By CHRISTIE BLECK
June 3, 2011
From Ingham County Community News
Mason Public Schools Superintendent Mark Dillingham said that dipping into the district's fund balance for the 2011-12 should be a temporary fix.
The district, Dillingham said at a May 26 public forum on the budget, would have to take out $800,000, leaving the ending fund balance at 7.35 percent.
"I think it's the right thing to do, but for this year only," Dillingham said.
He also said the current budget situation is the worse he's ever seen.
"As we've continued to cut expenses," Dillingham said, "other expenses continue to rise."
Those expenses include insurance, utility and retirement costs, he said. Also, the birth rate in Michigan is declining, meaning fewer students attending school in the district. Dillingham said the hope is for 2,910 or 2,915 students next school year.
Mason Public Schools receives $6,918 per pupil in state aid.
Cuts needed
Unfortunately, rising expenses mean cuts have to be made to the tune of about $660,500, and Dillingham and staff have looked at areas ranging from non-academic support to core essential academic programs.
"We've taken extreme care to have no stone unturned," Dillingham said.
That means looking at "important" versus "essential" programs, according to Dillingham, who stressed that the band program, for example, has its merits.
"These things are important to kids," he said.
Also, long-term planning is part of the process, Dillingham noted.
"We don't want to make any decisions this year that would affect us the next few years," he said.
What will have to be looked at soon is the aging bus fleet. Dillingham said the district has been buying used buses, but new ones will be needed by the 2012-13 school year, with each vehicle carrying a price tag of $80,000.
Chris Petrimoulx, finance director for the district, said possible revenues for the 2011-12 year include the sale of the Oak Street property, which formerly housed administrative staff, for about $350,000.
Dillingham said proposed reductions include absorbing the high school assistant principal position, currently held by Amy Spears, who would move to the assistant principal at Mason Middle School.
The present assistant principal, Mike Prelesnik, will be principal at North Aurelius Elementary next year, Dillingham said. Spears still will help out at the high school. Also assisting will be athletic Director Greg Lattig, who will spend 25 percent of his duties as assistant principal.
One maintenance and one custodial position would be cut, and the position of executive director of curriculum, held by Bruce Barbour, would be cut to half time - a shared sacrifice by administration.
"We have to have a cut in the central office," Dillingham said.
However, Jim Tobe, assistant superintendent for human resources, is expected to retire next year, which will put Barbour back to full time.
(For a comprehensive list of proposed reductions, visit www.mason.k12.mi.us.)
One thing Dillingham said is not an option is dipping too much into the fund balance.
"I will not next year go to the board and ask for half of our equity," he said.
Steve Van Dyke, a parent of two boys at the high school, made note of the challenges facing the district.
"I just feel for you so much that you have to make these hard decisions for us," Van Dyke said.
Dillingham agreed.
"You make a decision about somebody's livelihood that's bad," he said.
However, Dillingham said the school board was committed to getting through those challenges and taking them "one year at a time."
"How do you manage this chaos and make it workable for everybody?" Dillingham said.
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