State budget impacts schools
Candice Boutilier/Columbia Basin Herald<br> The City of Moses Lake no longer allows for time payments on infractions related to the photo enforced intersections in Moses Lake.
COLUMBIA BASIN — Some teachers won’t be returning to school next year, as Columbia Basin school districts work to balance reduced budgets.
The state Legislature approved its final 2009-2011 budget before adjourning Sunday, leaving districts to plan for anticipated losses in funding.
Moses Lake School District anticipated cutting 14 teacher positions.
Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations Monte Redal said nearly the same number of teachers are retiring or planned to resign from the district.
“Through attrition, we may be able to reduce most of our reductions,” Redal said.
The state is reducing levy equalization funding by 15 percent and I-728 funding by 71 percent in school districts across the state, he said.
The total financial impact to the Moses Lake School District in two years is $3 million.
School districts are also not receiving funding for cost of living adjustments, Redal said.
The Moses Lake School District would have received $1.3 million. The impact cancels itself out, he said.
“We don’t have to spend the money, but we’re not getting the money,” he said.
Redal said stimulus money is coming from the federal government, to replace some levy equalization funding and I-728 funding.
Redal said the district will find out in mid-May what the provisions are for spending the stimulus money. Teachers might be able to be rehired with the money, he said.
Ephrata’s budget will be reduced by nearly $1.057 million, said Superintendent Jerry Simon.
The district anticipated cutting six teacher positions and one administrator position.
Recently the school board approved a 2009-2011 Modified Education Programs plan, which includes 20 reductions to district spending, Simon said.
The contracts of three teachers will not be renewed, he said. Two additional teachers are resigning. A final teacher position is being lost, but it will not be in the form of a non-renewal, Simon said.
If the budget cuts are less severe than projected, the district will rehire staff, he said.
Othello School District’s budget will be reduced by $2 million, said Super-intendent George Juarez.
“We don’t have any plans on reducing our workforce right now,” Juarez said.
Othello School District anticipated no positions would be lost, as the district can use reserve funding and carryover Initiative 728 funds to support salaries.