• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Clinton schools face shortfall

CLINTON — The Clinton School District likely will make some "minor" layoffs to balance its 2009-10 budget, Business Administrator Kathy Zwirgzdas said.

The district will lose up to five positions between layoffs, attrition and position consolidation, Zwirgzdas said.

"We thought we were going to be able to do it with attrition," Zwirgzdas said. "We were hoping to avoid layoffs, but I don't think that's going to be the case."

The district predicts a $300,000 revenue shortfall in the 2009-10 school year. That's based on a 1.87 percent revenue increase—the most the state will allow the district, Zwirgzdas said. The district's expenses will increase about 4 percent, Zwirgzdas said.

That difference has been typical in the Clinton district for several years, and the gap keeps yawning, she said.

This year, the district dealt with a $289,000 revenue shortage.

In 2007-08, the district dealt with a $200,000 shortage.

It gets harder and harder to find things to cut, Zwirgzdas said.

"We might be getting to a point in the very near future when the discussion will be about cutting programming at Clinton," she said.

Aside from staff cuts, the district found savings in its utility bill and its projected diesel fuel expenses, Zwirgzdas said.

The district saved $14,000 by cutting funding for the Youth Challenge budget. Building budgets for supplies and other items also will be cut, Zwirgzdas said.

The board will take action regarding layoffs at its Monday, April 20, meeting, Zwirgzdas said.

The district hopes to enter into teacher contract negotiations yet this month, she said.

Zwirgzdas is hopeful a plan touted by the school finance network could change the formula for state-imposed revenue caps and ease the pattern of operating cost cuts.