The Petersburg School Board will see a first draft of next year’s budget at their meeting tonight. The school district is budgeting for four fewer teachers and one less student aide. So far, two have turned in their resignations – middle school teacher, Mik Potrzuski and 2nd grade teacher, Ethan Bryner. Two non-tenured teachers have not been re-hired, and 4th grade teacher Thomas Hambly resigned in December. Administrative Assistant Mara Lutomski told KFSK in an email, “We do not quite know at this point if those positions will be filled through internal transfers, or outside hiring, or left unfilled”
Each department in the district was asked to find ways to cut costs. Funding for travel for middle school activities was cut from the draft budget. Activity Director Jaime Cabral hopes to create intramural leagues for middle school activities so that students can compete against one another at home.
The budget was created based on flat funding from the state. Bipartisan education legislation that would have increased the state’s per-student funding formula by $680 was vetoed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy last month. A veto override failed by one vote. An operating budget with $175 million in one-time education funding has passed the House and seems to have support in the Senate. The one-time funding is equivalent to a $680 per-student increase. Gov. Dunleavy can line-item veto some or all of that funding.
The school district’s budget is based on an assumed contribution of $3.4 million from the Petersburg Borough. That’s the maximum amount the Borough is allowed to give the district, since the state caps how much each municipality can give. The Borough has never funded the school district to the cap. Last year was the first time in more than 20 years that the district asked for, and received, a funding increase from the Petersburg Borough Assembly. The Borough gave the district $3 million, up from $1.8 million in previous years. The Petersburg Borough is just starting its budget process, and will likely have a completed budget by early June.
Despite all the cuts in the budget, the district would still dip into its savings if this draft is adopted, spending about $300,000 from its fund balance.
The public will have an opportunity to comment on the draft budget at tonight’s meeting, which is at 6 p.m. in the middle and high school library. KFSK will broadcast the meeting live and will post the recording our School Board Meeting Archive.
