Columbia Basin schools plan for budget cuts

MOSES LAKE — Schools across Washington state are anticipating budget cuts, following the release of Gov. Chris Gregoire’s proposed budget.

Potential budget cuts to the K-12 system, totaling $800 million from 2009 to 2011, would impact the operation of schools in Grant and Adams counties.

Proposed budget cuts include a $349.2 million reduction in I-732 funds, a $178 million reduction in I-728 funds, and a $125.4 million reduction in levy equalization funds.

I-732 funds, which Gregoire proposes cutting out completely from the budget, support salary increases for teachers and other school employees.

The state legislature will consider the proposed budget when it convenes in 2009.

“Certainly, these cuts will affect our schools, and with the reduction of levy equalization money, some schools will suffer more than others,” stated Association of Washington School Principals Executive Director Gary Kipp.

“Many districts have had to use I-728 funds to support services they consider ‘basic education.’ We expect that these districts will be left with no choice but to reduce their teaching staff,” he added.

Othello School District Superintendent George Juarez said the district and board will hold a workshop in early January to discuss the budget cuts.

“It could be as much as $1.5 million,” Juarez said.

The school district’s budget is approximately $32 million, he said.

Levy equalization funds could be reduced by $700,000, and I-728 funds could be reduced by an additional $400,000 to $500,000 in the district, he said.

Warden School District initially discussed a 13-percent budget decrease, which would have totaled $1.3 million.

The estimate included $202,500 in cuts to all-day kindergarten funding, an area the governor did not ultimately propose cutting, according to Kipp.

Moses Lake School District Superintendent Steve Chestnut said, at a school board meeting Dec. 18, the cuts to levy equalization and I-728 funds would amount to an approximate $1.5 million reduction in the district’s budget.

He noted Gregoire’s other proposed cuts include 6.3 percent to public safety, 6.4 percent to early learning and 7.6 percent to higher education.

In comparison, the proposed cut to public schools is 5.6 percent, he said.  

“We came out better than the other major budget categories, but it’s still going to be a lot of cuts,” Chestnut said.

Wilson Creek School District could lose about $293,000, or 11.5 percent of its budget, if the governor’s proposed budget cuts are approved by the legislature, according to Superintendent Linda McKay.

Kipp noted school employees may be disappointed the governor decided to freeze cost-of-living adjustments, but for school districts, the freeze may be positive.

“Gov. Gregoire understands that, over the last few years, we’ve seen an increase in the number of teachers whose raises have had to come from local funds,” he stated. “This is one of the primary reasons that districts are in such financial crises.”