The budget overhaul across the state are due to a combination of increased retirement assessments, drying up of some federal funds and post-recession revenue issues.
The Evangeline cuts include the consolidation of five bus routes ($235,000 in savings), textbooks ($250,000), substitute teacher allocations ($210,207.98), teacher allocations ($30,000), summer school savings ($18,887.86), travel expenses ($12,770), frozen step increases for all employees ($534,316.07), elimination of writing to read labs ($139,376), and a reduction of four custodian positions ($84,288.02).
Superintendent Toni Hamlin said the total savings with these cuts would be approximately $1,514,845. In addition to these cuts, approximately $36,000 were saved by not hiring summer workers.
Hamlin also informed the board that the parish’s pre-school program was facing a $40,000 loss in funding. To remedy that situation, she recommended the school board also approve the elimination of one pre-school class. Hamlin said each community should have only two pre-school classes, and there is currently one school with three classes.
Unfortunately, Hamlin said she does not expect the financial situation to improve by the 2012-2013 school year, so there could be more hard decisions to make in the future.
Board President Wayne Dardeau, prior to a vote on the budget cuts, said none of the board members wanted to vote for the cuts. However, he added when funding is eliminated by the state and federal governments and when expenses are increasing, it is the only thing that can be done to keep a balanced budget.
Read more: EvangelineToday.com - Evangeline Parish School Board approves budget cuts
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