Money Saving Cuts Proposed By School Board

The Harrison Board of Education has spent this week from next year's budget. Last week, the board presented tentative cuts that are expected to save over $708,000.

Here is a closer look at where those cuts are expected to be:

• Reduced Oil - $20,000
• Legal - $40,000
• Communications - $15,000
• Floating Cleaner - $35,000
• Electricity - $30,000
• Major Projects - $50,000
• Judgement and Claims (certs) - $65,000
• Capital - $125,000
• Staff Reduction Through Attrition - $56,420
• Reduced Transportation (anticipated CPI reduction) - $76,000
• Remove unanticipated aide position - $23,688
• Vacant Administrative Position - $173,239

More cuts are expected as the district struggles to balance next year's budget amidst decreases in both state and local revenue. The above numbers do not show any cuts to teachers and few cuts to jobs throughout the district as a whole. 

Staff reduction through attrition is a result of retirement incentive and not a result of staff layoffs. The administrative position was also not a layoff, rather an unoccupied position the board decided did not need to be filled this year.

When these numbers were released Wool said that although the district expects to cut major projects, some additions, like the new planetarium and expected press box for an athletic field, are expected to continue as planned.

But it is likely that the next round of changes, expected next week, will be more difficult. Some job cuts are expected to non-instructional positions. However, Wool said last week that he will not know exactly which jobs will be slashed until the number of retirements for this year are known.

We will have more from the board of education next week as they work to finalize their 2010-11 budget.