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Keokuk School Budget Cuts

The Keokuk School Board must make some serious cuts to next year’s budget.

Superintendent Lora Wolff says the district will actually lose roughly $550,000 in state aid because of its declining enrollment.

She says dwindling revenues and increasing expenditures mean balancing the spending plan for the 2012/2013 school year will require a reduction of $1.3-million.

The district plans to use cash reserves and unspent balances to cover nearly $600,000.

The rest of the shortfall ($700,000) will have to come from budget modifications.

This after the Keokuk School Board reduced the budget by nearly three-point-five million dollars during the previous three school years.

Wolff says the administration’s recommendations would eliminate 3-4 jobs, after retirements and relocations are taken into consideration.

She says other savings will come from the closing of Wells-Carey Elementary, the loss of a grant for elementary school guidance services, and a reducing in Title I funding due to enrollment loss.

The budget modifications could be approved as early as March 12.

 

The list of proposed budget modifications includes:

- Reduce a ½ time Elementary PE position, a ½ time Elementary art position, & a ½ time elementary music position (@$60,000 savings)

- Reduce a third grade classroom but add a first grade classroom (@$20,000 savings)

- Replace Hawthorne Elementary Dean position and add a second dean (@$36,000 additional cost)

- Utility Services at Wells-Carey (@$20,000 savings)

- Eliminate full-time custodian, ½ time custodian, secretary, and media clerk from Wells Carey while hiring ½ time custodian and ½ time media clerk at Hawthorne Elementary (@$92,000 savings)

- Reduce a Title I teacher and a ½ time Title I clerk (@$62,000 savings)

- Reduce Elementary Guidance Counselors due to loss of grant (@$315,000 savings)

- Reduce multiple ½ positions at the High School (Media Specialist, Language Arts, Math, & Science) along with Study Hall Clerk and Supervision position (@$180,000 savings)

Jason Parrott is a former reporter at Tri States Public Radio.