School Board to Hear Budget Cut Recommendations — And How They Will Impact Students

The Rochester Board of Education will hear from the school district's administration team tonight about suggestions for cutbacks during the 2012-13 school year.

The meeting is at 7 p.m. in the Harrison Room of the Rochester School Administration Building.

Faced with a budget deficit that will be between $8.7 million and $9.5 million, leaders of are studying which programs will need to be cut or scaled back next year.

Board of Education members have instructed administrators to suggest budget cutbacks that are between $3.5 million and $6.1 million. The rest of the deficit will be cushioned by the district's general fund balance, which is about $23.5 million.

Dan Romzek, the district's assistant superintendent for business, is expected to lead a presentation to board members that will detail $4.7 million in proposed cutbacks. Those include:

• Eliminate five teacher positions. This cutback would result in more combined classrooms in the elementary schools. It would save $325,000.
• The use of at-risk grant funding for interventionist positions. This would free up general fund costs for these six positions, though it would provide less grant funding for other grant initiatives. Savings: $275,000.
• Reduce from full-time to half-time a curriculum clerk position. Savings: $36,897.
• Reduce by $201,000 the special education department budget.
• Reduce health insurance costs for school aged care employees, which coincides with these employees' reduced work hours because of all-day kindergarten. Savings: $109,003.
  
• Reduce bus replacement fund by 10 percent. Savings: $50,000.
  
• Reduce department budgets by 5 percent. Savings: $239,532.
  
• Reduce the number of teacher leaders and reduce their planning days. Savings: $34,240.
  
• Reduce substitute teacher costs associated with school business activities like professional development. Savings: $30,000.
  
• Reduce clerical staff costs by 5 percent through restructuring. Savings: $264,912.
• Eliminate one full-time counselor position. Savings: $65,000.
  
• Reduce general fund athletics subsidy by 10 percent. This reduction will not be passed on to parents by increased pay-to-play fees. Savings: $125,272.
  
• Reduce by 20 percent the technology replacement program. Savings: $100,000.
  

The outsourcing of custodial and transportation services, which is expected to save the district $2.9 million next year, is also part of the $4.7 million in recommended cutbacks.

The district's budget is scheduled to be approved on June 18.