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63 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, September 12, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 7, 2004 Budget news a plus for Medford schools By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Feared cuts in the Medford School District budget may be only half as bad as expected, early state school funding figures show. The district anticipated up to $8 million in additional cuts for the 2004-05 school year, but that figure has dropped to about $4 million under a budget scenario released this week by the Oregon Department of Education. "It’s definitely not going to be as severe as we had thought," said Galen Anderson, the district’s business director. Anderson stressed, however, that the state estimates, legally required by the first week in March, are "very ballpark" figures. Final figures could come as late as June, he added. The most recent state figures show the Medford district would receive about $72.6 million in school funding next year. That’s $6.4 million lower than the district’s $79 million general fund budget. Advertisement School officials earlier this year made about $2.4 million in cuts by trimming 23 positions and cutting a variety of programs. That leaves about $4 million in cuts that remain, Anderson said. The district prioritized cuts last year by grouping potential reductions into three "tiers." "We’re definitely still going to have to do Tier 1 (cuts)," Anderson said. "But we might have to look again at Tier 2." Included in Tier 2 reductions, for instance, are plans to eliminate 13 elementary music positions and support staff for a savings of more than $900,000, plus reductions in secondary music for a savings of $750,000. Tier 3 cuts include about $5 million in savings that would have to be approved through negotiations with employees’ unions. District officials have notified unions of plans to open contracts to seek reductions in salaries and school days. Medford is the only local school district facing large budget cuts next year. Other districts reduced staff and programs earlier and budgeted more conservatively, officials said. Consequently, their budgets are more or less in line with the preliminary state figures. "We cut our music programs two years ago," said Vicki Robinson, business manager for the Central Point School District. "We just planned for the problem over time." In Medford, former Superintendent Steve Wisely decided to meet budget targets largely through attrition, Anderson said. "That was the philosophy of the superintendent; we did not want to RIF (lay off) people," he said. Instead, the district took a wait-and-see approach, hoping that the Legislature or voters would come through with adequate revenue. The defeat of ballot Measures 28 and 30 showed that they would not, Anderson said. "We didn’t really, quite honestly, take the difficult approach then," he said. "We’re paying our dues now, if you will," he added. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities