Published: November 22, 2009 08:46 pm      

Area schools worry about further cuts

District schools are handling this year's budget cuts fairly well, however coping with the even larger cuts that loom in the near future are going to be more of a problem.

Sen. Bryce Marlatt, R- Woodward, said the statewide funding shortfall for Oklahoma Public Schools totals $1 billion for this year alone. He said the five percent reductions ordered the past few months are expected to increase.

“We’ve got to address this, but we’ve also got to look into the future year and two years,” Marlatt said, noting that the Constitution of Oklahoma bans any deficit spending.

He added, “it makes it difficult but at the same time it is the most responsible. We have to operate like a business, and you can’t spend more than you make.”

Despite teachers' salaries taking up 80 to 90 percent of the budget, many schools have not made any layoffs, and they are taking cost-saving measures to keep it that way.

Mooreland Superintendent Terry Kellner said cuts in funding for his school have added up to about $76,000 to this point. He said his biggest concern is not finishing up this school year, but what the budget will be for next year.

“We’ve cut back slowly on everything but have taken no major hits yet, and that probably won’t happen at our school until we get next year's budget,” Kellner said.

Despite its own challenges, Mooreland Public Schools is taking into account that others in the community are struggling as well.

The school system is one of many that have implemented a Child Nutrition Backpack program, which provides needy students with food to eat over the weekend. The need for the backpack program has grown as the number of students enrolled in the Free and Reduced Lunch program have increased at most schools in the district.

Other smaller schools in the area are also preparing for the challenges ahead. After the Christmas break Sharon-Mutual school will begin a four-day school week.

Superintendent Emma Sidders said they hope to save significantly on overhead and transportation costs.

“We have anticipated that we would need the four-day week, and have had a longer school day all year,” Sidders said.

Vici Superintendent Steve Peretto said his school is also cutting back and saving money wherever they can. He also recognized a main cause of the budget reduction, which he said leads back to a drop in gross production in the energy industry.

Marlatt agreed, and said he is working with fellow Republicans toward finding a solution- and it begins with increasing gross production taxes.

“The quickest fix to this is a dramatic increase in natural gas prices. When the gas is selling at a higher price, it will encourage operators to increase production,” Marlatt said.

But until there are "dramatic" improvements in the energy industry and/or other sectors of the economy, it looks like area schools will have to continue to be creative in how they save money and handle budget cuts.