More than a dozen teachers may lose their jobs — most in the kindergarten through sixth grade — as the Bainbridge Island School District continues to refine possible budget cuts needed for the 2017-2018 school year.
The Bainbridge Island School Board will meet this week to get an update on next year’s spending plan.
The size of the budget hole, however, isn’t as deep as previously feared. That’s because the Legislature has approved, and Gov. Jay Inslee has signed, a bill to prevent the falloff from state funding next year that’s been called the “levy cliff.”
The Bainbridge district will now be able to pull in property tax collections for the 2017-18 school year as previously planned. (State law had earlier required the percentage of funding raised by public school districts to drop from 28 percent to 24 percent in 2018.)
Last month, district officials said they were expecting a budget shortfall between $2.1 million and $3.2 million.
Now, with the “levy cliff” gone, the Bainbridge district is expecting a budget gap of $2.1 million.
A budget committee formed by the Bainbridge district has been looking at possible cuts since late February.
This week, board members will get an update on the committee’s work and the size of potential teacher layoffs — as well as other job cuts that may include classroom helpers, special education employees, custodial staff, instructional coaches and reductions in some administrative positions — that could trim the budget between $2 million and $2.2 million.
The higher number of $2.2 million does not include two teachers in the K-4 level that the district hopes to fold back into the budget if possible.
Staffing cuts must be made, according to district officials, because fewer children are expected in Bainbridge public school classrooms next year.
So far, the full-time equivalent (FME) of 12.83 teaching positions are expected to be cut (that number includes two FTE that may be added back in).
The staffing reduction for teachers is:
• 2.1 FTE in educational staff associates;
• 3.55 FTE in K-4;
• 3.29 FTE in grades 5-6;
• 1.89 FTE in grades 7-8; and
• 2 FTE in grades 9-12.
Also, a building administrator position would be cut by .5 FTE.
A total of seven positions occupied special education para-educators would be cut (totaling approximately 3.2 FTE).
Another .5 FTE would be eliminated from the CTE (Career and Technical Education) director position.
Other possible spending cuts not related to the drop in enrollment total $673,040.
Those include a .5 FTE reduction for the district’s athletic director; cuts of 3.64 FTE for instructional coaches, and reducing the custodial staff by one or two FTEs.
Reductions include less spending on district-wide support staff ($30,000 from facilities/grounds/laborers/mechanics), classified staff ($80,000), adjusting starting and ending time of schools and a reduction in bus routes ($29,144) and the cancellation of the all-district “welcome back” breakfast ($15,000).
Officials are also considering the restart of charging $200 per semester for high school students who enroll in a seventh-period class.
District officials note that the number of positions to be cut may not mirror the actual number of employees who get a “reduction in force” notice.
That’s because the current, preliminary numbers don’t include employees who may retire or resign before the cuts are made.
District officials also said they’ll try to move affected employees into open positions for which they are qualified.
The school board will first make staffing decisions based on projected enrollment numbers and program adjustments. Retirements, resignations and employee moves will then be factored in.
A final report on possible budget cuts is expected to be drafted by the District Budget Advisory Committee on April 11.
That report will be given to the school board at its meeting on April 13.
