POSSIBLE RIPON SCHOOL DISTRICT CUTS UNVEILED

TO: Ripon Board of Education
FROM: Dr. Richard Zimman, Superintendent
DATE: January 12, 2009
RE: District Budget Team Recommendations

The District Budget Team met in December and January to review the feedback gathered from staff and residents during the Budget Prioritization Sessions and to analyze the potential impact of a variety of budget cuts on the quality of Ripon’s instructional program. It was determined that 15 years of constant cutting due to the state’s revenue limits law has finally taken our school district to the point of not having much more to cut without seriously jeopardizing the quality of our schools. Due to state and federal collective bargaining laws that guide contracts with the Ripon Education Association, the Budget Team did not include any potential savings that might be realized in negotiations with the teachers union. Since the Budget Team members found it difficult to recommend cuts that would result in next year’s students receiving a lower quality education than this year’s students received, the Team decided to present two options to the Board.

Option #1 meets the goal of cutting $545,000 of annual operating costs from the budget to meet our 2009-10 projections for the state’s revenue limits law. This would require teacher layoffs at all schools which would mean program cuts and increases in class sizes. Because of the permanency of such layoffs under the revenue limits law, it is anticipated that we will be faced with a 2010-11 layoff that is the equivalent of an additional 9 teachers and a 2011-12 layoff that is the equivalent of an additional 13 teachers. This would represent about a 20% cut in our teaching staff in three years resulting in significant increases in class sizes and decreases in courses and programs.

Option #2 contains cuts that eliminate programs and services that have helped define the District as a quality school system, but stops short of cutting classroom teachers and aides. This option takes the District to less than half of the $545,000 goal which will require the Board to dig into an already depleted fund balance for annual operating expenses. Not only does this cause more instructional dollars to be shifted to paying increased interest charges for cash-flow borrowing, but it begins a cycle that will end in the District’s bankruptcy and dissolution before most of today’s students have graduated unless a new infusion of funds from a successful referendum is received.

Neither option is good for kids or our community, but Ripon is now faced with the stark reality that most other districts faced years ago as a result of the state’s revenue limits law. What to do in the face of this reality is more of a policy decision than a fiscal one, and the Budget Team was not charged with making recommendations on far-reaching policy decisions that this budget will require. Therefore, two options are presented with no recommendations. Whatever the Board decides, the Administrative Team will develop plans to put the Board’s decisions into action in a way that is as least disruptive as possible.

Budget Cuts Required By State Revenue Limits Law for 2009-10 = $ 545,000

2009-10 Budget Reductions Option #1 - Option #2
* Cut half of annual building repairs/maintenance projects - $ 105,000 - $105,000
* Lengthen classroom repainting cycle to 12 years - 11,500 - 11,500
* Reduce lawn fertilizer/pesticide applications - 3,000 - 3,000
* Eliminate Highway 41 billboard sponsorship with Ripon College - 4,320 - 4,320
* Decrease school building budgets by 10% - 57,000 - 57,000
* Eliminate non-supervisory aides working during late-start times - 15,652 - 15,652
* Reduce staff summer workshops for skill development - 4,000 - 4,000
* Eliminate/reduce some teacher extended summer contracts - 10,000 - 10,000
* Eliminate 1 non-supervisory elementary aide position - 21,865 - 0
* Eliminate 1 BPES teacher position - 78,234 - 0
* Eliminate 1 MPES teacher position - 78,234 - 0
* Eliminate 1 RMS teacher position - 78,234 - 0
* Eliminate 1 RHS teacher position - 78,234 - 0
* TOTAL BUDGET CUTS - $ 545,273 - $ 210,472