The South Ripley Community School Corporation board of trustees met for their April meeting, where those attending would hear about the 2010 budget reduction plan.
The board gave unanimous approval to adopt the 2010 budget reduction plan as presented. Superintendent Ted Ahaus held a staff meeting prior to this board meeting to have a discussion with teachers about the plan. According to Ahaus, all areas of the school were affected but no programs were cut.
His goal is “to endure this unstable financial time while providing needed services for both students and staff. We are providing services and tightening the belt at the same time,” he noted. Ahaus said he hopes the economy recovers so that the school corporation can continue to offer the best education to its students. The plan provides some cuts in every area of the corporation.
The 2010 Budget Plan means an approximate cost saving of $374,765 for the remainder of 2010 and a total of $740,842 over 2010-2011. Following are some of the budget cuts:
• Administrative - eliminate one administrative position, freeze salaries for the 2010-2011 school year, and eliminate cell phone allowance.
• Elementary - eliminate two teaching positions, which are actually retirements, and eliminate a guidance position.
• High school - eliminate one teaching position, which is a retirement, and reduce two part time teaching positions, using retirees.
• Office staff - charge cafeteria fund for treasurer’s handling of café money, a two-hour a day position.
• Maintenance/custodial - eliminate all overtime, reduce a custodial position to half time, due again to a retirement, charge cafeteria fund for custodial cleaning time, two hours per day, reduce use of substitute, only use one if absence exceeds two days and reduce supply expenditures 10%.
• CPF/Technology - transfer of 5% of the capital project to the general fund as approved by the state legislature.
• Teacher contracts - reduce all general fund extended teacher contracts, that have a maximum of 195 days. What this means is that teacher contracts will be limited to 195 days. No jobs are lost. No contracts are lost. Those with extended contracts will be limited to 10-day extensions.
• Athletic - the athletic department will reimburse the transportation fund for the bus driver cost. Limit all athletic activities for teams other than varsity/reserve to four days per week. An annual participation fee of $50 will be paid by student athletes.
• Utilities - zone cooling throughout buildings during the summer months. Close the elementary school for public use in June and July. No personal kitchen appliances in classrooms. Eliminate 50% of outside lighting year round.
• Support staff - reduce two aide positions, both of which were resignations. Use substitute pay for the first 15 days of teacher leaves. Reduce speech therapy assistant expenses.
• General - Fifty percent reduction in Learning Center membership fees for 2010-2011. The school corporation usually pays for five seats at the career center, at a cost of $5,000. In addition, the school pays another $10,000 fee. This will be reduced by 50%. Part of the reason for this is that there will be a natural decrease in career center attendance for 2010-2011 school year.
This is happening because they are anticipating a decrease in enrollment, as sophomores will not be targeted to attend the Southeastern Career Center.
However, Ahaus was quick to point out that no child will be denied services. “Kids are not denied but we have a smaller group of 15-20 students signed up,” he said.
Reduce supply expenditures by 10%. Eliminate student summer workers. Freeze non-certified employee salaries and benefits for the 2010-2011 school year. The State of Indiana will be paying for AP exams, which will save the corporation some money. There will be no summer school this year. Ahaus assured the group that there is not as much need for summer school at this time because the ISTEP testing has been moved to the spring, not the fall.
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