At the Orcas Island School District (OISD) Board meeting on Aug. 1, the board voted to accept a donation of $44,000 from the Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) and looked to reach consensus on several cuts to the budget with the goal of reinstating as many teachers as possible.
OICF donors have directed that $24,000 of the donation be used to create a new marine science program with both a middle and high school component, $10,000 be used to reinstate the wood shop class and the final $10,000 is in unrestricted funds. The board will still need to find an additional $2,000 to fully reinstate the wood shop class but OISD President Janet Brownell expressed confidence in the board’s ability to make up the shortfall.
One priority that met with agreement among the board members was finding the funds to bring back a middle school math/science teacher who is currently on the Reduction in Force (RIF) list. The board reviewed various program costs within the budget in detail, including transportation, the library, athletics and computer technology support in an effort to find as much money as possible.
While expressing a desire to find the funds within the budget to bring back as many of the teachers as possible, the board would need to find $275,000 in additional funds to accomplish that goal. “If you look at the code as it is written the board is charged with budgeting. We need to reduce programming to bring back more staff. We need to take this list and cut it. We the board have to take the lead and do it,” said Keith Whitaker.
Consensus was reached on the following conceptual cuts with the resolution to actually create the RIF to happen at a future board meeting. A majority of the board members agreed to reduce the computer technology position from a .75 to a .4 full time equivalent (FTE) with board members Scott Lancaster and Tony Ghazel voting against the proposal. The board voted by a majority a .2 percent reduction in library personnel for a savings of $8,000 with Ghazel, Lancaster and Charlie Glasser in favor.
Lastly, the board gave direction to Ben Thomas the School District Business Manager and Sandi Harris, School District Athletic Director, to discuss with the Associated Student Body (ASB) picking up coach’s stipends. Currently the coaches’ stipends are paid from the General Fund and the board is proposing that ASB use some of its funds for this expense.
The next OISD meeting will be Aug. 5 at 3 p.m. in the school library to discuss the administrative structure for the 2008/2009 school year.
