Mustang superintendent turns down raise offer
By Brendan Hoover
Managing Editor
With her district facing historic funding cuts at the state level, Mustang Public Schools Superintendent Bonnie Lightfoot turned down a pay raise Monday night.
At the January school board meeting, Lightfoot declined to take an increase in salary. During Monday's meeting, she turned down the board's offer of a $20,000 annuity, payable at the end of her contract. Lightfoot stated that due to the district's financial position, she respectfully declined the offer. Her contract was renewed at the same salary, $123,000, but extended through 2013.
Before turning down the raise, Lightfoot announced the district would have to cut about 20 certified positions and 10 support positions for the 2010-11 school year.
She outlined many cost-cutting steps administrators planned to take to absorb the $2.2 million less the district has received in funding this year, with dire revenue projections ahead for next year and beyond.
The certified layoffs will likely come from the 65 teachers who are currently on temporary contracts, but attrition could help ease the number of people who will lose their job, Lightfoot said.
Additionally, the district will look to temporary support positions to make necessary cuts, including two and four-hour positions, she said.
A district committee has been working to trim expenses without students having to feel the effects of the budget cuts, Lightfoot said.
“Everyone in this group has worked as a group to make sure that every one of our students will still continue to have the very best education,” she said.
According to data provided by Chief Financial Officer Kay Medcalf, the Mustang school district is projected (assuming a 10-percent state revenue reduction) to receive $4.66 million less funding next year than what is projected for this year. The district’s carryover to begin the 2010-11 school year – which will be needed to pay teacher salaries during the summer months –is projected to be $2.76 million, the lowest since the 2006-07 school year.
In a letter posted on the district’s website on March 5, Lightfoot wrote, “eighty-five percent of Mustang’s general fund budget goes to salaries. The cost-saving measures we have implemented will produce some results but not nearly enough. The only way we can bridge the gap between this fiscal year and the next is by reducing the amount of money spent on salaries. The district is being forced to reduce the number of employees by 15-20 positions.
“We hope to accomplish this primarily through attrition. If the number of retirements and resignations are not enough, it is likely that the district may be unable to rehire all of our first-year employees who are on temporary contracts. Although this will invariably lead to an increase in class sizes, we will fight to protect the 20-to-1 ratio in kindergarten through second grade.”
For the past two months, no district employees have been allowed to work overtime, Lightfoot said. In addition, a moratorium has been placed on out-of-state travel for administrators and teachers. It currently costs $6,000-$7,000 to send one employee out of state on business, she said.
The district will also cut one of the four school resource officers who currently work at Mustang schools, Lightfoot said. The cut will come from the north side of the district, where Canadian County Sheriff’s deputies are employed to provide security at the sites outside Mustang’s city limits.
All-day kindergarten postponed
To help offset next year’s funding cuts, Mustang’s all-day kindergarten program has been postponed. School board members voted unanimously to approve the delay, although newly-elected School Board President Maxine Morris asked Lightfoot to consider tabling the item.
“The only thing that is really important is for parents to know as soon as possible, that it is not a possibility so that they will know far enough in advance to make plans for it next year,” she said. “I’d be misleading you if I told you I thought we could (start all-day kindergarten next year).”
All-day kindergarten would require hiring 18 new teachers. The district has saved $1.2 million the program, but that money has been cancelled out and then some by this year’s cuts.
“We would not be able to afford to staff that number of new teaching positions,” Lightfoot said.
Additionally, transitional first-grade classes will be absorbed by regular first-grade classes in an effort to save positions and keep class sizes down, she said.
More cost-cutting initiatives were announced during the meeting. Next year, according to Lightfoot:
- Field trips will have to be paid from school activity funds.
- The number of bus stops each route will make will be fewer, meaning students may have to walk farther to their bus stop.
- The district will forgo new textbook adoption, as previously planned; the move will save the district $200,000-$300,000 in additional costs, and money normally spent on books may be used for other expenses.
- The number of athletic scrimmages will be cut, eliminating travel expenses.
- The district will institute a fee schedule for outside organizations, such as little league teams, to use school facilities; this proposal will be announced at the April regular school board meeting.
- About 100 employee cell phones will be eliminated.
- Copy machine usage will be reduced; one site had $25,000 in leasing overage fees.
- Energy conservation is already being stressed; one site had a $7,000 monthly electric bill.
New officers elected
Morris was elected by school board members as the new president. She replaces member Jeff Johnson, who did not attend the meeting. Dona Zanotti was elected vice-president, and Amanda Strassle was elected clerk. New member Chad Fulton was sworn in following his election win last month. More Mustang school news at mustangpaper.com
Managing Editor
With her district facing historic funding cuts at the state level, Mustang Public Schools Superintendent Bonnie Lightfoot turned down a pay raise Monday night.
