Committees begin study work

Citing numerous facts, Conneaut School District Assistant Superintendent Jarrin Sperry put forth the issues the four committees need to study and make recommendations on as the school district prepares for the future and how it may be configured, what may be offered to students, and how all may be paid for.

Declining student enrolment, stagnant real estate growth and limited state aid are all factors among others pushing a need in the school district as to use of buildings, which ones to use, what classes are offered and, again, what could be offered to students from academic classes to extra-curricular offerings.

There is a projected $12,610,557 deficit in the budget from the 2011-12 year to 2014-15. Expenses include wage increases for all, medical increases projected at 10% annually plus other health insurances increases at 4.5% annually, retirement increases to 12.9% in 2012-13 to 16.9% in 2013-14, and 21.18% in 2014-15, and an overall 3% increase annually on all other expenses. The increase in the state pension contributions mean about $1.9 million will be needed over the next 3 years.

Special education and Accountability block grants have been reduced by the state. Money for charter school reimbursements have been eliminated and the local school district having to make up that cost.

Revenue increases are projected at 1.5% on real estate, less than 1% in interest revenues, an adjusted $193,280 state basic subsidy, and level increases of state revenues .

The Act 1 law that limits school districts to a certain level before asking voters to approve an amount over that is projected to be in the 1-to-2 percent range, bringing in about $245,000 yearly. Act 1 limits ranged from 4-to-6% in the past.

To cover the deficit noted, taxes would have to increase from the current 50.05 to 61.86 in 2012-12, 76.66 in 2013, and 96.29 in 2014-15. That means on an average property assessed at 23,600, taxes would go up from $1,181.18 now to $1,459.84 in 12/13, $1,809.25 in 13/14 and $2,272.38 in 14/15.

Sperry noted that across the district some 26 classes students signed up for in the upcoming year could not be scheduled because of low numbers including classes such as microbiology at all 3 high schools, Chemistry 2, Applied Physics, Spanish 5 and 6, German 3 and 4, and Anatomy and Physiology at differing schools.

Sperry noted that state population projections regarding students right now is at the level the state projected for 2016. Some 136 students are signed up for kindergarten this fall, down from 185 this past year.

Student enrolment has fallen from 3,090 in 2000-2001 to 2,410 this past school year of 2010-11.

Sperry noted the school district is not required to offer kindergarten, music, academic teams, art, library, physical education, family and consumer science, technology education, guidance counselors, literacy/math coaches, student transportation, and athletics. Several cuts listed saving $775,000 if kindergarten was cut, $575,000 saved if libraries cut and $651,000 saved if athletics were cut. That is only a portion of the projected $12-million deficit noted above.

Four committees have begun work on the future direction.