Les Cheneaux Schools Eye $199,120 in Cuts
By Amy Polk

Les Cheneaux Community Schools Board of Education will consider $199,120 in proposed cuts Wednesday night, June 6, as trustees try to knock down the $190,000 deficit projected for next school year. The meeting is at 7 p.m. in the school library.

The board tabled making cuts at a May 21 regular meeting, with members saying they wanted more time to refine the budget, gather other budget-cutting ideas, and to learn whether the state will peel as much as $122 off next year's perpupil foundation allowance. Superintendent Rod Goehmann said any unexpected increases in revenue or staff retirements could change next year's outlook, but, for now, cuts must be made to balance the budget as required by law. Items cut now could be restored in the future if the money is there, he added.

Among the list of 17 reductions considered by administrators, 13 were recommended to the board. The biggest cut with the widest impact is eliminating the district's morning bus run and only providing transportation in the afternoon. Parents would have to drive their children to school or seek alternative transportation for their children, however, the schools would realize $53,000 in savings next year.

The second largest proposed cut is adding 56 minutes to each day to eliminate 21 operational days from the school year. If the cut is adopted, school next year will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 3:48 p.m., resulting in a $31,500 savings for the district.

A proposal to replace one fulltime special education teacher with a part-time teacher to save $52,000 is already in the works with the retirement of teacher Diane Cochran. Another to save $5,000 by having a half-time elementary principal will be realized by Principal Eric Cardwell's return to the classroom to teach sixth grade.

Other proposed cuts include laying off one school aide to save $23,000; reducing secretary days by 10 to save $3,500; eliminating salaries and transportation for fourth through eighth grade athletics to save $13,900; cutting $5,000 from the athletic fund budget at the director's discretion; cutting $1,400 for uniforms, music, and entry fees to competitive festivals from the school music program, and reducing Board of Education salaries by $5 a meeting to save a net $420.

Administrators also proposed charging students in grades seven through 12 $10 each for printer paper to save $1,900, eliminating any extra bus runs, and charging students a "pay-as-you-go" fee for special trips, to save $8,500.

Support Staff Union President and Elementary Secretary Susie Rutledge told trustees that cutting the morning bus run could hurt the district by forcing families "on the fringes" of the district to send students to neighboring districts like St. Ignace and Pickford that do bus children to school in the morning. She estimated there are about 25 students who may choose another district.

"Once we lose those students, we wouldn't be able to get them back," she said.

She also cautioned the board against eliminating the school morning aide, who "does a lot more work than anyone realizes," and cutting secretary hours because she predicts an increased workload in the administrative offices next year, particularly in the elementary's when Mr. Cardwell resumes teaching.

"This is a really bad time to do this," she added, listing the various roles school secretaries have in school operations. "I think the term 'secretary' is a little misleading."

She suggested the board consider "pay-to-play" athletics as another alternative, and Trustee Dave Murray said he would also like to see other measures on the list, such as deeper athletic budget cuts.

Mr. Goehmann said there may be some additional funding next year for transportation, owing to a state proposal to increase funding to rural, sparsely populated districts. The district also is awaiting final word on next year's perpupil allowance, and will most likely adjust its expenditures to accommodate three staff retirements, rather than the two previously accounted.

As of the May 21 meeting Mrs. Cochran and Elizabeth Vaessen were the only two staff members to report retirements. Longtime teacher Tom Wilson has also retired since the meeting.