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Ashland schools face budget cuts By DAMIAN MANN ASHLAND - Closing one elementary school could save $338,000 a year, but the detrimental effect on education might not be worth the price, parents and administrators agreed this week. Wrestling with the need to carve from $800,000 to $1 million out of next year's budget, Ashland school officials have turned to the public to find ways to trim expenses. A state audit, released earlier this year, suggested that Ashland could improve efficiency by closing one of its elementary schools. "It would be a horrible thing to close an elementary school," concluded Ashland parent Steve Schein. His remark was echoed by about 30 other community members who met at Helman Elementary School at the first of a series of meetings that will help determine how the district can make budget cuts. Superintendent Juli Di Chiro warned that expenses continue to outpace revenues, forcing the district to consider more reductions in programs and staff during the next fiscal year. The district has already cut $840,000 in staff this year to balance its budget. Di Chiro said the state has warned every government agency to expect a 2 percent across-the-board cut, amounting to about $400,000 out of Ashland schools' $20 million budget. Board member John Maurer said the idea of shutting down a school is not something the district wants to push, but it is something that shouldn't be overlooked as a cost-cutting measure. The district will continue to experience declining enrollment as the community population gets older, Maurer said, and closing a school is something that should be continually analyzed. Some parents agreed, but only if the population at an elementary school doesn't exceed 300 students. So far, all of Ashland's elementary schools are below that level, but closing one could force the others to swell to about 327 students each, based on total elementary enrollment of 1,305 students. However, the state's Quality Education Model, which recommends everything from ideal classroom size to student/teacher ratios, believes an effective elementary school can serve 340 students. Even though $338,000 is the estimated savings from closing a campus, some of that savings might be eaten up with the operation of new classes that would be needed at the four other elementary schools. Many community members supported the idea of creating a multi-million-dollar endowment that would allow the district to retain staff and programs. Board member Amy Amrhein countered that the local community, which is already paying off a bond and an athletic levy, might be resistant to digging deeper into its pockets for Ashland schools, particularly with the sagging economy. Teacher and parent Laura Freeman thought the district should make a greater effort to find grants. "We need a core group of people to go out and get the money." Unless the district can come up with a new source of revenues, it is likely that teaching positions and other staff could be cut, driving up the size of classrooms. Di Chiro said 88 percent of the district's budget is consumed by salaries and benefits. Most at the meeting agreed that a $1.5 million athletic levy approved by voters last year has so far allowed Ashland to avoid some of the deeper cuts felt by other school districts. 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.