Board splits 3-2 in approving new operations expenditures
BY JEAN JACQUES BOHL
On June 14, the Blaine County School District Board of Trustees split 3-2 in approving a $53.6 million operations budget for Fiscal Year 2017, which goes into effect on July 1.
Board Chair Shawn Bennion and Trustees Carole Freund and Rob Clayton cast the yes votes, while Board Vice Chair Elizabeth Corker and Trustee Cami Bustos voted no. Freund and Corker were not physically present at the meeting and voted via telephone hookup.
The approved budget cut $1.3 million in expenses from last year’s operations budget in order to make expenditures match revenues. It reinstated the Latino liaison position, provided for a half-time special services parent liaison and restored partial funding to Mountain Rides Transportation Authority for reduced student bus passes on the Mountain Rides Valley Route. The new budget also eliminated funding for the International Baccalaureate program, summer school and some after-school programs.
Intended as a compromise budget, the split vote showed that it didn’t end up that way, and disagreements over funding showed up in comments provided to The Weekly Sun by board members and district administrators after the vote was taken.
District Superintendent GwenCarol Holmes was pleased with the outcome.
“I applaud the work of the board of trustees, administration and staff over the past year to develop, with tremendous community input, a compromise budget that balances revenues and expenditures while protecting class size,” Holmes said. “This required reducing expenses, which has not been the norm in BCSD. I would encourage each of us to move forward with the primary work of the district, the success of our children.”
District Business Manager Mike Chatterton echoed that sentiment
“I am pleased a majority of the board found ways to compromise on the budget process to support the overall financial plan of the Blaine County School District,” Chatterton said. “The district was asked to keep these cuts away from the classroom. This budget does exactly what the community asked for.”
Trustee Clayton said he welcomed the balanced budget.
“It has been many years since the Blaine County School District has had a budget where expenses match revenues,” Clayton said. “Now that we have accomplished balancing the budget, we must now look for further ways to reduce expenses so that we can begin to rebuild the general fund balance.”
Trustee Bustos offered a different perspective.
“I am certainly disappointed with the vote as I feel there was not enough done to prevent cuts from directly affecting the students,” Bustos said. “With all of the other ways to reduce our spending, removing the Communications Department and looking at fringe benefits that the administrators are receiving would have been more prudent.”
Trustee Corker agreed with Bustos.
“The board’s 3-2 vote Tuesday night on the superintendent’s proposed budget runs counter to the wishes and values of the vast majority of Blaine County community members who made their student-centered priorities clear,” Corker said. “In my opinion, the budget vote was rushed by three board members, thus preventing an appropriate and thorough discussion of the community’s wishes prior to the vote.”
Hailey resident Pamela Plowman, who has recently been critical of district administration and school board actions, was not pleased with the outcome.
“It’s very disappointing that three board members chose to approve the proposed budget that will eliminate important programs and staff positions that benefit students instead of cutting administrative spending as requested by more than 300 community members in a recent online petition,” Plowman said.