School makes budget cuts

School makes budget cuts Over $262,000 in reductions, revenue enhancements approved

Ely School Board members have approved a series of budget reductions, including the elimination of the middle and high school principal position.

At a special meeting Monday, the board voted 5-0 with Rochelle Sjoberg absent to approve more than $262,000 in expenditure reductions and revenue increases, aimed at trimming a budget gap estimated at about $477,000.

District officials had indicated earlier that they wouldn’t try and close the entire gap in one year because of the impact it would have on school operations, and the district is expected to dip into reserves to fill the remaining gap. They’ll also explore more budget-cutting measures for the following year and hope for further aid from state lawmakers.

In the meantime, the district budget will be leaner in 2024-25, with the moves approved this week recommended by the board’s budget and finance committee.

Most notable on the list is a further reduction in administration, via the elimination of the principal post now held by Jeff Carey.

The district will instead operate with superintendent Anne Oelke also working as K-12 principal, with the district replacing Carey’s position with a K-12 assistant principal. The move is anticipated to save $15,749.

The largest single reduction approved by the board was a reduction in the district’s paraprofessional positions, cutting that number from 26 to 23 and saving just over $85,000 in the process.

Oelke said the reduction was due to declines in enrollment and student needs and board members were assured that students in need of paraprofessional services would continue to receive them.

“We want to make sure we’re filling all the services especially for our students with special needs,” said Oelke. “Also if a family moves in in August that we don’t know about and a student comes in with an IEP (special education plan) that they need this service, we may have to hire back.”

Board chairperson Ray Marsnik also said he had concerns although he noted that Ely currently has a high number of paraprofessionals on staff given the district’s enrollment, currently at about 530 students in grades K-12.

Two other big-ticket items on the expenditure side are related to personnel moves.

The district projects a $31,886 savings from the retirement of a social studies teacher and replacing with a teacher lower on the salary scale.

A similar savings of $29,905 is projected as a result of a high school English teacher taking a leave of absence, and a subsequent reduction in the English department from 3.0 to 2.8 full-time equivalent.

Other expenditure reductions approved include:

• $19,958 by reducing the school nurse from eight hours to five hours per school day;

• $18,108 by reducing paraprofessionals from 32.5 to 31.5 hours per week;

• $9,000 by eliminating the contracted business manager and consolidating the payroll and business manager positions;

• $6,500 by eliminating one summer student worker;

• $3,500 by a change in protection software;

• $2,693 by reducing a cafeteria aide by an hour per day;

• $1,222 by reducing elementary secretary summer work days;

• $1,000 by eliminating a cafeteria student worker position;

• $734 by cutting Memorial secretary summer work days.

Also identified were more than $37,000 in revenue increases, the bulk of which come from a $25,000 donation from the Ely Educational Foundation to support a fine arts elective class.

The board also approved about $12,000 in revenue increases related to athletics, including raising participation fees for athletics and activities, moving volleyball to a “Tier 1” activity with higher participation fees, a $1 across the board increase in gate fees for athletic events, and raising the cost of athletic passes for home events.

Those fees had remained the same for nearly 20 years.

Board members discussed the various proposals and their impact, and made note of the administration configuration change.

Oelke indicated that the district’s facilities project, which connected the school buildings and resulted in centrally located offices, was meant in part to reduce administration costs and noted she sees the district’s youngest and oldest students on a daily basis.

And with the change that resulted in Oelke becoming superintendent and K-5 principal this year, she said the new move will also be open to feedback from district staff.

Marsnik said he hoped for stability in administration, telling the board he had worked with 11 superintendents since joining the board in 2002.

Oelke added that the change might also improve stability in the high school, which has had numerous principals in the last decadeand- a-half.

Ely also joins most other districts across the state in addressing budget deficits this year, fueled in part by the end of Covid-19 funding that helped prop up school budgets the last few years.

Neighboring St. Louis County District 2142 is on the verge of statutory operating debt, which occurs when reserves fall into negative balance, while Cloquet made headlines by eliminating more than 20 probationary teaching positions.

“This is common,” said Marsnik. “This is affecting every school district in the state of Minnesota right now. Everyone is going through the same thing where they have to cut the budgets.”

Marsnik also hailed the work of the committee and administration for their work addressing the budget.

“I think you hit all areas which I think is important,” he said.