Michael D. Clark reports:
For the second consecutive year, Lakota schools are looking to cut dozens of teaching jobs to reduce costs and avoid a projected budget shortfall.
Lakota officials Monday unveiled the latest round of proposed budget reductions at a public school board meeting at Lakota East High School. More than 300 parents, residents and school employees packed into its auditorium.
“We face a difficult balancing act and a series of tough choices,” said Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia.
District officials called for slicing $4.3 million, including eliminating a total of 69 teaching positions at the junior high, freshman and high school buildings next school year. The latest round would raise class sizes in the eight affected schools from an average of 25 students per teacher to 28 starting at the beginning of the 2012-13 school year in August. The schools: Lakota East and West high schools, Lakota East and West freshman schools and four junior highs – Hopewell, Lakota Plains, Lakota Ridge and Liberty – would also have their class days shortened by 30-34 minutes and would start later in the morning.
Graduation credit requirements would drop from 21 to 20 for the class of 2013 and high school students’ choices of elective courses could shrink if not enough students enroll in some of the classes offered next school year. The district has 18,000 students.
Officials also announced expansion of a joint Butler Tech curricula to expose junior high students to science, technology, engineering, applied arts, math and medical fields.
Pending approval by Butler Tech officials, the program would be funded by the career technology school that serves students and adults in the county.
Voters in Lakota have rejected three proposed school tax hikes since 2010.
The sweeping cuts for grades 7-12 are the latest in a series of recommendations to slice costs by $9 million in Greater Cincinnati’s second largest school system.
Lakota’s annual operating budget is about $154 million, and the district faces a $14.1 million projected deficit in 2015 without voter approval of a new operating tax some time in 2012.
The ballot losing streak has prompted officials to cut more then $25 million from the operating budget in recent years. Last year busing for thousands of students was cut along with dozens of teaching positions.
“With three failed levies, we have to adjust.
“There is simply no choice,” said Mantia.
The board is expected to decide on the proposed reduction plan by mid-March.
Lakota has retained its state academic ranking of “Excellent With Distinction” and is the largest district in Ohio to earn that rating.
Largely untouched so far are Lakota’s popular high school band programs.
Marching bands at Lakota West and Lakota East have won national acclaim in recent years with performances at the Rose Parade in California and at Pearl Harbor memorial parade in Hawaii.
Details, as well as options for public comment regarding the proposed budget cuts, will be posted online, said school officials, at Lakota’s web site: www.lakotaonline.com/ budget.
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