Programs may face budget ax.Byline: ANNE WILLIAMS The Register-Guard The Springfield School District has released a list of possible 2002-03 budget cuts that includes scrapping middle school athletics athletics or track and field also track-and-field games Variety of sport competitions held on a running track and on the adjacent field. It is the oldest form of organized sports, having been a part of the ancient Olympic Games from c. and elementary orchestra, eliminating nine teaching positions and trimming the maintenance and custodial staff by 12 positions. The $2.98 million proposal is divided into three tiers, with the first tier including those programs most likely to get the ax. Trying to shield classrooms as much as possible, Superintendent Jamon Kent relegated nearly all the staff reductions to the third tier, which the district hopes will stand as a worst-case scenario worst-case scenario n → Schlimmstfallszenario nt . "What we've tried to do is, to put it quite frankly, make it so the last thing we get to is cutting people," said Len Arney, assistant superintendent Assistant Superintendent, or Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), was a rank used by police forces in the British Empire. It was usually the lowest rank that could be held by a European officer, most of whom joined the police at this rank. . The list assumed a $112 million reduction in state school support statewide, although lawmakers meeting in special session last weekend whittled that cut to $92 million. Officials cautioned that, depending on the next state revenue forecast, the district might be forced to cut even deeper. The district's total general fund budget this year is about $71 million. Even if some of the third-tier cuts appear less likely now, there's plenty of pain in the first two, officials said. Elementary schools elementary school: see school. would lose 1.2 music and/or media specialist positions districtwide, as well as their popular orchestra programs, which were restored just a few years ago after being cut in the mid-1990s. Andria Martin, a Mount Vernon Mount Vernon, estate, United States Mount Vernon, NE Va., overlooking the Potomac River near Alexandria, S of Washington, D.C.; home of George Washington from 1747 until his death in 1799. Elementary School music teacher who leads the after-school orchestra programs at four elementary schools, said students love them. "I've been so surprised and impressed im·press 1 tr.v. im·pressed, im·press·ing, im·press·es 1. To affect strongly, often favorably: at this school and at other schools at how fast they pick this up," Martin said Wednesday afternoon at Yolanda Elementary, where her eight fifth-graders (four were absent) had just concluded sweetly discordant dis·cor·dant adj. 1. Not being in accord; conflicting. 2. Disagreeable in sound; harsh or dissonant. dis·cor renditions of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "Ode to Joy." "I think it would be tough to start this in middle school." The kids hadn't heard orchestra was in jeopardy jeopardy, in law, condition of a person charged with a crime and thus in danger of punishment. At common law a defendant could be exposed to jeopardy for the same offense only once; exposing a person twice is known as double jeopardy. . "They shouldn't do this!" cellist Caleb Howe exclaimed. "Orchestra's awesome!" Middle schools would take an even worse hit, losing all their school-funded sports and extracurricular activities. "You know as well as I do that if you start cutting these programs, you'll see the crime rate go up, because what are these kids going to do?" said Jeff Mather, principal at Springfield Middle School. Mather's school and Agnes Stewart Middle School Stewart Middle School' is the name of some schools in the US:
v. aug·ment·ed, aug·ment·ing, aug·ments v.tr. 1. To make (something already developed or well under way) greater, as in size, extent, or quantity: after-school programs. But cheerleading The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. and an after-school study club - both paid for with district general fund dollars - would be eliminated, he said. Also gone would be basketball, soccer, volleyball volleyball, outdoor or indoor ball and net game played on a level court. An upright net, 3 ft (or 1 m) high, the top of which stands 8 ft (2.43 m) from the ground for men, 7 ft 4 1/8 in (2. and flag football - the last remnants of middle school athletics. Arney said he's uneasy with those cuts as well. "I believe co-curricular is part of the package, too, but first and foremost is the classroom," he said. "So that's where we tried to stay away from." Kidsports or another youth organization could step in to offer some of the lost sports, Arney said, but they would have to charge a fee, where the school district programs are free. With the first two tiers of cuts, the high schools would lose extracurricular programs; a "Saturday School" designed for students who have been disciplined and must fulfill ful·fill also ful·fil tr.v. ful·filled, ful·fill·ing, ful·fills also ful·fils 1. To bring into actuality; effect: fulfilled their promises. 2. community service or other requirements; and the equivalent of one full-time certified See certification. specialist, such as a counselor of librarian (1) A person who works in the data library and keeps track of the tapes and disks that are stored and logged out for use. Also known as a "file librarian" or "media librarian." See data library. (2) See CA-Librarian. . The schools also would see reductions to their nighttime credit recovery programs for students who have failed a class and need to take it again. Should the third tier kick in, the high schools also would lose 2.2 teaching positions and two classified positions combined. "That's where it really starts to hurt," said Thurston High School Thurston High School is located in Springfield, Oregon in Lane County. Their mascot is a black colt. Shooting On May 20, 1998, student Kipland "Kip" Kinkel killed his parents, William and Faith, both Spanish teachers at local high schools. Principal Catherine Spencer, who came from South Carolina South Carolina, state of the SE United States. It is bordered by North Carolina (N), the Atlantic Ocean (SE), and Georgia (SW). Facts and Figures Area, 31,055 sq mi (80,432 sq km). Pop. (2000) 4,012,012, a 15. two years ago. "I've worked in three different states in education, and I've been in the business 20 years ... and I have never seen a leaner, meaner machine than the one we operate here." Before coming to Oregon, Spencer had seen a school budget cut only one other time. The operations department Operations department See: Back office. operations department See back office. , which includes maintenance and custodial services, would shoulder a huge portion of the cuts, with the three tiers adding up to about $1.14 million - nearly half the total. Steve Barrett, assistant superintendent for operations, said the full cut would force his department to do things quite differently. For instance, custodial staff might have to work in teams, moving from school to school, rather than be assigned as·sign tr.v. as·signed, as·sign·ing, as·signs 1. To set apart for a particular purpose; designate: assigned a day for the inspection. 