Budget problems arise in District 5

By Kathy Domgard

School District 5 will be required to layoff one elementary school teacher due to a budget shortfall if no additional retirements are announced by March 1, according to District 5 Business Manager Todd Watkins. The budget problem currently does not effect FHS, however, by the year 2000-2001 it will be a major issue.

“We seem to be in a period of decreasing enrollment in grades K-8,” said Watkins, “which is bad news financially for the district.”

The basis of funding is enrollment counts that are taken twice a year. Schools receive state money for each student enrolled, and if enrollment decreases, so will funding. Statewide, elementary schools, grades K-8, receive $3,410 per student — an amount which has decreased by about $100 since 1993-94.

“The state simply doesn’t have enough money,” said Watkins. “There is barely enough to go around as it is.”

Enrollment counts show that 86 fewer students were enrolled for the 1997-98 school year. Projections show 50 fewer students being enrolled in elementary schools in 1998-99, resulting in about $250,000 less for District 5, according to the 1998-99 budget  prepared by Superintendent Alan Hafer and Watkins.

 “The only solution we can see on a long-term basis is for the state legislation to increase the per student funding,” said Watkins.

High schools across the state receive $4,773 per student which has also decreased by about $130 since 1993-94. But due to the increase in student population at FHS, this is not a major problem.

A last-resort solution for part of the budget problem is the prospect of laying-off one elementary teacher.

“We’re optimistic that the district won’t have to layoff any teachers,” said Watkins. “There should be enough retirements this year.”

Although the budget problem has not plagued FHS yet, Watkins predicts that in three years it could.

Said Watkins:

“Declining enrollment in elementary schools will mean less students attending high school in a few years.” 

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