RELATED: Superintendent reacts to election result
The teacher cuts are the media specialist position at Bowman Primary, plus an English teacher and a family and consumer sciences teacher at the high school. Yohey said the special education aides are classroom workers who help teachers with instruction.
“We will still be compliant with federal education laws (after the special education cuts),” Yohey said. “Additional teaching positions may be cut if teachers leave the district over the summer months.”
The district also will make reductions in curriculum/textbook purchases as well as computer software and hardware purchases, according to Yohey. Some adjustments to high school busing this summer are expected to reduce the number of bus routes, pushing the total cuts over $1 million.
APRIL: “Yes” and “No” levy campaign signs are lookalikes
Yohey said the school board will decide in June whether to put a new school levy on the ballot in November. The next meeting is June 17 at the school board offices, 700 Holbrook Ave.
The timing of any future levy is important, because any levy passed in November would take effect in early 2020, generating new revenue for the schools and tax payments for residents. A levy passed at any time in 2020 would not generate new school revenue until early 2021.
Yohey said the district will come up with a second and third round of proposed cuts and will announce them in August or September. If no new levy is passed, the second round of cuts would be implemented in January 2020 and the third round in summer 2020.
Voters rejected the May 7 levy by a 56-44 ratio. It would have raised $5 million a year and cost about $175 for every $100,000 of property value. Turnout was 20 percent of registered voters.
APRIL: School levies put focus on state funding fight
Lebanon voters have not passed a levy for new day-to-day operating money in eight years. Some levy opponents asked the district to consider a school income tax rather than a property tax levy, saying it would be fairer to farmers and large landowners.
Earlier this year, Lebanon’s financial forecast had projected deficit spending for this year and future school years because of escalating costs, gradually eating away at cash reserves until the district would run out of money in early 2022.
Yohey had pointed out repeatedly in the levy campaign that the district ranks in the bottom six percent of the state in spending per pupil, and had reached a point where it needed more funding to maintain the status quo.
JANUARY: School board votes to put levy on May ballot
“To say we are disappointed would be an understatement,” he said on election night. “It’s a real shame that we must now begin dismantling this great program. However, our community has spoken and we will now roll up our sleeves and begin the difficult task of deciding what programs, personnel and student activities will be affected.”
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