to the public during referendum listening sessions that begin this week. Winter told Sheridan she needed to make the language stronger on what the consequences are if the spring referendum fails.
“I think people need to realize what ultimately is going to happen if the referendum fails,” Winter said. “We need to have a stronger statement on the referendum fact sheet because the one question I’ve been asked is if the school district’s financial situation is really this bad, and I tell them well i don’t know how we’re going to come up with $1.67 million in cuts after making $900,000 in cuts this year.”
Athens School Board member Tucker Diethelm also wants Sheridan to provide a school tax rate comparison on the fact sheet between Athens and the surrounding school districts.
Information meetings
Sheridan welcomes Athens school district residents to the following referendum information meetings: Thursday, Feb. 23, 7-9 a.m. at Athens Cafe; Monday, Feb. 27, 6 p.m. at Maple Grove Charter School in Hamburg; Wednesday, March 1, 6 p.m. at Athens middle/ high school; Wednesday, March 8, 6 p.m. at Town of Johnson hall; Thursday, March 16, 6 p.m. at Athens Elementary School; Tuesday, March 21, 7-9 a.m. at Athens Cafe; Wednesday, March 29, 6 p.m. at Town of Hamburg hall; Monday, April 3, 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at On the Square and on Tuesday, April 4, from 7-9 a.m. at Athens Cafe on the same day as the spring election.
