The Haines Borough school board on June 29 approved a $4.8 million general fund budget for the coming year that includes borrowing at least $152,000 from savings.
The document does not include the cost of a contract settlement with teachers expected to come later this summer. Teachers have said they want changes to the district’s salary schedule and recently rejected a settlement endorsed by their own contract negotiating team.
“This is a start and (expenses) are going to go up,” board chair Anne Marie Palmieri said at the end of Monday’s meeting.
The budget includes a $369,000 cut in state funding from the Alaska Legislature and a $4,000 increase in funds from the Haines Borough. The spending plan is built on a projected districtwide enrollment of 252 students. As of June, 268 students were enrolled with the district.
On Monday, the board removed from its separate equipment fund (“880 fund”) funding for $48,000 in lighting upgrades, $16,000 for new furniture and $9,000 for food vending machines.
The board also heard that the administration is awaiting word from the district’s next music teacher before going ahead with purchases of new musical instruments.
Board member Sara Chapell reiterated concerns that the district didn’t have enough staff to improve math and science programs in elementary grades.
“In general, I feel okay because we need a working document to move forward, but I’m not convinced this budget is meeting all the goals we’ve laid out… I want to start the year with a stronger emphasis on math and science,” Chapell said.
Former superintendent Ginger Jewell said she and other administrators met during the week and determined “we have enough instructional staff to meet goals as they’re laid out.” Hiring another full-time position doesn’t help the district in the long term, she said. A case might be made for hiring another aide, as the district will be losing 2.5 aide positions in the coming year.
The budget leaves the district’s general fund balance at $732,000.