By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald
Members of the Harney County District No. 3 Budget Committee will have to make some tough decisions as they consider what to cut to make next year’s budget work.
Superintendent David Courtney noted in his School Talk column last week that the district is about $800,000 in the red, which means programs, teachers, staff or school days will have to go.
The next budget committee meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, in the Lincoln administrative building (550 N. Court Ave) boardroom, with the possibility of moving to the auditorium if more room is needed. Superintendent Courtney hopes residents will attend and offer input.
District staff and administrators held a meeting to brainstorm a list of options to reduce the budget shortfall. Here is a partial list of options that could be considered to save the district money:
• Cut Slater Elementary music program ($69,535).
• Cut curriculum director position ($35,400).
• Cut golf ($8,000).
• Cut library aid positions ($103,940).
• Eliminate the vice principal position at the high school and have the principal assume those duties.
• Reduce counseling positions to half time.
• Eliminate one of the reading specialist positions at Slater Elementary School.
• Cut days at the end of the school year ($300,000).
• Cut middle school sports ($26,725).
• Cut mid-week games (saves money in substitutes and decreases student absences).
• Cut non-league games.
• Increase the fee to play sports.
• Cut sports uniforms and equipment.
• Eliminate bus transportation for sports.
• Cut the entire sports program.
• Completely close buildings on Fridays.
• Cut the senior project requirements, which can be met through career classes.
• Cutting administrative positions.
No decisions have been made yet. The budget committee will discuss these options and other suggestions in more detail at the April 30 meeting.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Ooooh, now I know why it was so difficult to fill a vacancy on the school budget committee. I bet there will be plenty of long faces attending the meeting tonight.
April 30th, 2008 at 10:45 am
And yet the US seems to find plenty of money for military and wars. What about the children? I’d hate to be a child in school in this district and face the loss of so much such as cuts to reading and music programs. Why are these the first to go? Children need these the most!
April 30th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
What is left for the kids of this town? When I grew up in the school system we couldn’t wait to get to school and tap into our interests. This is so sad to see. Sports and music is about all there is for most of the kids in this town. How do you expect them to continue on with a career in their futures? These programs build self-confidence and teach diciplines that you can’t get from anywhere else. Reduce school days, cut out sports, cut out music, and cut the library and reading positions? What kind of child will a school system without those things produce? I don’t have answers, but I do know that the kids should not be the ones paying the price.
April 30th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Parents need to learn that life shouldn’t be cheap, or maybe I’m all wrong. Glad I won’t have to face them tonight.
A great politician will have the charisma to appease the masses. The republican agenda wants us to work for what we get while paying slave labor wages. The democrats seem to pull money out of a magic hat, I don’t know what to do about the problem?
April 30th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
ELIMINATE ADMINISTRATIVE RAISES!!! thats the first thing you should do! Rumor has it they are gettting a 5 1/2% raise this year yet they are cutting things the kids need to help them stay in school. I think you should start at the top when doing cuts then maybe the kids won’t suffer.
April 30th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I think that we should start at the top at the distric office. So that our kids don’t have to suffer. I also herd a rummor that some were getting A 5 1/2 percent raise I think that since our school distric is in so much trouble that they should say no we don’t need a raise this year. Our kid’s are more important.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I think it is sad that it has come to this. Does anyone realize that cutting music and other programs just hurts students more? How many times does this town have to go through this? I know from first hand experience how detrimental and devistating it is not only for the teachers who see programs cut or downsized, but for students as well. In specific response to cutting music. Do you expect freshman to begin band with no prior experience and still have a strong music program? I don’t think so. It is proven time after time that music education is a crucial and important asset to learning. It is unfortunate that this district has come to his crossroad again. This is Mr. Holland’s Opus all over again. Jus tlike PoorKids mentioned. How is this benefiting the kids? The kids should not be paying the price. Neither should the teachers and coaches involved either.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:20 am
I could not make the meeting last night but am anxious to hear what happened. It is a sad thing to know our children will suffer for poor planning and management. The things listed in this article as possible cuts are devistating for our already struggling community. Have you ever been to the Sunshine Room at Slater. We need a strong reading program in this district because our children are already falling behind in reading. I work around kids everyday and am still shocked at the poor reading skills the children in our school district have. In the business world the first and logical place to reduce costs is freezing management and admintrative salraries. I am told our school district leaders are receiving raises while other needed employees are in the hot seat for loosing their jobs. What kind of strategy is this? As a leader and advocate for kids you would think the leaders in our educational system would see the true value is in the curriculum and the staff that make the learning happen on ground zero. I truley hope for the sake of our children the school district does not cut valuable resources and opportunities for our kids before exploring all the possibilities. My childrens education is a top priority for my family and I, and if it comes down to my children receiving reduced educational services and opportunities we will have to explore other avenues to ensure a quality well-rounded education, to include leaving this school district.
May 1st, 2008 at 7:29 pm
This is not just a problem in Burns nor in the state of Oregon. The problem permeates throughout the United States. Oregon is a state which wants to provide the bulk of dollars to run the schools but does not want to provide enough dollars. The cuts which are on the table will not appease all and certainly will need to be addressed again in the not to distance future.
The idea that the administrators should not get raises just does not make sense. Let’s do the math…..the most a 5.5% increase would yield is about $25,000, but there may be a good chance that administrators will jump ship and is the district prepared to begin a revolving door of administrators, similar to our neighbor to the east? Cutting sports is an interesting idea. Why is it on the table when we all know that will never happen. I do have an answer…..ask the good citizens of Burns how much is too much to cut and then have a tax override to overcome the deficiencies. Next, contact the great Oregon state lawmakers including the governor himself and demand that funding of education not only is put at the forefront, but that there is a complete overhaul. I bet if the decision to erect a prison in Burns was to be made by the Oregon leaders, there would be a quick decision to “get that there prison” up and running.
