25 Oklahoma school districts say they can’t meet obligation
By: Health Insurance
Submitted: 2009-12-25 10:56:39 | Word Count: 596
School districts across the state are tapping into reserve funds to survive midyear budget cuts, but some schools are considering furloughs, pay cuts and even layoffs
"We have many school districts that are already looking at not being able to pay out the year,” said James White, assistant state superintendent.
As of Wednesday, the Oklahoma Department of Education had been contacted by 25 districts expressing their inability to meet payroll or cover debts because of a 10 percent funding cut in December, White said.
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"We are deeply concerned. It is very difficult to address budget cuts during the year, so we are fighting the budget battle on two fronts,” Tulsa schools Superintendent Keith Ballard said.
"When you have contractual obligations and 85 percent of your budget is personnel, you don’t have very far you can go.”
Some schools are talking about furloughs for support staff and administrators, four-day school weeks, and even closing down next school year and joining with bigger, more financially sound districts, White said.
Central High School District in Stephens County is switching to a four-day school week to cope with the $165,000 shortfall that the district is suffering.
"The administration and the school board of Central High will do everything in their power to keep Central High students in Central High,” Superintendent Bennie Newton said.
He estimates that savings on utilities, bus routes and some staffing will save the district $25,000 to $30,000.
State schools Superintendent Sandy Garrett said during Thursday’s State Board of Education meeting that she knows of three other districts that have shifted to a four-day school week: Prue, Barnsdall and Gore.
The Tulsa World reported Friday that Liberty Public Schools also are shifting to four-day work weeks after winter break.
"I’d like to know what they think they can save with a shorter week,” Garrett said.
Larger districts, such as Oklahoma City Public Schools and Tulsa Public Schools, likely will look to their emergency funds to make it through the end of this fiscal year.
Oklahoma City Superintendent Karl Springer has said that any cuts coming after the holidays will not affect students or cause layoffs.
He declined to comment on the 10 percent cut in December that brought the district’s shortfall to $2.3 million over the past four months.
In Tulsa, Ballard said he would shield classrooms from cuts.
Already, district officials have implemented a hiring freeze, offered employees early retirement packages and closed the Education Service Center three days sooner than originally planned.
Starting in July, Ballard said, as many as 100 positions may be eliminated.
Newcastle Public Schools Superintendent Robert Everett said he’s fortunate to be in a community that has a significant tax base that has been more stable than the state aid funds.
"We receive less state aid than most. We all try to carry over a fund balance for emergencies and certainly this qualifies as one,” Everett said.
What has hit Newcastle, Everett said, is the increased cost of health insurance — something that is usually offset by the state but has not been included in the budget.
The state Board of Education estimated the increased insurance costs districts will start paying in January will be about $21.8 million.
