Highline School Board members approved Aug. 12 a 2009-2010 school budget that makes deep cuts in existing school programs.
The $181.48 million general fund budget was passed unanimously as part of the consent agenda with no members of the public asking to speak at a final public budget hearing.
All district personnel, except Teamster union members, will take an extra day off without pay in December. The cuts also include eliminating almost all summer school programs except for credit retrieval classes, abolishing district management of the teen parent program, and reducing the weeklong Camp Waskowitz outdoor education program by one day.
For the first time, Highline students will pay a fee to play athletics.
An additional $3 million in cuts were made during the 2008/2009 school year, including the elimination of 17 central office and school-based positions.
District funding for full day kindergarten at four schools will be retained despite Superintendent John Welch's initial recommendation to eliminate it.
Board president Bernie Dorsey praised efforts by district staffers to obtain feedback from the community.
At three community meetings, participants were given a worksheet that outlined how much needed to be cut and the cost of various programs. Participants were asked to select the cuts they favored to reach the given budget figure. Some people used calculators to complete the exercise.
"It was a model of how to engage with the community in a solution-oriented way," Dorsey said. "I was proud to be a part of it."
Board member Michael Spear noted, "This budget was a much harder one than last year. It is not perfect but we did receive a lot of community involvement."
The input from the community and school personnel may have saved some positions that have been on the chopping block in past years, including counselors, librarians and school reserve officers.
Board member Susan Goding voiced concern over a low unreserved fund balance. She said she assumes school funding will not improve and more serious cuts will be needed in next year's budget.
The unreserved fund balance is estimated to be 3.2 million.
Welch replied that raising the fund balance will be at the top of the list for district administrators.
Other budgets approved were $1.4 million for transportation vehicle fund, $56.37 for capital projects fund, $26.86 million for debit service fund, and $2.37 million for associated student body fund.