ELKHART -- It's been a rough year for Indiana schools.
Last December (2009) Gov. Mitch Daniels announced $300 million in cuts in K-12 education spending, which amounted to 4.5 percent of districts' general fund budgets. Between 80 percent and 90 percent of a district's general fund goes toward employee costs, and educators spent the first half of the year scrambling to find programs, buildings and in some cases people that they could afford to lose.
Locally nearly every district enrolled in energy education programs to reduce utility expenses. Some districts implemented wage freezes and held off on contributing to retirement accounts. One district -- Baugo Community Schools -- closed the doors to an elementary school and two districts -- Elkhart and Concord Community Schools -- sent out reduction in force notifications.
This week several area superintendents took time to revisit the decisions they made once the cuts were announced and how the cuts made will be felt in the year to come.
Mark Mow, Elkhart Community Schools
Mow credited all of the district's employee groups in coming together to make up the shortfall difference.
"Everybody recognized that we had some significant financial challenges and came together to help solve those," he said.
Mow said the cuts made have served their intended purpose and the district should be in adequate financial shape moving into next year -- provided there are no additional cuts announced.
Elkhart originally handed out eight RIF notices to teachers, but Mow said all but one were called back. The remaining teacher found a position in LaPorte, he said.
With no additional revenue for schools expected next year, Mow said there may be an increase in class sizes and the district will continue to look for efficiencies and energy savings. Officials will also be keeping an eye on the upcoming legislative session and state revenues.
George Dyer, Concord Community Schools
Concord sent RIF notices to around 20 first, second and some third year teachers this year. Initially six full-time equivalency positions were reduced, but that number was reduced to two and-a-half thanks to an enrollment increase.
Dyer said the change in staff was the last thing he wanted, particularly in the middle of a recession.
"It's always difficult when you're dealing with people," Dyer said, "because we're in the people business."
The district, which in addition to the RIFs froze salaries and cut supply budgets, will still be adjusting to the cuts next year, Dyer said. Even with no new cuts coming down the pipeline the district must still adjust to a loss of more than $1 million.
Jim DuBois, Baugo Community Schools
The biggest change Baugo saw was the idling of Jimtown North, which will remain closed for at least two years. That move, along with numerous early retirements from staff and more efficient operations meant no layoffs were needed, a fact DuBois, in his second year as superintendent, is grateful for.
"I didn't want to be responsible for laying people off," he said. "I know how that impacts families and I wanted to keep as many people employed as possible."
DuBois is taking Daniels at his word that no new cuts are coming next year and is also preparing to do more with less money. Regardless of the cuts the district has seen, DuBois remains committed to the district's education initiatives, including seeing a 100 percent graduation rate by 2020.
Jim Conner, Middlebury Community Schools
Conner said officials tried to make cuts with as minimal an impact to students as possible, but added it's hard to do good things for kids with fewer dollars.
"It was not pleasant," he said of looking for $1 million to cut from the budget. "I think the worst part of all of it is getting a sinking feeling that perhaps education is starting to go backwards."
Provided there are no new cuts Middlebury should be able to sustain itself through 2011, he said, though with no new revenue none of the eliminated programs can return.
Tom Tumey, Fairfield Community Schools
Fairfield was able to come up with long-term reductions for half of the $500,000 lost through union negotiations. A one-day contract negotiation was a temporary fix for the remainder of the year, and next year the district will again need to make up for half of the loss. In addition, Tumey said enrollment decreases over the last two years in concert with the cuts by the state have totaled close to $1 million in losses for the district.
"There's only so much you can do before you start affecting programs and people's jobs, "he said. "We were fortunate in the fact that we're not there yet, and hopefully we don't have to go there."
Tumey said officials will be keeping an eye on the legislature and the budget in 2011.
Joe Sabo, Wa-Nee Community Schools
Retirement vacancies that weren't filled along with wage freezes and pay cuts for teachers and administrators helped Wa-Nee make up their loss. Sabo said the district also yielded a 30 percent savings in operating costs with supplies and materials.
Wa-Nee also had to drop a middle school course and shift staff members around to compensate for the budget cuts. It's difficult, he said, to translate a loss of dollars into personnel, but that's where most of the money goes.
"Anytime we cut it affects people," he said. "And that's difficult."
Sabo said if there are no additional cuts the district should be in good shape for 2011, and he's hopeful programs impacted by the cuts can be restored as quickly as possible.
Goshen Superintendent Bruce Stahly couldn't be reached for comment.