77 jobs lost as Lakota approves $5.9M in cuts

Despite objections, reductions will go into effect next school year.

Lakota student Erin McNally sits on the floor with other students as she listens to the issues discussed at the Lakota Board of Education meeting Monday evening, February 22, 2010.

Photo by Jessica Uttinger, contributing photographer Lakota student Erin McNally sits on the floor with other students as she listens to the issues discussed at the Lakota Board of Education meeting Monday evening, February 22, 2010.

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By Lindsey Hilty, Staff Writer Updated 10:43 AM Tuesday, March 9, 2010

LIBERTY TWP. — Despite protests from teachers, parents and even school board members, millions of dollars in cuts will go into effect next school year.

The Lakota Local School District Board of Education voted 4-1 to cut $5.9 million from its $165 million annual operating budget.

The cuts eliminate 77 positions permanently and 20.9 temporarily. One of the hotly contested items — the reduction of sixth-grade band to one day a week — is now a temporary reduction. Another temporary cutback is to increase class sizes by two students a classroom.

Board members all expressed reservations on voting for the cuts, but said it is necessary.

President Joan Powell said to line-item veto would undermine what the administration is hired to do, and said the board hired professionals to make those recommendations.

“So while I don’t like this, I think this community has to realize that we absolutely need to reduce costs,” she said. “We will be looking at cuts four times as severe as this if we do not have additional revenue, so you start somewhere and there is no time like the present to begin the cost reduction.”

The lone dissenter, Lynda O’Connor, said the board did not thoroughly analyze the consequences of cuts or look at alternative options. She asked for a plan for the next two years if the levy fails and said there would be no “sacred cows” as cuts ran deeper.

“All programs will be on the table,” she said. “There’s not an option there. The state has said ‘solve your own problems,’ and we’ve set out to that over the past couple years. We have to have an increase of revenue and we have to have spending limitations in our future budgets.”

Lakota Education Association President Judy Buschle said as staff members accept recently offered severance packages, jobs will be saved. However, she said she told those hired since 2008 to get their resumes ready.

Resident John Trygier thanked O’Connor for voting no, and said costs must be further reduced elsewhere.

“Everybody’s going to have to share this problem — parents, teachers, the union. Everybody.”

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