Million-dollar budget cuts, personnel discussed in closed session

Budget cuts and the future of gifted education at Willow Springs were briefly mentioned during last Monday’s meeting of the R-IV school board before deferring the rest of the discussions to a closed session. 

In independent financial consultant Kelly Lowe’s update to the board, he presented the idea that $1.6 million in district-wide budget cuts would get the district, “headed in the right direction.”

 

The cuts are necessary, according to Lowe’s presentation for several reasons. School staff prefer to keep the career ladder and current salary schedule. Several years of declining student enrollment will begin to tell in the district’s formula funding in 2026, and new necessary expenses will have to be in the budget – e.g. a new school bus and inflation.

 

His presentation on the proposed cuts listed certified staff position titles in every building, including administration, without listing any names or specifics. Non-certified positions in food service, transportation, custodial, and maintenance were also on the slide, again without specifics. 

 

“We presenting cuts in everything you see here,” Lowe told the board, referring to the slide. “We’re going to present it in closed session…but it’s the board’s decision. It’s up to you guys.”

 

Lowe has concerns about revenues as projected this year, he told the board. The model used to predict how much income the district will receive this year was, “aggressive.” Actual intake may fall short of predictions. 

 

Lowe was specific about where the revenues are coming up short as of December. Revenue from local taxes is down $257,698. About $135,000 of the decrease is due to dropping enrollment, and $65,000 is missing earnings on investments. The district has no money to invest. 

 

Spending, Lowe said, is on track. This December’s spending was down $2.2 million from last year.

 

Still, cuts are coming. 

 

The district’s next superintendent, Dr. Jon Johnson, addressed the board about gifted education, or CAT. He was adamant that the district is not getting rid of its gifted programs, but with funding changes, the gifted program will also have to change. Dr. Johnson did not elaborate in open session, commenting, “I don’t know how deep we want to wade into it because we don’t want to talk about personnel,” he said. “If there’s a way we can possibly reduce, or put it together with something else, that’s the goal.”

 

Monday’s agenda had two exceptions to Missouri’s Sunshine Law listing (3) hiring, firing, promoting, and disciplining of particular employees, and (13) individually identifiable personnel records. Publicly funded bodies may choose to move discussion from open session to closed for the specific topics outlined in exceptions to the law that requires transparency. 

 

Votes on personnel changes in closed sessions must be made public after 72 hours. 

 

However, according to current superintendent Dr. Marty Spence, there were no such votes this week. 

 

“The personnel discussion in closed session was in regard to individual employee performance and role in the district. Those discussions did not lead to a vote. Administration is still fine-tuning details of each building's master schedule for next year,” Spence said in an email to Howell County News.