Saline schools looks at budget cuts that don't impact the classroom

He noted the cuts will have minimal impact on classroom activity.

“It was a collective effort to come to this number,” Laatsch said. “We’re looking at $5.5 million we have to trim out of the budget, and this is the first step toward that, but obviously we’re still a long way away.”

The district has already imposed a freeze on supplies spending as it tries to figure out whether a 20 percent cut in the buildings budget is the ideal figure.

The money is designated for “small items” like copy paper, running the copy machines, staplers and individual classroom budgets for teachers.

The reduction will snip roughly $125,000 from the budget, and Laatsch said teachers will have to begin sharing their resources.

“That does have the potential to impact some instructional areas if you don’t have supplies,” he said. “But a 20-percent reduction is very manageable. We don’t think that’s going to paralyze the schools.”

He added hub printing could also help the district save on supplies. The change would centralize printing instead of having schools maintaining numerous printers scattered throughout the buildings.

The district is also looking to reduce two contracted services for a savings of $29,000. The alternative education program uses several online credit recovery courses, but will now only use one. And the in-house tech support will take care of computer-related issues so the district can end its service contracts with Dell and Apple.

“We’ve gotten to the point where our tech staff is streamlined enough that we can handle this stuff,” Laatsch said.

The transportation department signed a better long-term contract for fuel which, combined with cutbacks on bus maintenance equipment purchases, will save the district $40,000.

Budgets for maintenance equipment across the district and technology equipment will also see combined cuts of $30,000.

“In other words, we are going to get by with what we have now,” Laatsch said.

The district will stop giving the NWEA test to 9th and 10th grade students in the spring semesters, which will cut $10,000 from the budget.

Laatsch said the cut wasn’t a big concern because kids at that grade are taking other similar tests during the spring.

One change that will increase revenue is in the community education department, which will bump up its annual payment to the district by $25,000. The state caps how much the community education program can pay districts for using their facilities, but Laatsch said Saline’s program is well below that figure.

While the cuts are the first in many to come, Laatsch said parents have been understanding of the proposed cuts so far.

“Our community expected that stuff like this was coming, so I don’t think the reaction is too negative,” he said. “I think people want us to be responsible and we’re doing our best to be responsible.”

Laatsch added staff cuts are likely after Jan. 1. The Saline school board is asking its teachers’ union and three other employee groups to re-open their contracts to review wages and benefits.

“With a large percentage of our money tied up in staff salary and benefits in the end, we are going to have to look at that category,” he said.

The district is holding another community meeting to discuss budget issues on Dec. 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the Liberty School auditorium.

Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.