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Covering Monmouth, Dallas, Independence and Falls City since 1868 |
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| Dallas schools OK budget cuts |
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| DALLAS -- The Dallas School Board adopted a budget for the 2009-10 school year on June 23 that saved some elementary music programs, but cut sports programs at the middle school and high school levels.
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 | | | Christy Perry |
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By Jillian Beaudry
DALLAS -- The Dallas School Board adopted a budget for the 2009-10 school year on June 23 that saved some elementary music programs, but cut sports programs at the middle school and high school levels.
An updated school forecast June 2 hinted funds for the Dallas School District would be increased by $185,472. The district decided to use that money to boost its contingency fund and add back three full-time employees at the elementary level.
The three positions will likely be filled with two music teachers and an elementary teacher to reduce class sizes -- probably at the second-grade level, Superintendent Christy Perry said. Saving elementary music seems a sure thing, but Perry wanted to hold off on confirming the extra second-grade teacher until August to obtain a better sense of class sizes and add the help where it is truly needed.
"We just want to have that flexibility at this point in time," Perry said. "Music I would like to have done a lot sooner than later."
And while the current budget picture is much more hopeful than expected by the district in past months, athletics still must be cut 23 percent.
Tim Larson, the district's athletic director, presented the cuts for the first time to the board at the June 23 meeting.
The reductions total $121,000 and include eliminating high school swimming, golf and the strength coach and training program. Cross country lost all of its transportation budget and football and tennis lost coaches.
At the middle school level, wrestling, boys and girls basketball and cross country were eliminated.
"I'm committed to making this budget work for the 2009-10 school year," Larson said.
While cuts were made across the board and left no program untouched, the district is finding solutions. Wrestling and basketball at the middle school have both been picked up by outside clubs to continue offering the sports for local children.
Golf at the high school level could be reinstated if a volunteer coach is found. Also, the strength coach and training program will continue as a volunteer.
"A lot of students are still going to be able to participate in these sports," Larson said. "The attitude (of coaches) so far is 'we'll make it happen.'"
The number of games will be reduced at the junior varsity and freshmen level and teams may stay home rather than travel to some of the long-distance games.
While the adopted budget is based on a $5.6 billion estimate for the state school fund and the actual fund passed last week is $6.0 billion, Perry said no changes will be made at this time.
"We'll make decisions if the state school fund estimate changes dramatically," Perry said.
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