With budget cuts on the horizon, the Mount Vernon School Board hinted last week at reducing funding for both Mountain School and district librarian services.
Those reductions, along with a laundry list of potential cuts for the 2008-2009 budget, were discussed by the board June 17 at Mount Vernon High School. It was the board’s third budget meeting in the past two weeks.
The School Board is working to cut approximately $1 million from next year’s budget.
During the meeting, board members supported ways to continue funding kindergarten programs in the district, and said their No. 1 priority in the district is early learning.
The board originally proposed changing the current kindergarten model, in which students take part in school five days a week part-time. Potential changes included having students attend full-day kindergarten three days per week and two days per week on alternating weeks.
“If we put money in kindergarten, we have to take it from somewhere else,” School Board President Charles Guildner said.
Cuts could come from the district’s participation with Mountain School, an outdoor-based education program offered by the North Cascades Institute. The district is slated to pay approximately $54,000 — about $55 per student — for students to attend the school.
Board member Luanne Burkhart said she has been the top supporter of the district’s association with the program, and said the cut will not be easy for her to accept.
The board’s discussion to reduce librarian staff within the district seemed to remain on the cutting board. Those reductions, which include adding classified staff to replace librarians, could save between approximately $200,000 to $320,000, according to a proposed budget reduction sheet.
Other major proposed cuts on the list were reducing non-head custodian staff hours, reducing three bus routes and replacing the migrant/bilingual coordinator position with a parent/community liaison.
The School Board could approve its final budget as early as July 23.
