News
Dayton School Board Approves 2009/10 Budget Reduction
Cuts of over $300,000 will result in a smaller teaching staff next year, but other school activities should be unaffected.
During their regular meeting on May 6th, the Dayton School Board adopted a crisis resolution to reduce the District's budget for the 2009/2010 school year by more than $300,000. According to Superintendent Rich Stewart, the budget cuts were made necessary by a combination of state funding reductions and projected shrinkage in enrollment.
Stewart says that the budget reduction will be accomplished by cutting the number of full time equivalent (FTE) teaching and faculty positions by five. Dean of Students Ken Morgan is retiring after the current school year and his position won't be replaced. In addition, two half-time provisional teaching positions will not be renewed next year.
The school board has also notified three teachers that their contracts will likely not be renewed next year. Stewart says that the district may be able to receive federal stimulus funds that could reduce the impact on the teaching staff. However, the amount – if any – and how the money could be used are unknown at this time.
"The board chose not to cut activities," says Stewart. Sports and other extra-curricular activities offered by the school will continue at their existing levels. Stewart also says that significant cuts have already been made in non-teaching staff positions, such as custodial and lunch room, in the past few years. So the board felt that further cuts were not warranted in those areas next year.
"Our enrollment has been steadily dropping," says Stewart, "so, unfortunately, our faculty level has to drop along with it." The district will end this year with an enrollment of about 467, but is budgeting for only 430 students to start next year.
Approximately 45 seniors will graduate this year from Dayton High School, but only 21 students are expected to enter first grade next year. Stewart says that most of the elementary level grades in Dayton have fewer students than the secondary level grades, so continued enrollment reductions can be expected in coming years.
Stewart is retiring at the end of the current school year. Doug Johnson, current Superintendent at the Odessa, Wash. school district, has been hired as Stewart's replacement. He will begin work July 1st.