Budget Cuts at Flinthills
Patrons Voice Your Concerns
Patrons wishing to give input regarding potential budget cuts can contact Mr.Diepenbrock by e-mail or by sending a letter to the school at 806 SE Rosalia Rd, Rosalia KS 67132. Patrons are strongly encouraged to contact their state representatives in support of funding our school.
The letter sent to community members prior to the Feb.8 Special Board Meeting:
Dear Community Member:
The USD 492 Board of Education would like to invite you to a special board meeting to get community input regarding reductions in expenditures (cuts) that will have to be made for the next school year. Through attrition, delay of purchases, and careful financial planning and savings, the board made decisions for the current school year to absorb the reductions in state aid. Yet, the plans made were put into force and the budget approved prior to additional cuts made by the governor. The district’s reduction to the general budget thus far has been in the $300,000 range. That is a significant reduction in a school district the size of Flinthills. As you may be aware, the district will face additional reductions in the budget for the next school year as well. Though the district is financially solvent currently, further reductions and sustaining reductions in revenue like above necessitate a deep reduction in future expenditures.
The Flinthills staff met during their January 4th in-service and was provided with the reality that the reduction needed to be in the $300,000 range for the next school year. After meeting as a group, each school’s personnel met in smaller groups to make suggestions the board may consider for cuts. This list was presented and explained to the board during the regular January Board meeting. The board recognized that with deep cuts of this magnitude, the community should be offered an opportunity for input. A special board meeting will be held at 6 PM on Monday, February 8th in the District Office at Rosalia. The single agenda item will be a public forum on budget expenditure reductions. Community members will be given the opportunity to voice their concerns/support for budget reduction initiatives. Anyone who signs up will be given the opportunity to speak for up to a maximum of 5 minutes by board policy. Groups of people who support/oppose a particular issue should elect a speaker and then be asked to stand in support of the speaker’s topic at the end of his/her speech. The special board meeting will be adjourned at 6:55 PM as the regular board meeting will be held following the special meeting at 7 PM. The board will provide another opportunity for community input in a special meeting in March if needed.
A list of potential cuts developed by the staff is provided to you. I added potential advantages and disadvantages to each. Please note: This is NOT a final list, nor are the advantages and/or disadvantages necessarily comprehensive and final decisions have not been made. Some items on this list will be cut in the future, but the board wants to provide you with an opportunity to provide them with input before decisions are made. Decisions to reduce licensed staff must be made by the April Board meeting so staff members can be notified by May 1st as required by law.
The difficult decisions that must be made are a result of reductions in state aid by the Kansas Legislature. The enclosed “cut” list contains items that directly or indirectly affect various community members, staff, and students. No doubt, these will affect people emotionally and that is another reason the board desires to get your input in a forum of appropriate decorum. A form to speak is enclosed and explains the procedures to be utilized for public forums. Please read it carefully and return it prior to the special board meeting either by turning it into the clerk in advance or providing it to the Board President the night of the meeting. Speakers will be selected in the order requests are received and allowed the maximum of five minutes. Adjournment will be at 6:55 PM and speakers will be allowed to speak up to that time. The board will not answer questions, agree or disagree, but board members may ask speakers to clarify at their discretion.
Finally, you are encouraged by the board to contact your state representative or senator and provide your input regarding school issues. If you feel the cuts will have a devastating impact on the school district, a personal letter by you will have the greatest impact on the legislators. A number of speaking points you may wish to discuss with your legislator are enclosed as well. The list was compiled by the Kansas Association of School Boards. Though most patrons of the district are represented by Senator Ty Masterson (District 16) and Representative Bob Brookens (District 70), a list of legislators can be found at www.kslegislature.org .
Important decisions that will affect the future of Flinthills Public Schools must be made in the future and the board appreciates your input and commitment to USD 492.
Sincerely,
Bob Diepenbrock
Superintendent of Schools
