EPSB discusses government budget cuts

Posted July 1st, 2009

By: CARISSA HEBERT
Managing Editor

In her comments to the board Wednesday night, Superintendent Toni Hamlin said Evangeline Parish would receive approximately $1 million less in state funds this year for the upcoming fiscal year based on the state’s budget cuts.

Hamlin said they anticipated the cuts to total approximately $900,000, but based on the figures Business Manager Amy LaFleur received, the total would be approximately $1.4 million less than last year’s budget. These monies are based on the funding system known as MFP (Minimum Foundation Program). MFP uses a growth rate of 2.75 percent each year, and that is basically what has been removed from the budget. Hamlin said there is zero percent growth rate this year in the formula. She also pointed out the district loses students each year and this affects the MFP formula, which is based on the district’s October 1st, student count each year.

Hamlin said the district was tightening its belt and looking at all sections in an attempt to find ways to save money. She said the district’s recent adoption of a new staffing formula was a proactive measure as they awaited the state’s decision on budget cuts. (The board’s new staffing formula went from 19-to-one to 21-to-one for kindergarten to third grade classroom configuration. For fourth to 12 grade, the previous formula was 24-to-one and is now 26-to-one. With a beginning teacher’s pay, and all benefits, totaling approximately $54,000, this could help save monies in the overall picture of financing the district.)

Hamlin said they would continue to find ways to save money.

In other business, the board:

•Learned stimulus monies could not be used for construction purposes.

•Discussed Senate Bill 223. She said this bill will allow students, who are suspended 10 days or less, to complete their missed schoolwork in a satisfactory manner and/or time limit for partial or full credit. Before, students could not receive this credit. It also states students suspended or expelled can complete their assignments.

On July 4th, 2009 cocerned citizen said:

Why not look at administration budget cuts before looking at teacher and classroom cuts.