Ten Million Dollar Budget Proposed for School Year

Ten Million Dollar Budget Proposed for School Year

By Julie M. Morgan
Star Reporter

SCHOOL BOARD--The Citizens Budget Review committee, charged with making recommendations on how Valdez City Schools should allocate its funding, has completed their process and approved the district administration's proposed $10 million budget for fiscal year 2005-06.

During the school board's regular meeting, a spokesperson from the committee made several suggestions for the administration's "best case scenario" recommendation list should additional funding become available.

"These are assumptions that we have absolutely no control over," said spokesperson Laurie Hull-Engles.

Budget recommendations are based on current revenue assumptions in state and city funding.
"We know we're going to get additional revenue," said Superintendent Ernie Manzie. "We just don't know how much."

Included in the 'reprioritized' list is a budget for assigning a grant writer to an existing administration position at a cost of $2,500, upgrading the Herman Hutchens counselor position at an increase of $38,500, upgrading existing computer technology in the high school lab, replacing the phone system at the elementary school and the district office buildings at a cost of $18,000 and replacing outsourced travel to benefit non-league activities for $20,000. The total cost of the additions is $255,000.

According to the budget, funding at state level for dollars per student is estimated at $4576. These figures are expected to go up during the current legislative session in Juneau with possible additional funding from the Senate and House Bills.

About $4 million in State funding is based on district wide student enrollment of 800. This figure is down 4.19 percent from FY04-05 count of 835 and still further reduced from the previous year's count of 864 students.

City allocation is expected to be funded at the maximum contribution. Other Sources of revenue include: $250,000 from the Federal and local lunch programs; $20,000 from interest earned on reserves and excess funds held throughout the year and $23,500 from doubled activity fees from Gilson Junior High and Valdez High Schools.

Major budget considerations include initiating a vehicle and equipment replacement schedule due to aging equipment and maintenance issues. The No Child Left Behind requirements and declining enrollment were also implemented into the budget.

Reductions include two certified teaching positions at $130,000, one bilingual aide position at $24,000 and a 50 percent cut in hours of a Special Education Paraprofessional at $14,800.

The new breakfast program is not included in the budget as funding would come from other sources.
Two public hearings are scheduled for April 12 and April 16 before the budget is formally adopted. The board plans to adopt the budget at their meeting on April 25 before a final presentation to the City Council on May 2.