SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - The Sheboygan Area School District has some tough decisions to make when it comes to next school year’s budget.
Given the way the budget process is done each year, SASD plans on several scenarios for what they would have to do to reach a balanced budget. For the 2015-16 school year, the district had planned for its worse case scenario receiving no increase in student aid.
Business Manager Mark Boehlke tells WHBL News the initial word was Madison was worse than that. "The governor’s proposal has a one-hundred-fifty dollar per student reduction in the revenue," says Boehlke. If approved, the district would face a deficit of around three million dollars.
Boehlke says the district administration has come up with ways to reach a balanced budget. Unfortunately, the majority of decisions would be cuts. "Fifth grade strings orchestra, some reduction of elementary library media specialists, we’ve had some support staff reductions, reductions of field trips that the district pays for," says Boehlke. Also cut from the budget are salary increases and more money towards facility upgrades.
Boehlke says no district cuts have been made official, and most can be avoided if Madison acts to restore the proposed revenue cut to public schools.
Anyone who is interested in giving their thoughts about the budget for the Sheboygan Area School District can contact the district or attend future board meetings, which are typically held the fourth Tuesday of each month.