Rather than slam those who need to make these difficult decisions, offer them constructive advice and give them a pat on the back. Dave Courtney needs the help and support…….of all!!
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:02 am
At least its nice to see some concern at an online forum. I have not heard otherwise so I’ll presume that the budget meeting was attended with apathy. Let the painful cuts begin and the ax fall where it may. The kids won’t know what they’ll be missing, save warm stories told of the good old days during family reunions.
Now, let’s prepare for the future. The kids attending school district #3 will merit their diplomas if they can find a way out of town upon graduation. The future doesn’t hold much promise for the unadventurous. If you are not amongst the elite, get ready to get comfortable in a bunkhouse or read the writing on the wall and appreciate Sheriff Glerup’s efforts to secure funds for another welfare half-way house.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Sad.
Between this sagging and dying economy and lack of funds for proper education, our kids are destined to rise to mediocrity.
Yes, cut administrative raises and put a freeze on any increase for at least two years. It may not be much, but it shows a sacrifice for our kids. If they have no money for the school, where can they find it for raises?
May 5th, 2008 at 11:15 am
I was raised in Harney County and remember when the State put to vote that the tax money per district be divvied out to everyone equally. We took a hit. Then I remember the first cut back in the Timber Receipt (i.e. Title 1, 2 and 3) money and once again we took a hit and the school district cut programs and SODA stepped up to bat for us kids. The loss we now face stems from the State as well as the federal folks not renewing the Timber Receipt funds. It think that it is a shame that our government cuts our educational funding (among other thing) and then calls us “uneducated” and wonders why. I feel that very strong letters to the Congressional folks and to the State gubernatorial folks about the injustice being served to our community and society is extremely unacceptable and will not be tolerated is necessary. As my mom always said, “it is always the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.” I know that for certain I will pull all three of my boys from the public system (costing the School District a minimum of $7,000 per child +) if this is the quality education that has become acceptable in our community and state. I pay taxes just like everyone else to give my children a quality education and I want to seed those invested dollars put to use wisely.
May 5th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
The educational system has been completely mismanaged not only in Harney County, but in Oregon and indeed the country.
“No Child Left Behind” Mr. Bush?
May 7th, 2008 at 8:00 am
So Sad…can you tell me the percentage of the federal budget that is used for defense spending? You automatically point fingers with no facts to back it up? Now, for your next exercise, how about doing a little research on how much of the current budget is spent on social programs such as welfare, etc. bet you discover some surprising facts about where our government is spending the money. Also, Kevin, why don’t you do a little research on who is voting on what programs in order to fund the “no child” program…i would suggest not blaming the president if he is not getting the support from the rest of our elected officials in order to make these things work. maybe we should all step outside our bubbles and take a real hard look at who we are electing and what they really stand for, not just what they say on TV in order to get our votes…just a thought.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
This weeks BTH flattered Burns by stating 135 citizens attended the budget meeting. That’s an impressive number considering all the distractions demanding attention.
I’m not about to get lost in the numbers or voting records. Nor will I fill the white space with a broad brush of complaints and whining. Rather, I would suggest that a good education starts at home and nurtures with an environment that a budget might provide.
•Cut Elementary music program.
I got tossed out of a Christmas rehearsal in 6th grade. I never appreciated music again until I dreamed a beautiful composition during a time when I was happy.
•Cut curriculum director position.
The school District could do better by hiring a PR man to go around and make people happy.
•Cut golf.
I took the course a couple of times, an expensive education to learn that I was not a natural. Maybe a good way for kids to spend time instead of loitering around outside… somewhere.
•Cut library aid positions.
I might learn from experience if I had to do anything myself.
•Eliminate the vice principal position at the high school and have the principal assume those duties.
I have no idea what a vice principle does other than more busy work.
•Reduce counseling positions to half time.
When I was in school, only the troubled kids had to go sit in a councilor’s office. I don’t know, they should steer kids to scholarship opportunities or tell them where to apply for food stamps.
•Eliminate one of the reading specialist positions at Slater Elementary School.
I learned to read in 1st grade. I was lucky, I had a crush on my teacher and wanted to do well for her.
•Cut days at the end of the school year.
Isn’t there a minimum number of days required to complete the year? I’m not sure about this one, why not just end school all together?
•Cut middle school sports.
Maybe just cut back and let kids get better equipment when they graduate to a bigger league.
•Cut mid-week games.
Well, parents might get more involved if they were free to drive their kids around on weekends.
•Cut non-league games.
League or no league, what difference does it make if the kids are occupied?
•Increase the fee to play sports.
Wow,I was lucky to get an allowance to buy lunch each day. This act would require the kids to learn how to write a grant application so their dad might fork over a little extra.
•Cut sports uniforms and equipment.
Yikes, those uniforms are expensive but what would we do without them?
•Eliminate bus transportation for sports.
Probably happen sooner or later with the changing times and luxury of oil becoming a precious commodity.
•Cut the entire sports program.
And have the kids join an after school book club.
•Completely close buildings on Fridays.
•Cut the senior project requirements, which can be met through career classes.
I had a humanities class in my senior year. I didn’t understand what was supposed to be written in a journal, each day was a repetition of the day before. We had a career day once. A bus load of kids went out to various job sites to view stiffs tending a huge machine while it punched out blanks in a cardboard box factory.
•Cutting administrative positions.
When I was in Hawaii not long ago, the school was the largest employer in the state. I can only imagine the raw numbers fed from a computer monitor while employees were charged to arrange and make sense of them. An elaborate Sudoku game to keep people occupied when they could do better if they only knew how to amuse themselves.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Let’s all ban together and see what kid of help and support is out there before making cuts that can only hurt an already ailing community.