The Chilkat Indian Village is looking for ways to absorb a cut in hours for assistant teachers at Klukwan School after the Chatham School District reduced staffing for local paraprofessionals by the equivalent of 0.8 full-time positions.
The cut will affect hours for two of the school’s four part-time paraprofessionals, according to superintendent Bruce Houck.
The reduction in paraprofessional hours, along with a cut to the school’s lunch program, was a tradeoff to secure a second full-time teacher for the school next year, Klukwan head teacher Eric Hart said.
In earlier drafts of the budget, the district had proposed halving hours for the school’s second teacher, Stefanie Sidney, who joined the school at the beginning of 2020.
Klukwan advisory school board member Tony Strong said the community opposed the cut to teachers for the coming year as the school is expected to have 19 students, an increase from the 13 during the official head count in October 2019. Klukwan is a K-12 school, so students are typically spread throughout multiple grade levels, making it challenging for a single teacher to instruct 19 students.
Strong said lack of support from the district has made it difficult to retain staff and, in turn, students. In the past, the school averaged pupil numbers in the mid-20s, but in recent years, this number has dwindled.
This year, schools throughout the Chatham district saw cuts to their budgets after Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed $37 million in fund capitalization for the Regional Education Attendance Area (REAA) School Fund. Money in the fund is used to support capital projects and larger maintenance projects in school districts located outside municipalities with taxing authority.
Without REAA support, the district had to offset roughly $250,000 in lost revenue, Houck said. “The (regional school board) for Chatham had to make difficult decisions this year.”
The disparity in per-student spending at various schools in the district factored into board discussions of where to cut, Houck said. Last year, based on the October student count, Klukwan spent $43,000 per student. Angoon spent $22,000; Gustavus $21,000; and Tenakee Springs $20,000.
The disparity in per-student spending is due in large part to Klukwan’s low student numbers, Houck said.
Hart referenced the concept of economies of scale. “It takes more money per student to operate at a smaller scale. It’s the same reason Costco is able to sell food at lower prices,” he said.
And small fluctuations in student numbers can make a big difference in the spending rate. By the end of the 2019-2020 school year, the number of students at Klukwan had risen to 17. With 17 students, the per-student spending rate for last year drops from $43,000 to $33,000.
Klukwan was not the only school to receive budget cuts for the upcoming academic year.
Schools throughout the district saw cuts to staff hours, school supplies and heating costs, Houck said. In Gustavus, the equivalent of two full-time aide positions was cut, and in Angoon, hours equivalent to one full-time job were cut.
Although all schools saw parts of their budgets cut, only some experienced an overall decrease in funding.
Gustavus’ budget decreased by roughly $70,000 (5%) from the year before. Tenakee Springs’ budget decreased by $56,000 (26%), and Klukwan’s decreased by $50,000 (9%).
Unlike the other schools, Angoon’s budget increased by $218,000 (15%). The increase is largely due to a $67,000 increase to communications services and a $70,000 increase to student travel. Chatham’s districtwide budget also increased by roughly $70,000 (9%).
Houck said the increase in the travel budget is due to reduced ferry sailings. Angoon will need to rely more heavily on flights, which are more costly than ferry rides.
Houck said the increase to the districtwide budget is smaller than it appears. Last year’s budget didn’t reflect his actual salary since he was hired after the budget had been finalized. The districtwide budget also reflects a $59,000 increase to costs associated with teacher salaries and benefits.
Strong said he thinks retaining hours for Klukwan’s paraprofessionals should have come before items like increases to Angoon’s travel budget. He said he thinks independence from the district may be the best way to ensure Klukwan School’s needs are prioritized in the future.
There is a feeling in Klukwan that the school is treated poorly compared to the other, larger schools in the district—Angoon and Gustavus, Strong said. He said he thinks this is tied to Klukwan’s lack of representation on the regional school board. The board is composed of five members. Two are listed as representatives of Angoon and Klukwan, but both board members reside in Angoon.
Hart has a more positive take on the situation. He said he believes the district followed a fair process and did its best to distribute cuts. He spoke positively of the superintendent, who is entering his second year with Chatham.
“In a lot of ways (Houck) has really turned the district around and put us on stable footing,” Hart said. He listed examples including “bringing in lots of extra dollars through grants, being clear about process, applying cuts evenhandedly throughout the district and opening channels of communication.”
Hart said he thinks Klukwan is positioned well for the upcoming school year and for rebuilding its class size.
“We have a great team in place, all seasoned professionals, and their love of the kids is really evident,” Hart said. “The village is doing an incredible job being very supportive of the school and looking for ways to replace some of those lost (paraprofessional) hours.”
Klukwan’s school year begins Tuesday, Aug. 25.