North Daviess schools face $300,000 in cuts

Discussion

December 21, 2009

By Tim Pinkham, T-H Correspondent The Washington Times-Herald Mon Dec 21, 2009, 10:28 PM EST

ODON — North Daviess Schools Superintendent Robert Bell expects $300,000 in state funding cuts during the next 18 months.

Bell told the North Daviess School Board Monday night he doubts whether the reduced funding will ever be restored.

A week ago today, Gov. Mitch Daniels announced state spending on public schools would be cut by $300 million over the next 18 months. This latest budget-cutting proposal was made after a new revenue forecast predicted the state treasury would receive $1.8 billion less from now through July 2011 than had previously been forecast.

The State Board of Education met Thursday to discuss how the budget reductions ordered by Daniels would be accomplished without reducing the number of classroom teachers. Two basic assumptions which will guide any state board’s recommendations are: No state tax increases and no school funding formula changes through next year.

Bell told the school board he did not know if the funding reduction would be 3 percent of the general fund or $300 per student. North Daviess has 632 students in elementary school and 463 in the junior-senior high school. A cut of $300 per student would equal a funding cut of $328,500.

Saturday morning, Loogootee Superintendent Larry Weitkamp said he expected his corporation to also see funding reduced by $300,000. However, with student enrollment dropping for several consecutive years at Loogootee, he believes the budget can be trimmed through attrition, by not replacing teachers who retire or leave for other reasons.

However, Bell said that is not an option at North Daviess, because enrollment has been steady in recent years. He said the corporation does have reserves built up in its general fund, which will be used to cover the funding cuts. The school budget has already been set through the end of the school year.

During the summer months, when the school board determines the budget for next year, Bell said tough decisions would have to be made. He said an involuntary reduction in force “is always a possibility,” but he hopes to avoid that.

In other business

Retirement

The board approved the retirement, effective today, of junior-senior high language arts teacher Janet Singleton, who has been at North Daviess for 35 years. The board also approved hiring Lori Gilham to replace her for the second semester.

School calendar

The 2010-2011 school calendar, with classes beginning Aug. 17, 2010. Christmas vacation will be from Dec. 23, 2010 to Jan. 3, 2011, with graduation set for May 27, 2011. Several snow days are built into the calendar, but if more than six are needed, Bell said the school year will be extended into June, and graduation would be moved back to June 3, 2011.

Library board

Glenda Scudder was appointed to a four-year term, beginning in January, on the Odon Winklepleck Public Library Board.

Text Only

Breaking News

Body of man found in river
Daviess County Sheriff’s officers and Indiana Department of Natural Resources conservation officers have recovered the body of a Vincennes man who drowned in the West Fork of the White River Saturday.

May 15, 2012
NEW! Divers believe they have located man's body in river
A 28-year-old Bicknell man, Larry Worland, is presumed dead after driving his four-wheeler into the west fork of the White River late Saturday night. Indiana Conservation Officers believe they found the body late Monday afternoon, but were still working on its recovery.

May 14, 2012 1 Photo
Petty, Helms win races in Daviess County Primary
Only 4,417 of 18,770 registered Daviess County voters cast their votes at the polls in Tuesday's primary election, for a 23.53 percent voter turnout.
But it was enough for locals Laura Petty and Dennis Helms who won their races in the Republican Primary.

May 8, 2012 1 Photo
INDOT to close SR 257

The Indiana Department of Transportation announces that traffic on SR 257 in Daviess County will be stopped temporarily.

May 3, 2012
Zeller and Watford to return to IU next season
Christian Watford and Cody Zeller helped Indiana's basketball program turn things around this past season.

They have even bigger plans for next season.

The two players said Tuesday they would return to school next season, putting off the NBA and making the Hoosiers one of the Big Ten favorites

April 10, 2012 1 Photo
Williams sentenced to 65 years
Derek Franklin Williams, 49, of Washington, was sentenced Monday morning to 65 years in prison for the murder of his wife, Kim, Feb. 4, 2011.

April 9, 2012
WILLIAMS SENTENCED TO 65 YEARS
Derek Franklin Williams, 49, was sentenced this morning to 65 years in prison for the murder of his wife, Kim.
Daviess Superior Court Judge Dean A. Sobecki said he sentenced Williams to the maximum because the aggravating circumstance of committing the murder in the home with two children present outweighed the mitigating circumstances of Williams’ good record in the military and as a civilian employee, as well as his lack of previous criminal record.
Williams will receive credit for time served.

April 9, 2012
U.S. 50 EAST OF SHOALS CLOSED
Due to a semi accident, U.S. 50 east of Shoals is closed. The Martin County Sheriff's Department will notify drivers when the road is open.

April 5, 2012
5 killed in Knox County crash
Knox County Sheriff Mike Morris reported five occupants of a passenger car were killed when the vehicle drove under a southbound semi tractor-trailer on U.S. 41 at the intersection with old U.S. 41.

March 29, 2012
Loogootee wins 1st state title
Will Nonte scored four points for Loogootee in Saturday¹s Class A Indiana basketball championship game, but his final two may be the most important scored by any Loogootee player.

March 24, 2012 1 Photo
More Breaking News Headlines

Breaking News

Search Results

Discussion

North Daviess schools face $300,000 in cuts

Should students who fail IREAD-3 (twice) advance to 4th grade?

Site Map

Contact Us