School board tackles more budget cuts

The La Conner School Board on Monday voted to accept a slate of proposed budget cuts put forth by the group that has been meeting in budget workshops since April.

District Business Manager Bonnie Haley told the board that the group actually exceeded the district’s goal of $500,000 in savings by more than $40,000 and that items could be added back in.

Still, “I’m loathe to tinker with the recommendations,” said board member Brad Smith. “My druthers would be to keep the recommendations intact and act on it.”

Board member John Thulen agreed, though he said he really hoped to keep instructional aide time.

But the board voted unani-mously to approve the proposed cuts as presented. They did that because they must send Reduction in Force notices to the non-teaching employees whose hours could be cut and whose positions could be eliminated.

The proposed cuts include $72,500 for about 18½ hours of teacher aide time per day; $15,533 in custodial time, which amounts to three hours per day and eliminating custodial time on half-days; $20,250 by cutting food services workers by 4½ hours per day; $25,000 eliminating the wrestling program, which had only four participants this year; $12,000 eliminating the golf program; and $10,500 in reducing coaches for basketball.

Earlier in the meeting, parents of one of the four wrestlers spoke passionately about keeping the wrestling program, which they said had made a very positive impact on their child’s academic performance.

Board president Rick Thomp-son told the parents that the board has to make very hard choices this year.

Reductions are necessary be-cause voters approved a property tax levy request smaller than what the district had originally requested to maintain programs as they were.

He said the budget and the proposed cuts will not be finalized until July.

Thompson also urged the parents of the wrestler to talk to Peg Seeling, whose many administrative duties this year included serving as the athletic director. She explained that when programs are not offered at their home school, students can team up with athletes in other school districts to participate in their favored sports.

Superintendent Tim Bruce recalled that La Conner even had a swimming team a few years ago, when a student joined the Anacortes program as a swimmer for La Conner, where there is no pool.