March 1 - Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools

Wyandotte West – March 11, 2009BUDGET CUTS...Cindy Lane, assistant superintendent for budget and instructional support services, gives a presentationoutlining budget cuts at the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools’ Board of Education meeting March 10. (Photoby Bob Evans)USD 500 readies ax as budget forces cuts; 150-180 jobs may beeliminated by Julyby Bob EvansAnother sign of the economic crisis pervaded the Kansas City, Kansas, District 500 school board meetingMarch 10 as it conducted a budget hearing to publicly hear the dire forecast for the 2009-2010 year where $16-21 million in budgeting cuts loom and jobs losses await.Imagine riding a wild stallion, holding on with one hand and trying to aim a gun at a continually movingtarget with the free hand. That’s similar to the task faced by the board and the administrators as they try to tamethe runaway crisis facing the district. According to Cindy Lane, assistant superintendent for business andinstructional support services, the finances change daily, sometimes hourly and the task of finding ways to savethe most jobs yet continue to deliver the best education for students poses a major problem.In one scenario, District 500 needs to cut about 6 percent of its overall budget as the best of all possibilities.In the worst scenario, District 500 needs to cut about 16 percent. Both situations cause pain for the board andthe central administrators. Bottom line, jobs are on the line.“It’s hard. It’s very painful. These are faces, people we know,” Lane said.Pink slips to about 40 central office personnel begin arriving this week as the first phase of the reductionswith more to follow. The school board hopes for something to change and that as many jobs as possible can besaved or personnel recalled as the forecast changes. Severed workers continue through the contract year, but thecentral office needs to take a proactive approach, knowing what’s in store with the new budget, J. D. Rios, HR