Watson Chapel School District Superintendent Danny Hazelwood told the district board of directors Monday night at the regular monthly meeting that a steady drop in student enrollment numbers is not being met with a commensurate drop in staff and that the existing situation is not sustainable.
“Staff salaries for the 2012-2013 school year are estimated to be $11.3 million and as student enrollment numbers continue to drop we are going to need to look at staffing cuts next year and we’re going to have a reduction in force,” Hazelwood said. “I’m planting the seed now. We have less students but the same amount of staff. We will need to re-evaluate the teacher-student ratio as well as the support staff numbers.”
Hazelwood spoke about the matter of staff costs as part of a wider discussion of the estimated budget for the 2012-2013 school year, which the board unanimously approved.
“Last year we spent $3.2 million on supplies and materials versus $2 million the year before,” Hazelwood said. “Most of the expense was due to the purchase of textbooks. We anticipate the same kind of spending again this year. Fuel costs and utility expenses are also up. We are also spending money for technology items.”
Hazelwood said that total projected revenue for the 2012-2013 school year is down from the previous two years.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“The projected revenues alarm me,” Hazelwood said. “But that is something we can’t do anything about because it is based upon the number of students that we are serving in the district. State revenue has gone down because our total number of students has gone down. All federal money has also been cut. We have to budget looking at that situation.”
The proposed 2012-2013 budget projects total revenues of $25,254,137; versus revenues of $26,894,134 in 2011-2012 and revenues of $28,560,366 in 2010-2011.
Financial statement
In other business the board approved the financial report for the month of August.
Hazelwood reported revenues of $1,8885,068 for the month and expenditures of $1,016,349, leaving an ending balance of $6,185,178.
Calendar correction
The board approved a calendar correction recommended by Hazelwood showing the Arkansas Education Association fall conference dates as Nov. 8 and 9 and not Nov. 1 and 2 as originally listed.
“Apparently the date was changed because of the general election,” Hazelwood said. “I realize that some parents may have already made plans to be out of town on the original dates and I will instruct the principals to make arrangements for any students who will be absent from class on Nov. 8 and 9.”
Athletic expenditures
The board approved athletic department expenditures for the 2011-2012 school year as recommended by Hazelwood to comply with a new law, by a vote of six to one, with board member Donnie Hartsfield casting the lone dissenting vote.
Hartsfield told Hazelwood that he would not be able to vote for the measure because he had not been given adequate time to review the material and to ask questions related to the material.
“This has a time constraint on it and must be voted on by Sept. 15,” Hazelwood said. “This is a new law and we will try to do better next year in terms of notice.”
Hazelwood voiced his belief that expenditures related to athletics are well worth it.
“This requires us to look at the expenditures and shows us that having extracurricular activities is expensive but it’s worth every penny that is spent,” Hazelwood said. “Our extracurricular activities are why students want to come here.”
Personnel
The board approved personnel recommendations from Hazelwood including the hiring of Julie Caple as an elementary art teacher; Leslie Medlock as an elementary computer lab para-professional; Clevis Demings as a head bus mechanic; Cameron Monk as a bus mechanic assistant; Carla McCoy-Roaf as a substitute bus aid and a temporary computer technician; Tarneisheia Tate as a school nurse; Barbara Knickerbocker as a school secretary; and Carla Davis and Debbye Kendall as cafeteria worker substitutes.
Hazelwood said that he accepted the resignation of Dohnae Sikes and the retirement notification of Peggy Green.