Union School Board adopts budget, axing 4 teaching jobs

UNION — The vote was made quietly, but it spoke loudly about the financial trials the Union School District is facing.

The Union School Board voted Wednesday to slash $423,000 from its 2009-10 budget. The board did so by adopting a $3.914 million general fund budget for the upcoming school year.

The budget calls for 4.24 teaching positions and one classified position to be cut.

This was in sharp contrast to previous school board and budget committee meetings at which there was extensive input from many people about the budget.

The adopted spending plan is almost identical to the one the district’s budget committee recommended to the board June 3.

The one difference is that the adopted budget restores the library-media specialist position to full time. The budget committee had recommended that the library-media position be cut to half time.

The school board obtained the funding needed to restore the position by cutting one teacher’s aide position.

The cuts are deep but not as deep as they might have been because of a step Union’s teachers are taking. The faculty volunteered to work four days without pay in 2009-10, a move that will save $32,000.

Following is what is being cut:

• one elementary school teaching position, saving about $50,000 in salaries and benefits.

• 3.24 secondary level (grades 7-12) teaching positions, saving $142, 397 in salaries and benefits.

• $31,000 from the transportation budget. One of the district’s three bus routes will be cut. All students receiving bus service though will be able to catch a bus.

• All money for coaches, saving the district $125,000.

Coaching will be done by volunteers. The district will cover the other athletic program expenses.

• A freeze in the salaries and benefits of administrative staff.

• A vacant teacher’s aide position will not be filled.

No classes will be cut from the district’s curriculum, but some classes will be offered less frequently, said Mike Wood, Union’s superintendent.

The Union School District’s reductions are needed because of a funding shortfall. The shortfall is being caused by a decline in state funding due the recession and declining enrollment.

Wood said that the budget cutting process has been painful. He is relieved that it appears to be over for this year.

“It (the adopted budget) allows us to get started on the next school year,’’ Wood said. “It looks like it should work as long as nothing surprising comes out of Salem.’’