Superintendent Haluska updates School Board on budget thinking

Superintendent Mike Haluska told the Decorah Community School Board Monday afternoon that he would present some budget scenarios at their March meeting. But his comments made it clear that the budget proposal could be a tough one, and one that still may be have some variables undefined.

Haluska said that cuts this year are expected to save approximately $450,000 and that another $650,000 in anticipated savings in personnel costs for next year from early retirements, attrition, activities reassessment and altered staffing patterns would produce over $1 million in total savings. But the level of state funding for next year is still undetermined. While Governor Culver has proposed full funding of two percent allowable growth for schools, the prevailing opinion is that this level of funding will not really happen.

Further, the proposed state budget does not even address recouping the across the board cuts made this year. Those cuts have essentially depleted the reserve funds of the district.

Essentially, the state legislature is telling schools that they can go ahead and spend money, but without state funding. It is a clear shift back to local tax dollars. School boards will have to cope with the issue of additional local taxation. Some experts are suggesting that school district property taxes throughout the state will increase an average of from 25 center to 50 cents per $1,000 taxable valuation.

One of the major issues in the upcoming budget, says Haluska, will be how to "backfill" the cuts from this year and how to restock the diminished cash reserves.