The superintendent of Davenport Community Schools proposed specific cuts to reduce the district’s deficit at a school board meeting Monday, February 27, 2012.
In advance of the meeting, Dr. Art Tate made his list of proposed budget reductions available.
The largest cut on Dr. Tate’s list comes from repurposing Lincoln Elementary School, which he says will save more than $1.35 million.
The list also includes reductions to, and increased efficiency in, student transportation including childcare and athletic transportation budgets. Athletic and fine arts budgets would each see additional cuts, and all schools and facilities would see overall budget reductions of three to five percent.
Personnel cuts would account for more than $300,000 in savings, and Tate says those cuts will happen through retirement and attrition instead of through layoffs.
More than $700,000 would be saved by increasing class sizes in elementary grades 2 through 5 and in each intermediate class.
Dr. Tate proposed a total of $3,781,000 in cuts to the district’s annual budget for the fiscal year 2012-2013. More cuts are possible for the following year.
Follow the district’s budget process from start to finish at this link: http://www.davenport.k12.ia.us/budget.asp.
The school board is expected to make its decision on which cuts will happen by March 12, 2012. They’ll vote to approve the final version of the budget April 9.