At the January school board meeting, Lightfoot declined to take an increase in salary. During Monday's meeting, she turned down the board's offer of a $20,000 annuity, payable at the end of her contract. Lightfoot stated that due to the district's financial position, she respectfully declined the offer. Her contract was renewed at the same salary, $123,000, but extended through 2013.
Before turning down the raise, Lightfoot announced the district would have to cut about 20 certified positions and 10 support positions for the 2010-11 school year.
She outlined many cost-cutting steps administrators planned to take to absorb the $2.2 million less the district has received in funding this year, with dire revenue projections ahead for next year and beyond.
The certified layoffs will likely come from the 65 teachers who are currently on temporary contracts, but attrition could help ease the number of people who will lose their job, Lightfoot said.
Additionally, the district will look to temporary support positions to make necessary cuts, including two and four-hour positions, she said.
A district committee has been working to trim expenses without students having to feel the effects of the budget cuts, Lightfoot said.
“Everyone in this group has worked as a group to make sure that every one of our students will still continue to have the very best education,” she said.
According to data provided by Chief Financial Officer Kay Medcalf, the Mustang school district is projected (assuming a 10-percent state revenue reduction) to receive $4.66 million less funding next year than what is projected for this year. The district’s carryover to begin the 2010-11 school year – which will be needed to pay teacher salaries during the summer months –is projected to be $2.76 million, the lowest since the 2006-07 school year.
In a letter posted on the district’s website on March 5, Lightfoot wrote, “eighty-five percent of Mustang’s general fund budget goes to salaries. The cost-saving measures we have implemented will produce some results but not nearly enough. The only way we can bridge the gap between this fiscal year and the next is by reducing the amount of money spent on salaries. The district is being forced to reduce the number of employees by 15-20 positions.
“We hope to accomplish this primarily through attrition. If the number of retirements and resignations are not enough, it is likely that the district may be unable to rehire all of our first-year employees who are on temporary contracts. Although this will invariably lead to an increase in class sizes, we will fight to protect the 20-to-1 ratio in kindergarten through second grade.”
For the past two months, no district employees have been allowed to work overtime, Lightfoot said. In addition, a moratorium has been placed on out-of-state travel for administrators and teachers. It currently costs $6,000-$7,000 to send one employee out of state on business, she said.
The district will also cut one of the four school resource officers who currently work at Mustang schools, Lightfoot said. The cut will come from the north side of the district, where Canadian County Sheriff’s deputies are employed to provide security at the sites outside Mustang’s city limits.
All-day kindergarten postponed
To help offset next year’s funding cuts, Mustang’s all-day kindergarten program has been postponed. School board members voted unanimously to approve the delay, although newly-elected School Board President Maxine Morris asked Lightfoot to consider tabling the item.
“The only thing that is really important is for parents to know as soon as possible, that it is not a possibility so that they will know far enough in advance to make plans for it next year,” she said. “I’d be misleading you if I told you I thought we could (start all-day kindergarten next year).”
All-day kindergarten would require hiring 18 new teachers. The district has saved $1.2 million the program, but that money has been cancelled out and then some by this year’s cuts.
“We would not be able to afford to staff that number of new teaching positions,” Lightfoot said.
Additionally, transitional first-grade classes will be absorbed by regular first-grade classes in an effort to save positions and keep class sizes down, she said.
More cost-cutting initiatives were announced during the meeting. Next year, according to Lightfoot:
- Field trips will have to be paid from school activity funds.
- The number of bus stops each route will make will be fewer, meaning students may have to walk farther to their bus stop.
- The district will forgo new textbook adoption, as previously planned; the move will save the district $200,000-$300,000 in additional costs, and money normally spent on books may be used for other expenses.
- The number of athletic scrimmages will be cut, eliminating travel expenses.
- The district will institute a fee schedule for outside organizations, such as little league teams, to use school facilities; this proposal will be announced at the April regular school board meeting.
- About 100 employee cell phones will be eliminated.
- Copy machine usage will be reduced; one site had $25,000 in leasing overage fees.
- Energy conservation is already being stressed; one site had a $7,000 monthly electric bill.
New officers elected
Morris was elected by school board members as the new president. She replaces member Jeff Johnson, who did not attend the meeting. Dona Zanotti was elected vice-president, and Amanda Strassle was elected clerk. New member Chad Fulton was sworn in following his election win last month. More Mustang school news at mustangpaper.com
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