The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Lincoln eyes nearly $4 million in cuts
Seniors, Community Education rally for second ballot proposal
By Dan DuChene, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: June 7, 2007
Lincoln Consolidated Schools' board will consider $3.46 million in cuts to the district's budget at its Monday meeting.
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Fred Williams, the district's superintendent, said the cuts would balance the budget while depleting the remaining fund balance. It said it would keep the district afloat for the 2007 to 2008 fiscal year, but not the next.
"After the July break," Williams said, "we'll be discussing how we'll survive the year after."
The largest savings comes from a plan to hire a private company to handle the custodial needs of the districts, as opposed to in-house employees. With an estimated $1.26 million savings, Williams said they have quoted two services to ensure the savings are there.
The district expects to save $800,000 by laying off a total of 11 teaching staff from various levels of the district. In the plan, hashed out during a committee meeting last Thursday, five high school teachers, two middle school teachers and six elementary teachers are sighted for lay offs. The plan also proposes eliminating the remaining 3 media clerks, saving the district $103,000.
Other proposed cuts include closing the swimming pool, reducing choir accompanists by half, cutting the general fund obligation for athletics by half and laying off one administrator.
In the plan, the district hopes to save $200,000 by re-working transportation routes to where students could walk up to a mile and a half to get to school or their bus stop. Williams said the routes would be different, but still safe.
Finally, privatizing all food service employees could save $23,000. Williams said there are employees of the district working along side of Aramark staff, the district's contracted food service company.
Failed Ballot Initiative
Voters in Lincoln's district may have another chance to decide on a ballot initiative that narrowly failed in May.
A millage proposal to fund the Lincoln Community Education and Senior Center lost by 20 votes in the district's last election. The .25 mills would have provided $240,000 to fund the programs, which were cut from the district's budget last year. The programs will no longer receive funding after this month.
"We're licking our wounds," said Helen Nafaranowscz, director of the Senior Center. "It was a big disappointment to the seniors."
Nafaranowscz said the group plans to put the proposal on the ballot again in November, which will not cost the district any additional money. She said the language on the first attempt made it sound like new services and buildings would be built. However, she said the money would only provide to maintain current service.
"It was not clear to the community and the public," Nafaranowscz said. "There will be no new buildings.
"The money is really needed for these groups," she said.
Edna Smith is a 66-year-old participant in the program. She has been attending the center for four years.
"I love it," she said.
Smith said she retired five years ago. She said she decided to join the center because of her boredom.
"I was home for about a year," she said. "I was doing nothing, just stagnating."
The seniors are funded mostly through fundraisers. Smith said the programs need the mills after the district's funding ends. She said she was surprised the proposal failed last month.
"I was devastated," Smith said. "I really thought it was going to go through."
Williams said the senior program had recently received a grant from Washtenaw County, and should survive the summer without the tax. However, he said Community Education will have to raise its prices, cut some classes and find volunteers to cut fields.
"They've all been informed," Williams said. "Basically, they have to be self-funded."
He said he was impressed with the groups' organization at a meeting on Monday. He said the organizations are planning for the future funding levels.
"It went real well," Williams said of the meeting, "Everybody had a game plan."
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