Onaway Area Schools Board of Education members made final cuts for the upcoming school year, trimming more than $500,000 from the coming year's budget.
Retiring teachers and staff members will not be replaced and at least one program - band - will not be available next year. Interim Superintendent Rod Fullerton said the cuts were necessary because of sagging revenues from the state and a continuing loss of students in the district. He said while the cuts were able to absorb nearly all of the projected $748,000 deficit in next year's budget, it is still a mystery what happens next.
"We were able to absorb nearly all of the deficit this time, but no one knows what is ahead," he said. "We are in need of a miracle, but those are in short supply, and we are just hoping that any further cuts in state aid and losses in student population are minimal."
Fullerton said specific cuts include:
- a retiring elementary school secretary will not be replaced. Her duties will be redistributed and absorbed by remaining staff.
- Dean Dittmar, transportation superintendent, retires at the end the current school year and will not be replaced. His duties will be absorbed by remaining staff.
- John Hida, high school shop teacher and computer assisted drawing class teacher, will be replaced from within by building trades instructor Mark Grant. This move will mean the temporary end to the building trades program.
- a teacher from Paraguay, who teaches economics and Spanish, will return to her home at the end of the current school year and she will not be replaced. Fullerton said the administration is exploring the possible use of online classes to replace what she had taught.
- the school's band program will end. The current band teacher will be given a layoff. Fullerton said discussions currently are under way to possibly share a band instructor with a neighboring school district.
- the last guidance counselor will be given a layoff with those duties to be absorbed by the remaining staff.
- a Middle School teachers will be given a layoff. Fullerton said the plan is to share a middle school/high school English teacher and eliminate one position.
- cut $7,500 from the school's athletic budget. The cuts will come in the form of junior high school coaching positions not being paid, and a review of all other junior varsity and varsity coaching positions in all other sports.
Fullerton said the $528,000 in cuts save most of the projected $748,000 deficit in the upcoming school year's budget, with the remainder to be paid from the district's fund equity.
"We can absorb the $220,000 deficit but can't keep this up," he said. "We are all watching the next round of state cuts and possible student movements very carefully,"
Mike Modrzynski can be reached via email at mikemodrzynski@yahoo.com.