Schools say Kansas contingency funds won't clear budget cuts

"I am so, so disappointed; I'm almost embarrassed that the House took this action," said District 4 Kansas House Representative Shirley Palmer, D-Fort Scott, regarding the Kansas House's decision to pass a state deficit plan cutting more than $200,000 from local school budgets.

State legislators completed their work on a plan to eliminate a $199 million deficit in Kansas' budget Thursday.

At the forefront of these cuts is a $66 per-pupil and 1 percent reduction in education funding. A cut most schools say is nearly impossible at this point in the year.

According to USD 234 District Superintendent Rick Werling, local school's funds have already been dedicated to specific projects and resources.

"We're not talking about next year," said Werling. "We're talking about right now. We are already into the second semester and we have plans in place for those funds.

"We are responsible for preparing students for the state evaluation test and have an obligation to these families and students to uphold our end of the deal."

In addition, special education, at-risk enrollment and high density factors convert the $66 per-student cuts to much more than $100 for most districts including Bourbon County.

USD 234 stands to lose $206, 577 or $103 per pupil while USD 235 (Uniontown) could see cuts of $64,172 or $144 a student.

As a small rural school, USD 235 could be impacted by the state's cuts even more than Fort Scott. Uniontown officials echoed the statements of Fort Scott in saying cuts this late in the year would not only be difficult, but just simply unfair.

"We based our budgets for the year on what legislators told us would be available," said USD 235 District Superintendent Randy Rockhold. "We followed through with our end of deal. Now, after the fact we are supposed to come up with the funding to cover these cuts."

The House's proposal was surprising to many in that it included a larger cut to the state's education system than that introduced by state senators .

Kansas District 13 Senator Bob Marshall, R-Fort Scott, said he was surprised by the House's decision, but, referred to it as "unfortunately" necessary.

"I hate the fact that we have to make cuts in education," he said. "... But, we have got to make cuts.

"I know it's late in the year; I know there isn't a lot of money available; I know it's going to be hard on superintendents; but the money has to come from somewhere."

Marshall opposed the senate's plan that included a 3.4 percent across-the-board cut, eliminating $33 dollars per student from school's budgets. He claimed the plan proposed "too many one time cuts" that would not fix the troubled state budget, but rather "take the money out of many savings accounts across the state."

"You have got to make cuts," said Marshall. "If you just try to go find the money, you are just taking money out of a savings account and are going to end up owing those funds later."

Palmer argued that schools have already made contractual obligations to certain staff members and would not be able to cut budgeted funds appropriately.

"The key people (faculty) are under contract," she said. "Districts are required to pay the staff they have under contract. So now the question is: Do we cut trips? Do we cut food services? Do we cut transportation? Do we cut custodial services?

"These things could be very devastating, especially to rural schools."

According to Palmer, law makers referenced schools' contingency funds as a means for the districts to survive currently difficult economic times. However, according to Werling and Rockhold, these funds are already obligated to other resources and would not be available as an extra source of funding.

In Fort Scott, contingency funds are used as overflow for utility usage, while Uniontown uses this money to cover unexpected expenses.

"We have contingency funds," said Rockhold. "But, when we started the school year, last year, gasoline was $2 a gallon. It went up to $4 a gallon. We have to be able to accommodate for that. Diesel fuel was $2 at the beginning of the year and ended up at $3.80. I don't think anyone would have been able to foresee that happening."

In Fort Scott, a $203,000 electricity bill nearly emptied their contingency fund for the 2007-2008 school year according to USD 234 Business Manager Alan Drake.

After paying $37,000 out of the schools supplemental general fund last year, USD 234's contingency fund acted as a "flow over for the utilities (because) every year we're unable to build up our general fund budget enough to cover our utilities," said Drake.

In Crawford County, statistics were no more positive. Pittsburg schools stand to lose about $290,000 or $110 per student, Frontenac could see a budget loss of more than $92,000 or $112 a student and Girard could lose more than $118,000 or $119.

Across the state, Garden City is facing cuts of more than $807,000.

Kansas House's proposal went before the state Conference Committee Thursday afternoon. The committee -- composed of two Republicans and one Democrat from both the House and Senate -- returned to debated the bill Friday. Representatives released a statement early Friday afternoon saying the committee intended to conclude its arguments Friday night so the bill could be voted on early next week.

"Hopefully some compromises are made (in the conference committee)," said Palmer. "There's got to be give and take."