More cuts needed in CL school budget

Trimming $600K would keep district ‘treading water’

After successfully trimming more than $400,000 from its budget through early retirements, Clear Lake Schools Superintendent Doug Gee was sent back for more.

Gee was directed to look for an additional $200,000 to cut after it was discovered the district had overspent by $961,000 over the last two years and is projected to overspend by another $352,000 in the current year.

“This has happened because we have continued to spend more than we have taken in,” said Gee about the $1.3 million pulled from reserves.  “We need to reduce our spending by at least $600,000 to get us back on track.

“Cutting $600,000 is treading water and that’s where we need to go,” School Board member Mark Tesar said at Wednesday’s Board meeting.

The meeting included approval of six more applicants for the district’s early retirement plan.  A total of 14 teachers and classified staff have been approved for the deal.  Gee estimates that through early retirements the district will see a savings of $439,286.

Gee shared a preliminary plan with Board members which replaced some of the retirees, likely with entry level teachers.  At least one position, that of curriculum coordinator Tracy Thomsen, may be absorbed by the superintendent and administrators.

Faced with budget cuts last year, the School Board considered cutting French from its curriculum.  Gee told the Board he sees no savings in dropping a foreign language.  The district could continue to offer both subjects, even with the reduction of a half-time Spanish position.

A part-time position in the high school social studies department, as well as a para-educator position, may be cut through