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Budget aims to maintain levels Central Point schools propose budget that's 5.26% more than the previous fiscal year's By SUSAN JAY CENTRAL POINT -- The school district aims to maintain current programs, teachers and staff in its proposed 1999-2000 fiscal year budget. But "it all depends on that magic number out there, somewhere on the horizon," said Superintendent Mike McClain, referring to whatever the Oregon Legislature finally approves for school funding for the next biennium. McClain delivered the school district's budget message Thursday to the budget committee. The district proposes a $25.9 million budget, 5.26 percent more than this year's. Average daily enrollment for 1999-2000 is estimated to increase by 1.2 percent. With that budget increase, the school district can maintain existing levels of curricular and extracurricular programs, stay on schedule with building maintenance, and meet all of its negotiated contracts with district employees. Usually the district uses the Oregon Department of Education's March revenue estimate to develop its budget. That number was $4.378 billion for Oregon schools for the 1999-2001 biennium. This time, however, the district based its proposed budget on the higher $4.7 billion figure that legislative Republicans were last pushing for. "We're pretty optimistic," McClain said, because Gov. John Kitzhaber's new proposed school funding figure is $4.95 billion, and because there has been so much discussion of the need to increase school funding. Now, everyone is waiting for May's revenue forecast figures from the state before casting final dollar amounts. If the Legislature ends up not voting for more funding, and the Education Department's lower figure is the final one, the Central Point School District would face a $1.3 million shortfall. McClain said managers have considered $500,000 in possible cuts while preparing the budget. Those include fewer classroom field trips, less summer maintenance painting and a smaller custodial staff. "We didn't want to make cuts ... and then find we will have more resources," McClain said. "We didn't want to disrupt students' and our employees' lives any more than necessary." If the district should receive more money than it budgeted, McClain said some of the areas in need include school counselors and updated high school science books and equipment to meet new state standards. The district, which has 4,568 students and 225 teachers, has one counselor for every 741 students. Crater High School has two counselors for 1,400 students. "This is an area of concern for us," McClain said, especially with the school violence that continues to erupt across the country. "There are a lot of needs out there for adding counselors," he said. "The goal would be to have a counselor in each elementary school." The budget committee meets again May 4, when it is scheduled to vote on the budget and send it to the school board. The school board will hold a public hearing on the budget in June. McClain said the district should know the final funding figure after the budget committee makes its recommendation, but before the school board's meeting in June. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA