A message from Superintendent Chris King - BVSD Community faces tough times together
The third of what will be at least 13 community budget forums by budget staff and Superintendent Chris King was held Feb. 23.
The community budget forums have each been honest, at times difficult conversations that have reflected the growing concern of our community about the program and budget cuts that will hit every level of this organization and every school in our district next year.
It is now sinking in throughout our community that what all BVSD faces in the months ahead is indeed unprecedented. Parents and schools are telling us that central administration must take a higher percentage of the cuts to lessen the burden on our classrooms. I agree completely.
As the board, media and many of our community know, all levels of BVSD were told to plan for a best case reduction scenario, a middle case reduction scenario and a worst case reduction scenario for next school year.
For schools, that means:
- A best case cut of 2.25 percent,
- A middle case cut of 5.25 percent, or
- A worst case cut of 8.25 percent.
For central administration, that means:
- A best case cut of 7.5 percent,
- A middle case cut of 13.5 percent, or
- A worst case cut of 19.75 percent,
The reason for the three scenarios is that state government is not yet clear on how much Colorado K-12 funding will be cut. Even so, I think we have to start somewhere knowing that we ultimately may have to cut deeper as the state budget develops.
So, after a great deal of discussion including initial community input, principal and faculty meetings, parent input and conversations with my budget advisory committee, I am directing central office departments and divisions to plan for our middle case cut to be our minimum. This cut of $2.7 million is on central administration budgets of $19 million for next school year which begins July 1.
Cuts to specific central services will vary, to minimize the impact felt at the school level. If we ultimately do have to cut more, central administration will continue to be cut at a higher rate than schools. If, on the other hand, the economic recovery we are seeing slowly develop takes hold and it turns out that the central administration cut was deeper than needed, it will stay in place nonetheless. Any dollars realized if that happens would not go back to the central administration but instead to the schools to help reverse some of the cuts that they will have taken.
BVSD budget and finance staffs are closely watching for the state’s next quarterly revenue report expected as early as March 19. Both the Colorado Department of Education and our staff tell me that report is the best budget predictor we can expect.
Though there are many difficult conversations and decisions ahead, BVSD will remain one of Colorado’s strongest and most successful school districts because its parents, teachers, staff and school board put student learning first.