Committee issues budget-balancing recommendations

IMBLER — The Imbler School District’s budget committee voted Tuesday to recommend that 1.75 teaching and non-teaching positions be cut to allow the district to balance its 2012-13 budget.

The budget committee voted to recommend that:

• a half-time teaching position for the district be cut. This would save the district $44,820 in salary and benefits.

No programs or classes would be cut because of this reduction since teaching responsibilities would be reassigned, said Doug Hislop, superintendent of the Imbler School District. Hislop said that some class sizes might increase. 

• a full-time non-teaching computer technology position be cut, saving $38,752 in salary and benefits. This position would be cut by not filling an opening created by a retirement. The school district would contract with the InterMountain Education Service District to provide it with the services lost by cutting the computer technology position.

• the superintendent’s position be trimmed by 25 percent, saving the district $22,000. The committee voted to recommend this cut on the recommendation of Hislop. He said he suggested this because he wanted to help the district.

Hislop also pointed out that his job responsibilities will be reduced in 2012-13 because the district’s new $4 million elementary school will soon be completed. Construction of the school started last fall.

The budget committee is recommending a general fund budget of $3.706 million for 2012-13. This would be $4,355 less than the general fund budget for the present school year. 

The Imbler School Board will vote later on whether to adopt the budget committee’s recommended budget. The board must adopt a 2012-13 budget by June 30.