By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
In an effort to bridge budget shortfalls, the Sitka School Board Wednesday approved spending almost $1 million of the school district’s coronavirus relief money, but the forecast is for further budget cutbacks.
With shrinking enrollment and difficult economic conditions, the district budget projection through 2025 predicts seven-digit annual deficits and reduced teaching staff. For 2022 fiscal year, which starts July 1, the district will have 101 teaching positions, two funded by federal relief dollars. That’s seven fewer teachers than local schools had in three years ago. Moving forward, school officials project a steady decline, with only 81 teachers by 2025.
School Superintendent John Holst described the outlook as “cold water.”
“In the out years we’re projecting 93, 87, and 81 teachers (FY23-25). I’m going to let that sink in,” he said during the three-hour meeting.
In hindsight, Holst said, he wished he had pushed for more cuts in the 2022 budget process.
“We’re going to need to right-size the district at some point and it’s coming. It’s coming. So this should be sort of a little cold water,” he said. “You’ve got some serious things to deal with coming forward here for the next few years, and those numbers… are really cumulative, they’re not just separate numbers. So yeah, I guess if there was one thing I wish I had done is press you harder on making more reductions. We should probably not have opened up as many positions that we opened up.”
Back in April, board members balanced the budget by digging into reserves and leaving a number of vacant positions unfilled. As passed, the FY22 budget totals $22,306,185.
With additional federal coronavirus relief funding inbound, the board agreed to allocate $890,000 for a variety of needs ranging from a social worker at Pacific High to the addition of 10 new AmeriCorps volunteers and upgraded phone systems and photocopy machines.
The district hasn’t yet received the money, though Holst told the board that he expects to know the full amount soon.
“I would guess that we’re going to know by the next board meeting,” Holst said. Multiple times in the meeting, he reiterated that the Legislature expects these relief dollars to be spent over several years, not all at once. Relief money sent to Sitka schools should total to about $2 million in the end, Holst added.
Board member Andrew Hames expressed concern about spending money that has yet to arrive.
“We’re committing so we spend money that we don’t have yet. Is that right?” Hames asked the superintendent.
“Correct,” Holst replied. “What we’re suggesting is planning for the money when it gets here.”
Along with budget items, Holst told the board that the district has developed a new mission statement:
“The Sitka School District will intentionally develop Haa Latseení (Our Strength of Mind, Body, and Spirit) to inspire and prepare students to be compassionate, empowered, and equipped critical thinkers within a global community.”
The district’s 2021 strategic plan has four discrete goals: all students will graduate, all students will exhibit measurable growth each year, all middle and high school students will have a post-graduation plan, and all students will have access to mental health support.
With the school year drawing to a close, Sitka High Principal Sondra Lundvick told the board summer school this year will focus on credit recovery.
“We’re looking at students that aren’t going to be at grade level going into next year… Our goal with summer school is simply credit recovery,” Lundvick said. Of the federal funding approved at the meeting, $75,000 is allocated to summer school interventions.
Speaking for Sitka Tribe of Alaska, Lakrisha Johnson said the board should have three options for a Tlingit land acknowledgment to consider soon.
The board meets again on June 30. It will be Holst’s final meeting as interim superintendent before the arrival of incoming superintendent Frank Hauser.
