- Kyrene District staff answered questions from Governing Board members during a sometimes heated discussion of school budget issues at a May 24 public meeting. — Wrangler News photo by Mark Crudup
After hours of opinionated debate and hearing special-area teachers address budget concerns, Kyrene district governing board members voted to make no changes to special area program scheduling, which includes physical education, music, art and library.
The governing board reviewed Superintendent Dr. David Schauer’s proposed budget plan, which originally included a cut of $756,000 based on rescheduling special area programs, during a study session and board meeting May 24.
In addition to Schauer’s recommended proposal were three other special area scheduling models the board has been reviewing in passionate debate.
Throughout the meeting, governing board members continued to make motions to pass one of four proposals to make changes to special area scheduling to accommodate for the budget deficit facing the Kyrene district for the next year, however none received additional support or failed 3-2 in the voting process. Forced with making budget reductions to account for $5.3 million, the Kyrene School District proposed a list of recommended operational modifications earlier May 10 board members are still grappling with. Line item 14 would have made changes to special area scheduling. Members will need to vote on an official budget plan June 25.
Special area teachers addressed board members during the meeting, and expressed concerns over decreasing the class time for physical education, art, music and library.
Just after midnight, board member Ross Robb made a motion to eliminate any proposed changes to special area scheduling, with the board passing the motion 3-2. In order for the district to move forward with personnel changes, the board needed to make a decision on the special area scheduling that night, Mark Knight, executive director of human resources for Kyrene, said to members during the meeting. Currently, teachers issued riffs are waiting to see if they will keep their jobs in the Kyrene district.
Special area schedules will remain the same as last year: Physical education twice per week for 30 minutes; music twice per week for 30 minutes; and art once per week for 40 minutes.
Karen Smith, financial director for Kyrene, said the district will also have $250,000 in reserve community funds, which will be available after June 3o.
With no changes being made to physical education, music, art and library for the next school year, the district will need to account for an additional $156,000 in budget deficits, which may include increased class sizes.
Schauer had recommended to change the scheduling to a 50-minute model, which would save the district $756,000. He said this model would provide teachers with the most prep time and is the majority of what the district’s study teams supported during their study of special area programs.
With no changes made to the special area scheduling, the board will continue to look at other list items to accommodate for the budget deficit.
