University Daily Kansan, December 3, 1982
Page 7
Aid cuts to burden state school districts
By JOEL THORNTON Staff Reporter
Kansas school districts can withstand this year's 4 percent state aid cut but may face problems in the next fiscal year if the Legislature fails to approve a revenue-raising package, several area superintendents said yesterday.
The cutback in state aid to public school districts is part of Gov. John Carlin's effort to eliminate a possible state budget deficit.
Carl Knox, superintendent of the Lawrence School District, said the cutback would mean a loss of about $250,000 for the district.
STATE AID makes up about one-third of the Lawrence district's revenue, he said, which is a slightly less than most school districts in Kansas
The district will be able to get through the 1983 fiscal year without cutting any personnel, but the situation may change in 1984. Knox said.
"It does mean there will be a substantial amount of belt-tightening in all areas other than personnel," he said.
These "belt-tightening measures" will include cutting back in utilities and other areas.
The district also may have to dip into its carryover fund, a reserve fund school districts use from July 1 to Dec. 30; when no revenue comes in, Krox
TO REPLENISH the carryover fund, Knox said, the district will probably raise the mill levy on property taxes in July 1983, the end of the fiscal year.
Knox said Lawrence schools would encounter real problems in the 1983-84 school year if the Legislature did not act quickly on approving Carlin's revenue-aising package, which included a severance tax and speedup to the collection of sales and personal withholding taxes.
"The Legislature has a very serious and real responsibility to fund schools," he said. "I hope they seriously accept the responsibility."
Knox said the failure of the Legislature to approve Carlin's proposals would "jeopardize our operation seriously."
Mike Swenson, Carlin's press secretary, said most school districts in the state had been very supportive of the state aid cut, which he said was necessary if the state was to avoid a deficit for the 1983 fiscal year.
School districts realize the state is facing tough economic times, he said.
awson said. The amount of aid cut is determined by an equalization formula, which is based on how much state aid each district receives.
NOT ALL KANSAS school districts are facing a full 4 percent cutback,
The state will continue to struggle for revenue until the economy recovers, Swenson said, so state aid to schools in the future will be "very tight."
"Fiscal year 1984 is a different animal altogether," he said.
Local legislators said aid backtacks to the schools would cause difficulty, but said they thought Carlin's revenue increase would pass in the upcoming session.
Rep. John Solbach, D-Lawrence,
said, "Everyone has had advance
warning this would happen. It's going
to be worse, but it won't do
irreparable damage."
She said that all cuts in state agencies had been painful but she hoped the damage to the school districts would not be permanent.
Rep. Jess Branson, D-Lawrence,
tell me the cut couldn't have been
avoided.
SUPERINTENDENTS of several school districts near Lawrence agreed that the state aid cutbacks would cause the revenue proposals were not passed.
Jim Shepherd, superintendent of the
Perry-Lepcompton school district, said his district could make it through the year without cutting back on any programs or personnel but might face "deep cuts" if the cutbacks were continued.
"We'll definitely be damaged for the coming years." Shepherd said of the possibility of continuing cutbacks. "I'm confident we're doing that in programs in cuts as far as staff."
ROGER NELSON, superintendent of the Ottawa School District, said he could live with this year's cut of $170,000. "There would be problems in the future."
Nelson said he did not think schools would receive any more state aid in the face of budget cuts.
Ferman Marsh, superintendent of the Shawnee Heights School District near Topeka, said the cutback would not affect his district until 1983-84, because Shawnee Heights had an 18-month budget.
If the Legislature does not act on Carlin's proposals, Marsh said, personnel would be affected because they are the largest portion of the district's budget.
"If cuts take place, they will have to be people," Marsh said.
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