New London expects $1.5 million budget cut
New London Director of Business Services Joe Marquardt presented budget projections for the 2012-13 school year during Monday’s annual budget hearing. "The goal of our budget is to create the best resources and opportunities for our students," Marquardt said. "These factors combined with economic conditions made the development of the budget difficult." In developing last year’s budget, the district looked at expenditures to find ways to do more with less after seeing a $2 million reduction in the budget. With another $1.5 million reduction impacting the 2012-13 budget, the district is shifting its focus of doing more with less to doing things differently with one clear vision; success for all students. "It became apparent that we can no longer do more with less," Superintendent Bill Fitzpatrick said. "The changing economics of education in combination with the changing demands on students requires that scarce resources be focused on a clear vision for our schools. We must do things differently if we are to meet the promise of our mission." With its vision of success for all students, board members have adopted a new three-year strategic plan to guide budget decisions. The strategic areas of the plan are Maximizing Student Achievement, Build Staff Capacity and Pursue Sustainable Practices. "The numbers in the 2012-2013 budget presented support this plan and will help us achieve the objectives of each strategy," Fitzpatrick said. According to Marquardt, the projected budget will see $89,200 reduction in State aid and 1.79 percent reduction in Tax Levy over last year’s budget. Other revenue expenditures include the reduction of Fund 39 (Referendum Debt) Levy by $188,000 and a $175,000 Charter Grant for planning. Some expenditure assumptions include the reduction of 5.5 certified staff members due to enrollment declines, including three certified staff retirements. Two administrative services and one support staff reductions were also made. Modifications to the transportation program that included a reduction of bus routes, a net loss of 58 students to open enrollment and a 2.4 percent increase in wages were also included in the expenditure assumptions. The projected budget is subjected to change to incorporate student enrollment as of Friday, Sept. 21. Official state equalization aid and certification of the levy will not be finalized until October. "I feel good about this year’s budget," Marquardt said. "Our mission statement success for all students is reflected in the budget we created. It’s important that we work together to make New London a good district for our kids." Following the annual budget hearing, school board members approved the 2012-13 budget for all funds in the amount of $31,830,341 based on the projected numbers presented. Director of Teaching and Learning Kathy Gwidt shared with board members the various grants awarded to the district. The district has been the recipient of various grant awards over the past few months. Funding from the grants will be used during the upcoming school year to aid in several programs. A Project Lead the Way (PLTW) grant in the amount of $10,000 was awarded by a donation from Bemis Company, Inc. Funds from the grant will support the PLTW engineering program. The district also received a $10,000 grant for Fuel for Our Future, sponsored by the Monsanto Company. "We are grateful to local farmers who nominated our district to write this grant and provide us the opportunity to research how this funding could enrich courses in agriculture and science," Gwidt said. Fuel for Our Future will help students in grade 6, as well as those students in grades 9-12 enrolled in agriculture, chemistry, biology and environmental science classes to understand the impact of renewable energies. "One area of implementation will provide students the opportunity to make biofuel while developing their understanding of alternative energies," Gwidt said. A Charter School Planning Grant in the amount of $175,000 was also awarded for the implementation of a learning academy called The Next Generation Academy. The academy will combine the elements of online and face-to-face instruction to offer a different learning environment for students. "The academy is meant to be different than the traditional learning setting," Gwidt said. Students in grades 6-12 will have the opportunity to enroll in the academy during the 2013-14 school year. The original version of this story indicated that state aid had been cut by $1.5 million. In fact, the school budget was cut by that amount, not state aid. The story has been corrected.
More from Community News
- Board to consider fundraising deadline for fitness center (1)
- Manawa citizens concerned about sand mine's impact
- ArtyFest to use Legion's liquor license (1)
- Contract for 4K Community Collaborative approved
- WPPA Fly-In is this weekend
- City band concert set for June 21
- Breakfast on the Farm
- New London Remembered exhibit opens
- Ms. Waupaca County Senior Homemaker Pageant held
- Council considers funding for tourism effort
7 Comments for "New London expects $1.5 million budget cut"
Essential sports are the ones that you can use in life,
tennis, golf, etc.
Oldtown2 Sep 11, 2012 5:21 PM
It's not a "cut", if it is commensurate with a decrease in student enrollment.
Who has the student enrollment statistics? Projections? -- Not the person writing the headlines.
[quote] "It became apparent that we can no longer do more with less," Superintendent Bill Fitzpatrick said.[/quote]
Given decreasing enrollment, you're doing "[b]LESS with LESS[/b]".
[quote]a 2.4 percent increase in wages [was] also included in the expenditure assumptions[/quote]
Who made that assumption?
During a recession?
With a significant decrease in enrollment?
lastpercentile Sep 11, 2012 5:55 PM
"With another $1.5 million reduction in state aid impacting the 2012-13 budget, the district is shifting its focus of doing more with less to doing things differently with one clear vision; success for all students."
Sure appears the reporter mixed up some wording in the article. I would think the first quote is accurate since the paper version of the budget publication showed a 1.79% reduction in the levy.
Likely the [b]budget[/b] was cut 1.5 million and not [b]state aid[/b].
waupacareport Sep 11, 2012 8:13 PM
Most of these articles from govt meetings are just poor/incomplete versions of the clerk's minutes.
In fact, these articles would be enhanced if they simply attached the minutes - or a link to the audio recording.
And, you know there's a basic problem when it is the business manager presenting the budget and not the superintendent. That always tells me that the superintendent (mayor, town chairman, etc) can't read the budget, let alone defend it.
lastpercentile Sep 11, 2012 8:48 PM
Most of these articles from govt meetings are just poor/incomplete versions of the clerk's minutes.
In fact, these articles would be enhanced if they simply attached the minutes - or a link to the audio recording.
Gone are the days you can trust what you read in a newspaper. Sad. I am sure the reporters do their best but the pay is likely minimum wage job.
waupacareport Sep 11, 2012 9:06 PM
The govt entity purports that they don't need to provide these documents to anyone but their own members and the reporter. [b]Even though they could post the entire "packet" online in a single PDF file - days ahead of time.[/b] They want to pretend that it's not 2012.
So, when the reporter(s) fail to provide adequate information from the meeting itself - and REFUSE to do one minute of investigative reporting - the gentleman's agreement between the govt entities and the "newspaper" is a FARCE.
More people need to attend these meetings, demand answers, and let these officials know that somebody is paying attention. Because, today, right now - [b]NOBODY IS PAYING ATTENTION !![/b]
In this meeting alone, they patted themselves on the back for their budget - [b]A $31 MILLION BUDGET[/b] - did anyone ask a single question?
lastpercentile Sep 11, 2012 10:15 PM
There is hope in the world.
lastpercentile Sep 12, 2012 9:46 PM