Schools

School Board Finds Balanced Budget Despite Cuts, Freezes to Incoming Funds

Port Washington-Saukville School District administrators say conservative balancing of budget in years past proves helpful when facing Gov. Scott Walker's budget plan.

Port Washington-Saukville School District adminstrators have come up with a budget plan that balances the numbers without cutting programs or calling for layoffs even under tough limitations set by Gov. Scott Walker's budget plan.

Jim Froemming, director of business services for the district, presented numbers to the board that he and other administrators have been carefully working with to develop the worst-case funding scenario and make it balanced.

"This is a different funding situation, we’re looking at a large decrease — so there’s some stressors there, there’s no doubt about that," he said.

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Administrators said the district sits in a more pleasant position than others might because of the board's fiscally conservative and responsible decisions made in the past.

"We have some fortunate things going on here ... but also it’s the long-term financial planning overall that’s helping us get there," Froemming said. "We’re not in a fun situation, but it seems like were in a manageable situation. We can still provide a quality … education with the cards that we’ve been given."

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State aid cuts mean an 8.5 percent decrease in revenue per pupil, equal to about $573 per student. Most year, the district receives about a 3 percent increase in that aid.

Local property tax rates hold constant under Gov. Walker's plan, preventing the district from simply increasing its tax levy in order to balance its budget.

The Port Washington-Saukville School District has increased its tax levy 27.6 percent since the 2000-01 school year, from $10,631,443 to $13,567,369 — an average increase of about 2.7 percent each year.

Though the district collects more money each year, administrators have been able to keep the mill rate — the rate on which the school district's portion of property taxes is figured — on the decline, an average 1.9 percent each year.

In overcoming these budget road blocks, administrators are looking at savings from retiring teachers and contributions from employees for their benefits and retirement plans, among other options.

While 14 staff members have already submitted paper work for early retirement, the board will consider in May extending the retirement deadline to allow up to eight more people to leave and adding a cost savings to the budget because of lower salaries paid to the replacement teachers.

The 14 people already retiring from their positions include: Sharon Anzia, a custodian with Lincoln Elementary School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School; Eileen Balagna, reading specialist at TJMS; John Berken, a fifth-grade teacher at TJMS; Nanita Booth, in communications at Port Washington High School; Ellyn Boynar, a third-grade teacher at LES; James Chossek, a physical education teacher at LES and PWHS; Nora Dygon, in communications at PWHS; Sandra Karpinsky, a paraprofessional at LES; Linda Laurenzi-Coulson, a kindergarten teacher at LES; Gary Myrah, director of special services with the district; JoEllen Schlereth, a first-grade teacher LES; Michele Weiland, a sixth-grade teacher at TJMS; Mary Wester, with the Nova Net program at PWHS; and Terry Wozny, a math teacher at PWHS. The district plans to replace all but one of those positions, which saves the district $69,000.

The district expects to save an additional $25,000 for each teacher taking advantage of the extended retirement deadline.

The district also expects to save $806,130 after employees begin making a 5.8 percent contribution to their retirement funds, and another $262,496 after a 12 percent contribution to their health plans, as required by Gov. Walker's bill.

A by the Port Washington-Saukville School Board would actually require a 13 percent contribution to health benefits, but Froemming was sticking to basic, worst-case scenario numbers.

The district will also be able to use funds from federal jobs bill money it saved rather than spent, despite some interests in using the money at the time of receipt, Supt. Michael Weber said.

After the 2010-11 school year, the district had about $605,000 still remaining in that fund.

"We prudently held on to (the jobs bill money), and only used what we specifically needed," he said. Now, those extra funds will help the district to balance its 2011-12 budget, and will also aid in keeping the 2012-13 budget balanced.

The School Board is expected to approve the preparation of the budget in May, Froemming said, at which time it become available to the public. A final vote to approve the budget would then likely be made sometime in June.


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