Iowa City school board examines proposed budget cuts

IOWA CITY - On Tuesday night, The Iowa City school board began refining how it will make about $3 million in budget cuts for next fiscal year. The final tally will depend on what happens with contract negotiations with union employees and the level of financial support from the state.

At its last meeting, Superintendent Lane Plugge laid out $3.4 million in reductions in 19 categories. Tuesday, he presented a list with those cuts in priority order. Plugge has said the proposed budget reductions include the loss of the equivalent of 17 to 24 full-time positions.

At the top of the list were transportation, some insurance adjustments and early retirement. The transportation cuts would save an estimated $260,000, most of it from discontinuing busing to Iowa City Regina students, something the school board has already approved.

The district has enhanced its early retirement incentive to try to get 25 people to retire, for a savings of $500,000. Plugge said the district could seek more early retirements for further savings. Twenty-two staff members, most of them teachers, have accepted early retirement so far. The intent is to have veteran teachers leave and be replaced by younger teachers who would command lower salaries.

Plugge and board members said the loss of experienced teachers was regrettable. “It's sad to see them go,” board member Toni Cilek said.

Toward the bottom of Plugge's list was adjusting the staff-to-student ratio, eliminating media instructors and looking at further program and staff reductions, including more early retirements.

The district also will consider reducing assistant principals at the elementary school level, health staff and counselors. Some of the cuts would be done by reducing assignments, so not all of them would be the loss of a staff member, Plugge said.

Plugge said that while they try to keep cuts away from the classroom, he recognized that every dollar in the budget affects students. “With any of these, services will be impacted,” he said.

The school board had instructed administrators to also look into possible energy savings. Plugge said they are doing that, but it is not something that can be quantified at this time.

The district has seen some good financial news, with recent budget adjustments showing that its current deficit is $500,000 less that previously expected.