Valparaiso school budget crisis: ‘We will weather this storm’
By Diane Kubiak Post-Tribune correspondent February 21, 2012 10:32PM
Andrew Melin
Updated: March 23, 2012 8:19AM
VALPARAISO — Twenty-one teachers, 68 instructional aids and a scattering of other support personnel will no longer be working for Valparaiso Community Schools in a worst-case scenario set forth Tuesday night by Superintendent Andrew Melin as part of the administration’s proposal for eliminating a $3.2 million budget shortfall by the end of 2013.
After hearing the proposal, the school board dismissed the audience into interest groups and reconvened at 9 p.m. to share concerns. “What’s bugging me is, where is the money that (Gov. Mitch) Daniels found?” said parent Terri Klingseisen upon returning to the auditorium for the wrap-up.
Board members also shared their opposition to putting a revenue bond referendum on May 8’s primary ballot. Karl Cendar said the time was not sufficient and the economic climate was not right for launching a revenue referendum.
“Our taxpayers are not going to accept it,” he said.
He wants the board to take the time to formulate a long-term solution that would be successful, he said.
Revenue bonds require a seven-year projection of budget needs and may not be used to replace cut programs.
“We will weather this storm. I know it’s a paradigm shift for a number of us,” board member Brigid McLinn said.
“We would be asking them (taxpayers) to sacrifice when frankly we haven’t,” board member Jim Jorgensen said. His comment brought under-the-breath comments from some audience members.
To deal with the budget crisis, Valparaiso teachers already voluntarily compressed their salary schedules in a manner that cost them collectively $1.1 million over two years.
Board member Mark Maassel said he wanted to know what the relation would be between a revenue referendum and a needed facilities referendum, which is still under study. “I’m not sure what the priorities are between those two,” he said.
Melin said that even with austerity measures, the board dipped into the Rainy Day Fund for $300,000 in January. “If we don’t make any reduction in expenditures, the RDF will be gone in 2012,” he said.
Among those in the audience before the meeting was newly elected City Councilman Tim Daly, R-4.
“As far as the levy, it’s not the right time,” he said of raising funds through a referendum. “It’s time to make cuts,” he said, noting that he personally did not want to see any programs cut.
Melin said revenue increases might include:
Increased funding from the state for full-day kindergarten, a newly implemented change in the district;
Funds from increasing tuition student transfers into Valparaiso High School, and
Participation fees for extra-curricular activities.
Administrators have agreed to three furlough days and teachers will lose three paid, nonstudent days, Melin said.
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