BRUTAL SCHOOL BUDGET CUTS COMING: FROM TEACHERS TO TEXTBOOKS

The school district is heading toward some of its most severe budget cuts in years, according to Business Administrator Cheryl Schneider who offered a preliminary budget plan Monday that includes cutting 10 teachers, reducing supplies, and looking at redistricting to offset enrollment hikes.

"We are getting to the point where we are cutting back in areas we hoped we never have to," Schneider told the board at Monday night's meeting. "These are very painful."

And even with such cutbacks, the proposed budget of 
$111.3 million would still be higher than the current $109.1 million spending plan. And if adopted as is, it would mean an average property tax hike for Maplewood homeowners of about $165 per year. 

"We are getting into areas where we are wondering if we are going to have as much as we really need," Schneider said about resources slated for cuts. "In order to operate at least the way we are now."

Among the spending cuts and other changes being proposed are:

* Hiring  a consultant to review potential redistricting that could be implemented as early as the fall of 2017.
* Freezing spending on any new technology and new textbooks.
* Cutting at least 20 staff positions, with 10 of them teaching posts.
* Cutting back on memberships, periodicals and media center supplies.
* Limited increases in athletic costs.
* Reorganizing the media centers and libraries at all levels.

"We are focusing on getting the libraries in the classrooms built up as opposed to putting more in the general libraries that people visit," Schneider said, later adding, "Unless we really need to get a new textbook, look at replacing until we know what we are doing with the budget."

Superintendent John Ramos said most of the teacher cuts will be at the high school: "We are considering positions at the secondary level and mostly at the high school."

Schneider did have some good news, revealing that the district will get $91,349 more this year in state aid and had already seen a $600,000 savings in health costs after switching from the state health system to Horizon for employees.

Still, several board members stressed the need to keep basic resources in place. "We've got to make sure we're shoring up the classrooms," said Board Member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad.

The next budget-related meeting will be a workshop on March 2, with a community forum set for March 9. The board will adopt a preliminary budget on March 21, with a public hearing on final adoption likely on May 2.