Message to Moscow board is grim

MOSCOW -- The Moscow School District's budget picture just doesn't add up, and school officials told citizens Tuesday it may take cutting 30 teachers or closing an elementary school to keep city schools afloat.

"This is the worst news I have ever had to give to a board in my life, and it's very difficult," Superintendent Ed Fisk told the school board and more than 80 concerned Moscow citizens, students and teachers.

The board members were looking at options in the wake of the proposed $1.95 million supplemental levy that voters rejected by a 73 percent margin Nov. 15.

State-mandated 2.5 percent budget cuts and declining enrollment mean the Moscow School District will lose more than $500,000 from of its operating budget.

The plan so far is to spread those cuts equally across the district, Fisk said. "We have made a sincere effort to spread the misery equally across the district."

No decisions have been made, but the district is likely to cut into staffing to bring the budget out of the red, Fisk said.

That could mean a 17 percent reduction in staff, including 30 teachers, two administrators, eight custodians, and a handful of other staff. With the cuts the district's average student-to-teacher ratio would be 17-1.

Fisk said programs with smaller enrollments would be cut first.

"Another option is closing West Park Elementary," Fisk said. Students would be reassigned to three other elementary schools in the district. Staff reductions would still be distributed across the district, so not all West Park employees would lose their jobs.

One more option could be making the high school grades 9 through 12 and re-shuffling and tightening classes at the other schools.

The board could have made it clearer to the public what the bond was going to be used for, said a few citizens.

"Did the community speak, or was it that you just did not get the word out?" asked one man in the back of the room.

"It was a clear vote against," said board member Mike Curley.

He said it is not his intention to consider another levy until other options have been explored. "The first step is to figure out what we will do without more money."

The board will meet again in December to begin exploring options. They said they will also be working closely with the city 's state legislators.

"Whatever happens, as we make these decisions, I assure you we will put the kids first," said board member Brenda Richards.