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Prior Lake-Savage approves more than $1 million in cuts
The school board made cuts for the third year in a row in what a board member called an "emotional, nasty process."
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Share on Digg• $57,000 to close the pool at Twin Oaks Middle School for one year
• $165,000 to reduce two administrative positions by combining duties
• $58,000 to not replace a retiring learning disabilities teacher
• $79,791 in middle school activities such as increasing fees, getting rid of some traveling sports programs, and activities such as newspaper, chess teams, speech and the district spelling bee.
• $80,832 in reductions from high school activities by increasing fees and reducing programs such as ninth-grade B sports teams, chess teams, and peer mediation programs.
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Prior Lake-Savage school board members knew going into Monday night's meeting that they would be cutting an estimated $1.1 million from the district's budget. But that did not make it any easier.
Fifth-grade band is gone, as well as ninth-grade B sports teams, some administration jobs, the district spelling bee and activities such as school newspapers, chess clubs and technology clubs.
"I don't like it," said school board member Diane Ziemann, who has been on the school board for 21 years. "But it has to be done. It's just an emotional, nasty process."
The board decided to delay a decision on transportation until the public gets a chance to weigh in: The board plans to increase the distance students have to walk to school to 1 mile for elementary students and 1.5 miles for middle and high school students.
This is the third year in a row the district has had to make cuts from projected budgets, for a total of $3.4 million, and each round is tougher for board members who have watched the process year after year. Each year, cuts affect students more, they say.
"It's not pleasant," said board chairwoman Lee Shimek. "The most painful cuts are ones that affect the kids directly."
The district's community education is investigating whether it can help with programs such as the technology clubs and chess clubs.
A brand-new elementary school will sit closed for a year because the district doesn't have the funds to operate it. The district won't be able to add teachers to accommodate its growth for the third year in a row.
The cuts approved Monday night came five months after a district request for $4.6 million more a year in operating money was turned down by 60 percent of voters. That leaves it looking more likely that the school board will ask voters again for more operating funds this November.
"The levy has got to pass," Ziemann said. "It's just got to."
Emily Johns • 952-882-9056
