LPOSD to talk budget issues

SANDPOINT — The Lake Pend Oreille School District trustees face some very painful decisions when they meet Monday.

The board will begin discussions about how to reduce districts expenses between 10 and 14 percent for the 2010-’11 school year.

While discussion has centered around the possible closure of Northside Elementary School, the $140,000 a year the district would save if it closes the school is only a small portion of a large-scale reduction that will range between $1 million to $2.5 million.

It is quite likely that budget reductions will include additional loss of certified and classified staff, administrators and other district programming considered essential by some in providing quality public education.

A district committee comprised of a wide staff spectrum has been tasked with making suggestions about how to reduce costs.

Those suggestions will be presented at Monday’s workshop, along with some other ideas by Superintendent Dick Cvitanich that he said may be helpful.

LPOSD is one of the financially healthiest school districts in the region. Other school districts in the area, because of their precarious financial status, have opted to utilize a change in state statute, allowing them to declare an emergency, open up teacher contracts and renegotiate teacher pay to a lesser amount.

However, this year the Idaho Legislature voted to declare a statewide emergency — meaning that it believes every school district in Idaho is in a financial emergency.

Even though LPOSD has not declared a financial emergency, by law its trustees now can open existing teacher contracts and reduce salaries.

Whether trustees will consider that option has not been discussed.

In recent years, the relationship between LPOSD and the local teacher union has developed into one of respect.

LPOSD teachers are paid more than the amount agreed to by the Idaho Legislature in statute.

LPOSD is just beginning contract negotiations with certified staff.

Trustees plan several special workshops regarding the budget within the next two months because Idaho Code requires legal publication in the Daily Bee by May 20.

The budget workshop  begins at 5 p.m, in  LPOSD’s district office located on Triangle Drive in Ponderay.