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Medford schools might face more cuts But state maneuver aids Butte Falls, Prospect By DAMIAN MANN A last-minute budget maneuver that shifted state education money to smaller districts has forced Medford schools to consider cutting as many as a dozen additional positions this fall. Superintendent Steve Wisely, who earlier this year anticipated leaving 24.5 positions unfilled because of a budget shortfall, said he is now looking at also cutting two more elementary school teaching positions and possibly eight to 10 classified staff. The district will make the staff reductions primarily through attrition. "We are not going to lay anyone off," said Wisely. Earlier, the district announced it wouldn't replace 19.5 elementary school teaching positions and five child development instructors because of a budget shortfall. The decision to earmark more money to help Oregon high schools with fewer than 350 students will mean $364,000 less for the Medford district. But Medford's loss will be Prospect and Butte Falls' gain, because their high schools will each receive about $14,000 extra. "It's unfortunate that we get this at someone else's expense," said Prospect Superintendent Don Alexander. He will use the $14,000 and some additional grant funds to pay for a music teacher. "We haven't had a music program since 1982," he said. Because of its small size, Prospect, like many tiny school districts throughout the state, has been forced to make annual cuts in staff and programs. Alexander welcomed the prospect of a music teacher so the district can prepare its students for the upcoming CIM (certificate of initial mastery) tests in the arts. "It will also be another activity to get kids involved in school," he said. Other districts reported they didn't have a chance to analyze the state's latest funding formulas released this month. With a decline in enrollment at the elementary grades, Wisely said, the impacts from the loss of teachers would be partially mitigated. The district, however, does expect some increases in class sizes from the cuts. Medford's modest 3.3 percent increase in revenues from the state stands in stark contrast to the 11.4 percent overall increase in funding from the recently approved $5.2 billion education budget. "The discrepancy lies in how the money is distributed after the Legislature determines the funding level," said Wisely. "While education dollars at the state level may be increasing at an 11.4 percent rate, districts like 549C (Medford schools) can expect to see much less." Wisely cited an Oregon School Boards Association report that showed the Legislature routinely siphons money off the top of the education budget. This money goes to the Portland School District, to districts with new building projects, to the educational service districts and to other programs. As a result, less is left to be distributed among all the districts throughout the state, he said. Even with a 3.3 percent increase, resulting in $76,522 in overall revenues, Medford schools have been hit with a $4 million salary increase, an insurance hike of $1.8 million and almost $300,000 in higher natural gas prices. Many of these costs rose faster than annual inflation, measured by the consumer price index, which was 3.7 percent, Wisely said. Salaries and insurance have had the most impact. "With 80 to 85 percent of a school district's budget going toward salaries and benefits, these two areas alone have the greatest impact on the budget," said Wisely. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.