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Home | Local + Metro | St. Paul

St. Paul school board OKs $25 million in budget cuts

Board members delayed until July a vote on a plan to close two elementary schools in St. Paul.

By GREGORY A. PATTERSON, Star Tribune

Last update: June 17, 2009 - 2:43 PM

The St. Paul school board on Tuesday night approved a budget that has $25 million in cuts for next year and includes staff and teaching reductions of 267 positions. It also delayed a decision on a now controversial school closing plan.

Board members, who have been inundated with e-mail and personal testimony about how cuts would affect residents and staff members, said they were forced to adopt the cuts because of revenue declines caused by falling student enrollment and the economic downturn.

The $25 million in cuts come out of an annual budget of $642 million.

Keith Hardy, the only school board member who voted against the budget reduction package, criticized the administration for including $6 million in cuts from pay and health benefits freezes for teachers because the district has not yet engaged the teachers union in negotiations. The current contract between St. Paul's 3,300-member teachers union and the district expires June 30.

It's not likely the parties will reach agreement before the current contract expires, and that is not unusual, said Mary Cathryn Ricker, president of the St. Paul Federation of Teachers. "What's not normal is to present a proposal to the public without presenting it to teachers first," she said.

In a surprise move, the board put off endorsing what has become a controversial plan put forth by its administration to close two elementary schools and to repurpose a third.

The board, which had been set to vote on the school closing proposal Tuesday night, instead voted with only minor discussion to delay considering the proposal until its July 21 meeting.

Six weeks ago, the district's staff unveiled a plan to close Roosevelt and Longfellow elementary schools and to repurpose Sheridan Elementary School. Since then, hundreds of St. Paul parents, students and teachers have voiced opposition to the proposal at six meetings called at least in part to gather public opinion.

In their brief discussion of the matter, several board members said they had not had enough time to consider the closing plan, in part because they have been busy considering the $25 million budget reduction package that they were to consider and approve at the same meeting.

"I am totally unprepared to make this decision tonight," said Board Member Anne Carroll. "We haven't had the time to look through this with the deliberation that our community expects."

Board Member Tom Goldstein criticized the administration's procedure in selecting the schools for closing. "There are some things about the methodology that are in question," he said.

In other developments at the meeting, the board said it has issued a request for proposals for a firm that will help lead its search for a new superintendent. Meria Carstarphen, whose resignation becomes effective June 30, has accepted the superintendent's position in Austin, Texas.

Also, about 10 students and teachers from the International LEAP Academy (Limited English Achievement Program), which specializes in serving older, mostly Asian and East African immigrants, spoke against the district's plan to discontinue serving students older than 21. That move would leave those students only with the ability to earn a GED rather than a high school diploma.

District officials said the way the current program is constructed violates state statute. Minnesota requires any school district that offers programs to some people over 21 to offer those programs to all residents over age 21.

Gregory A. Patterson • 651-238-9293

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