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Ashland cuts principals' hours, will pick school to close Given an expected shortfall in state money, more cuts could loom for the district By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune ASHLAND - Struggling with the prospect of endless budget crunches, the school district Monday cut five elementary principals to half time and will decide in December on which elementary campus to close. A committee will be formed by May 29 to pick one of the district's five elementary campuses to close, a move that could generate savings of anywhere from $200,000 to $800,000 annually. "We really need to close an elementary school," said board member John Maurer. The district, which cut $840,000 in 2001-02, is slashing $1.9 million out of next fiscal year's budget, resulting in the loss of 10 percent of its teaching staff. More cuts could be in the offing because of an almost $1 billion shortfall predicted by the state for the next biennium. In other cost-cutting measures, five elementary principals will work half time so that three of them can take on administrative duties that affect the entire district. This will allow the current Briscoe principal, Jeff Schlecht, to take over as principal at Ashland High School, saving the district the cost of searching for an administrator from outside the district. Another principal, Michelle Zundel, will divide her time between Walker and Briscoe elementaries, allowing the district to make do with one fewer administrator. Schlecht, who was principal at Phoenix High School for three years and associate principal at Ashland High for five years, said the crisis in his district will have a profound impact on education. "This is a financial crisis not only to the Ashland School District but also to districts throughout the state," said the 51-year-old Ashland resident, who has two school-age children. "This is affecting kids in the classrooms." Closing an elementary school could be one of the most visible effects of this fiscal dilemma, resulting in the changing of school boundaries. Ashland School Board Chairwoman Terry Littleton said the district could save up to $800,000 from the closure, depending on the number of jobs saved and the possibility of renting out or selling a building. Two of the schools - Briscoe and Lincoln - need extensive earthquake retrofitting. The committee also will consider student demographics and future enrollment trends in Ashland, which is experiencing a decline in students. "We have to look at the pros and cons of each site," said Littleton. But closing a school is not necessarily a foregone conclusion. "It's not totally out of the realm of possibility that they (the committee members) will determine it's not a wise decision to close a school," said Littleton. But Maurer said the current information he has shows that a school needs to be shut down. Most educational experts say an elementary school should have about 350 students to be run efficiently, he said. Ashland's elementaries have fewer than 300. Also, enrollment continues to dwindle, further reducing the number of students at each elementary. Littleton said the decision to shift Schlecht to the high school shouldn't be construed as meaning Briscoe is the prime candidate for closure. Littleton and school administrators hope the lack of full-time principals will not have a major impact on students. Lincoln Elementary Principal Susan Hollandsworth said the three principals will take on duties normally handled by the district office, which has fewer administrators because of budget cuts. The district decided not to hire a curriculum director last year because of budget problems. The principals will work on curriculum, staff development and keeping up with state and federal grants, which bring in about $900,000 annually. Even though she will be working as principal part-time, Hollandsworth said it doesn't necessarily mean she will be out of the office 50 percent of the time. "A lot of work will be done over the summer," she said. Also, principals can do some of the district work from their offices. But some of her duties will be handled by her colleagues. "We have a really strong staff," she said. "We have a lot of smart teachers and a lot of supportive people." Littleton said one bright spot in the budget situation is $330,000 raised so far by the Ashland Schools Foundation. This money likely will save at least one teaching position at each elementary school and possibly bring back some instructional aides. 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.