MASON CITY – Mason City School District Superintendent Anita Micich confirmed today that recommendations for cuts to coaches and other positions will be brought to the school board for their consideration at its May 6th meeting.
“These are all good people,” Micich explained, “and this is the hardest part of our job.”
Recommendations for staff cuts have to be made by April 30th. “It will be the school board’s decision,” Micich said. “All of these positions are recommendations that will be made to the Board of Education for the purpose of reduction of costs for the district especially in the General fund.”
Micich elaborated on the district’s funding problems, saying that the “tax rate for 2013-2014 will be $11.44 per $1,000 valuation on property taxes and this is the lowest in 40 years. This is a reduction from $13.32 per $1000 for this year. With these two years of reduction of property taxes, the loss of property tax revenues are in the neighborhood of $4 million for the district. Without knowing what the Iowa Legislature will settle at on Allowable Growth percentages for education/schools we have to build our budget on zero allowable growth which means no new money per student. Thus we have to prepare for how to make sure that our children and youth have what they need in the classroom and to be able to have a well-rounded education through participation in as wide a variety of learning experiences as is possible. This is no easy task for our district, with rising costs for energy, fuel, transportation, materials, curriculum materials, insurance costs, etc.
“Our responsibility and charge as administrators for this district are to bring recommendations to the Board of Education in an effort save costs and save jobs that directly affect the General Fund budget. The Board has the final determination of what exactly will be reduced or eliminated.”
More information:
SUPPLEMENTAL POSITIONS AFFECTED: Total Projected Cost Savings: $73,000
· PDF (Professional Development Facilitators): Rationale: As our work with Data Teams continues to develop, we are seeing the role of the PDF change/shift to be more toward the work of the Data Teams Facilitator role. If the Teacher Leadership/Compensation career ladder model is accepted in some form by the legislature and the governor then we will be ready to request a planning grant to implement what will work for MC. This will allow us to be eligible for the “categorical dollars” from the State that are tied to the Career Ladder model. The savings here is around $37,000
· ACTIVITIES/ATHLETICS: We asked Bob Kenny to provide us with coaching numbers from other districts of similar size as well as the number of students currently involved in all activities 7-12. We visited about how to support program growth, insure safety of our student athletes, sharing of positions, how we might engage more volunteer coaches if needed and review the current criteria for when a paid coach is added to each particular area. Mr. Kenny would recommend where, how manyand that head coaches would be involved in this process regarding which specific people/positions would be affected. There were 13 positions recommended for elimination or to be reduced. 9 of these are from the high school athletics and 4 are from 7th and 8th grade athletics. These are never easy decisions or decisions that are made lightly. The savings is around $36,000. Coaches are considered as part of the Supplemental Positions for the school district and are paid from the General Fund budget.
——–
Micich said Monday that school funding is in a precarious spot at this time, with massive cuts coming from the state level and the fact that Mason City has no Instructional Support Levy at this time.
“We have to prepare for the worst,” Micich said, “until we know where our funding will come from.”
“People want to compare us to Marshalltown and Fort Dodge and say they have more coaches than we do… they also have ISL’s.”
Up to 13 assistant coaching positions are being recommended to be cut, with 9 of those positions at the High School.
An orchestra director position is also up to be cut to half time.
The Instructional Support Levy was passed in March by the Mason City School Board but citizens obtained a petition with about 1,100 signatures that will force the issue to go to the voters.
The school district is hiring for some positions. See those opportunites here.
