In response to financial news that is more dismal each day and expectations of further reductions in state aid, the USD 382 Board of Education took steps at its meeting Monday night to reduce expenditures, terminating one food service worker and one custodian and reducing the hours of others.
Time for food service workers was cut by half an hour; most custodians will work an hour less each day. No overtime pay will be authorized. Superintendent Glen Davis projected a total payroll reduction of $63,771.
Asked how the work would be done with fewer staff and less hours, he replied, “you know, it probably won’t. Trash may not be emptied every day, maybe every other day in classrooms.
“What we had was optimum; what we have to go to is less than optimum, but that’s reality,” Davis said.
In another action the board voted unanimously to freeze salaries for classified and administrative staff for the 2009-10 budget year. Negotiations are continuing for teachers’ contracts, however Davis expects talks will stall until August or September, when the district may be more certain of the amount of money it will receive from the state. Teachers will work under existing contracts, which will likely be the board’s negotiating position for the next year.
Superintendents have been notified that the State of Kansas does not have the money to make usual payments to school districts in June. All USD 382 employees will be paid next week, Davis said, but the district will have to dip into reserve funds, with the expectation that money will be reimbursed when state aid is received.
Davis has authorized Younie Landscaping to plant bermuda grass at the high school but to delay planting trees until a more optimum time in the fall, when a drip irrigation system will be installed.
Bermuda grass was chosen because it can be maintained without a sprinkler system, Davis said.
Some necessary summer maintenance work is being done at school buildings. The property south of the high school, used as a staging area during construction, has been leveled and surfaced with asphalt screenings, provided by the state, for use as a parking lot.
Parking has not been the critical issue that was expected, Davis said, because the high school has “two front doors,” opening to a parking area to the west and with easy access to the Liberty Middle School lot. The City of Pratt wants to close parking on one side of Fifth Street, because the street has been made very narrow by parking on both sides.
Additional personnel actions included hiring three teachers, Christopher Lyman for Pratt High English and debate, Justin White for LMS science and Julie Scheef for LMS math and science.
Michael Shklar resigned as assistant football and track coach. Janet Tillman was given a contract addition as concessions manager, Jade Weber was hired as assistant cheer coach for LMS and Heather Skaggs was hired for special education shuttle during the summer. Skaggs’ husband, BOE member Clinton Skaggs, recused himself from the executive session and voting on personnel matters.
Pratt, Kan. —