2. to one building. That could pose scheduling problems for after-hours community use, he said. The cuts would almost certainly mean less frequent preventive preventive /pre·ven·tive/ (pre-vent´iv) prophylactic. pre·ven·tive or pre·ven·ta·tive adj. Preventing or slowing the course of an illness or disease; prophylactic. n. work, such as painting and floor care, he said. "It's a major hit to us," he said. "There's no two ways about it." Steve Dustrude, president of the Springfield Education Association, said the proposed cuts have dampened teacher morale and cast a cloud over cloud over Verb 1. (of the sky or weather) to become cloudy: it was clouding over and we thought it would rain 2. ongoing negotiations for a new contract. The current five-year teacher's contract expires in June. "There aren't any places to cut," he said. "Education has been taking cuts and cuts and cuts over the last 10 years. At this level, the cuts are going to compromise the quality of education, whether they come in the form of maintenance of buildings or extracurricular activities or athletics." Lawmakers cut funding for education and other state services and agencies to try to close an estimated $843 million budget shortfall. The state has controlled the lion's share of school dollars since implementation of state Ballot Measure 5. The measure, passed by voters in 1990, capped school property taxes at $5 per $1,000 of assessed property value and prohibited pro·hib·it tr.v. pro·hib·it·ed, pro·hib·it·ing, pro·hib·its 1. To forbid by authority: Smoking is prohibited in most theaters. See Synonyms at forbid. 2. local voters from approving tax levies beyond the cap. THE DETAILS Superintendent Jamon Kent's list of proposed cuts consists of three tiers, with the first tier being the most likely cuts and the third being the least likely. The cuts are: First Tier Eliminate elementary orchestra: $41,000 Reduce school supplies and materials districtwide: $310,833 Reduce staff stipends for elementary extracurricular activities: $12,000 Reduce equipment districtwide: $63,534 Reduce extended contracts for middle and high school staff: $7,500 Reduce supplemental pay for high school teachers: $3,800 Eliminate high school extracurricular equipment: $20,000 Reduce library books: $6,514 Reduce substitute teachers: $7,000 Eliminate early entry testing for special education: $9,650 Reduce contracted services for administration and operations: $177,980 Eliminate contracted surveys and reduce advertising: $23,500 Reduce personnel services for collective bargaining collective bargaining, in labor relations, procedure whereby an employer or employers agree to discuss the conditions of work by bargaining with representatives of the employees, usually a labor union. : $22,000 Reduce utilities: $181,872 Total first tier: $887,183 Second Tier Reduce elementary music and media specialists by 1.2 full-time positions: $72,812 Eliminate middle school extracurricular activities: $152,000 Reduce high school extracurricular programs: $174,458 Reduce high school certified specialists, such as librarians This is a list of people who have practised as a librarian and are well-known, either for their contributions to the library profession or primarily in some other field. and counselors, by one position: $60,000 Reduce certified high school tutors: $3,000 Reduce high school credit recovery night programs: $14,000 Eliminate the `Saturday School' program for students who have been disciplined: $12,000 Eliminate middle school athletics: $177,928 Reduce middle school classified staff by one position: $36,400 Reduce classified staff in administration by two positions: $73,600 Reduce administrative staff in operations by two positions: $190,000 Reduce activity/athletics bus runs: $25,730 Total Second Tier: $991,928 Third Tier Reduce elementary classroom teachers by 1.5 positions: $90,000 Reduce middle school certified specialists by 2.5 positions: $163,943 Reduce high school teaching staff by 2.2 positions: $132,000 Reduce high school classified staff by two positions: $70,000 Reduce special education classified staff by one position: $35,700 Reduce administrative staff by one position: $110,000 Reduce classified staff in operations by 12.25 positions: $499,082 Total Third Tier: $1,100,725 Grand Total: $2,979,836 WHAT'S NEXT Later this month and early next month: Yet-to-be-scheduled public hearings on proposed 2002-03 budget cuts. May 2: Budget committee, 7 p.m., Boardroom, District Administration Office, 525 Mill St. Superintendent's budget message. May 9: Budget committee, 7 p.m., Boardroom, District Administration Office. May 16: Budget committee, 7 p.m., Boardroom, District Administration Office. May 23 (if necessary): Budget committee, 7 p.m., Boardroom, District Administration Office. June 24: Public hearing on budget, 7 p.m., Boardroom, District Administration Office, followed by Springfield School Board adoption of completed budget. - Springfield School District CAPTION(S): CHRIS PIETSCH / The Register-Guard Elementary music teacher Andria Martin directs students, including Brittany Palluck, 11, and Ryan Helms, 11, during an orchestra rehearsal re·hears·al n. The process of repeating information, such as a name or a list of words, in order to remember it. re·hearse  v. at Yolanda Elementary School in
Springfield. Elementary orchestra may be among programs eliminated in
budget cuts. WHAT'S NEXT Later this month and early next month:
Yet-to-be-scheduled public hearings on proposed 2002-03 budget cuts. May
2: Budget committee, 7 p.m., Boardroom, District Administration Office,
525 Mill St. Superintendent's budget message. May 9: Budget
committee, 7 p.m., Boardroom, District Administration Office. May 16:
Budget committee, 7 p.m., Boardroom, District Administration Office. May
23 (if necessary): Budget committee, 7 p.m., Boardroom, District
Administration Office. June 24: Public hearing on budget, 7 p.m.,
Boardroom, District Administration Office, followed by Springfield
School Board adoption of completed budget. - Springfield School District
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