News Photo by Meakalia Previch-Liu Alpena Public Schools Board of Education President Gordon Snow is seen speaking at a meeting on Monday evening via Zoom videoconferencing software.

ALPENA — Alpena Public Schools is preparing for a possible 20% to 25% cut in the per-pupil payments it receives from the state.

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, the chair of the state Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee, informed school officials of the potential cuts in recent meetings after the state budget lost billions of dollars because of coronavirus-related economic shutdowns.

The cut would mean about $2,000 less than the roughly $8,000 schools receive per student. However, APS Superintendent John VanWagoner said the state school board feels the cut might only be around $600 per student.

“We are very much in limbo over budget right now, as far what this budget year is even going to end like, let alone next year,” VanWagoner said at an APS Board of Education meeting on Monday evening. “There is some money in the (state’s) rainy day funds, there’s $1.2 billion dollars there that 25% per year could be used to stabilize the budget … and there’s still some flexibility in federal money. So we’re just trying to plan what we can plan.”

Mary Lyon, associate superintendent for business and operations, is creating budget scenarios using a $250 and a $500 cut per pupil estimate, a lower enrollment projection, and careful hiring decisions.

Based on its most recent budget, the district expects to end the year with about $5.4 million in savings, enough to cover about 12.8% of its annual expenses. The Alpena school board requires the district to keep enough in the bank to cover at least 10% of expenses.

VanWagoner said the district’s cash savings is enough to weather one year.

Members of the Alpena school board’s Finance Committee agreed to keep some programs going, like Advanced Placement courses and Amp Up!, a math course, using savings, as long as the fund balance did not dip below 10% of the district’s expenses.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Education are working together to form some groups that will help schools plan how to start in the fall, VanWagoner said, and APS will continue to work through the process. Schools were in March ordered closed to in-person instruction to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“Things are literally being updated and changed on a daily basis,” VanWagoner said. “We are definitely worried about it, and are doing everything we can to plan for what’s left of this year and going into next year.”

Meakalia Previch-Liu can be reached at 989-358-5680 or mprevich-liu@thealpenanews.com.

In other business

The Alpena Public Schools Board of Education on Monday also:

∫ adopted the Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District General Fund Operating Budget resolution.

∫ adopted the AMA-ESD Special Election resolution, which supports candidate Leo Fitzpatrick for a position of the AMA-ESD Board of Education to fill a vacancy expiring on June 30, 2025.

∫ acknowledged the retirement of Karen Zinke, Alpena High School instructional assistant, effective April 30. Zinke is retiring after 28 years of service.