Moses Lake schools cut funds

MOSES LAKE - The Moses Lake School District is preparing for more than $1 million in cuts to this year's budget.

"The legislature is going to have to make cuts to this year's budget after the budgets have already been set," says Monte Redal, deputy superintendent of the Moses Lake School District. "They are looking at how to reduce the state budget due to the fact that the state of Washington will run out of money before the end of the year if they don't do that."

The Washington state legislature is working to revise the current year's education budget and schools around the state will start seeing program and staffing reductions.

The biggest impact in Moses Lake schools will be come from reductions in the kindergarten through fourth grade staffing ratio and levy equalization funds.

Redal says the reduction in staffing will reduce the funding needed for teachers already under contract with the district.

"This will affect us to the tune of about $800,000 in our kindergarten through fourth-grade area," says Redal.

Teachers are contracted on a year-by-year basis and will remain employed by the school.

Redal says that by law the state can't reduce basic education through the cuts.

"But they can reduce the enhancements and that K-4 staffing is one of those enhancements," says Redal.

Levy equalization funds are the additional state funds given to a school district after they pass a levy. Only schools below the state average on property values are eligible. Most districts in Eastern Washington receive levy equalization funds.

"In the past we got about $4 million," says Redal. "This budget year, in levy equalization, we anticipated about $800,000 less and the state is talking about reducing another $400,000." 

Redal says the school district would see about $1.2 million in cuts before the year is out.

"We understand that the revenue is not there for the state and these are some of the impacts," says Redal. "We don't really know what the state is going to do for next year." 

The Moses Lake School District operates on a $74 million budget.

"What we know about next year so far is that the governor has proposed a budget that eliminates some programs, salary increases for teachers, K-4 enhancement funding as well as decreasing and restructuring in levy equalization funds and suspension of national board certification bonus." 

Traditionally, when teachers complete their certifications, they receive $5,000 a year throughout 10 years as a bonus for completing the program.

"We'll just have to make the reductions, higher class sizes at our elementary schools and make those cuts," Redal says. "The good news is Moses Lake School District is growing. We're up about 100 students this year over last year. Some districts are facing these cuts and student (populations) are declining."

Redal says that the district is hoping to avoid teacher layoffs through upcoming retirements. 

"We've got about eight teachers getting ready to retire," says Redal. "We're hopeful that we'll be able to make most of our adjustments through attrition. We're looking at every position, whether it's bus driver or teacher. We're looking at each one and analyzing if we really need to replace that position or if we can make due without them."