Schools brace for funding challenges

Shrinking budgets top the list of challenges in 2011 for area school districts , but there's plenty of other tasks on the "to do" list.

Here's a roundup of what some local agencies see as their biggest priorities and tasks for the year ahead:

Coeur d'Alene School District

The common thread in the district's challenges is that they are all connected to funding and the maintenance and operations levy the district plans to float before voters in March, Superintendent Hazel Bauman said.

"We are keenly aware of the delicate balance of not having to have massive layoffs and further cuts to kids' services but at the same time being very respectful of the taxpayers' situation and the dilemma of the economy," she said.

Less funding means less resources for the district to remain ahead of the curve as a high quality public school system, but Bauman said district officials are committed to provide students with more than "state minimum education."

They are working toward putting Idaho's new math and science high school graduation requirements into effect for next year's juniors and seniors, a year earlier than the state.

Post Falls School District

The Post Falls School District plans to ask voters on March 8 to approve a two-year supplemental levy due to expiring one-time federal stimulus funds and further state budget woes expected.

The levy amount will be determined by the school board on Monday. It will be more than the existing supplemental levy of $1.79 million per year for two years that expires at end of the fiscal year.

Another will be meeting the increased proficiency standards in the existing No Child Left Behind law.

"Every year the benchmarks increase," Keane said.

The district will also address issues related to student enrollment growth. The current enrollment is 5,620.

"The most pressing issue may be the need to re-balance our elementary school enrollments," Keane said, adding that Prairie View and West Ridge are the fastest-growing schools.

Lakeland School District

Tom Taggart, the district's business director, said looming budget reductions are the district's biggest challenge.

"We are losing federal funding, have fewer students, have a charter school opening in Rathdrum and face further reductions from the state," Taggart said. "All added up it will present us with some extremely difficult decisions."

Since 90 percent of the district's general fund budget is personnel, decisions will likely involve lowered personnel costs, Taggart said.

"It appears doubtful we will be able to continue all our programs in the same manner as we currently do," Taggart said. "How this will impact children in the classrooms will be one of the major points of discussion."

"As always we will face it together, keeping the students in the classroom as the top priority."

Taggart said the district has had high standards and results.

"We have tried to maintain that level and keep improving as we worked through the last few years' budget challenges," he said. "Looking at what we are now facing, that may prove impossible this time."

North Idaho College

The community college will continue in 2011 to face the strain of increasing enrollment.

"The spring enrollment is already way up from last spring and that was the biggest semester on record ever," said NIC President Priscilla Bell.

The problem, Bell said, is that with continuing funding reductions from the state into the college's general fund and its professional-technical education fund, it is a struggle to find resources to fund programs that are in demand.

"It puts pressure on the students and on local taxpayers, but we can't just fund the increased enrollment through tuition alone," Bell said. "Coupled with that is that we've got to find space for all these people."

Bell said the college has added 2,000 new seats in courses by expanding its evening and Saturday programs, through Internet courses and increased offerings at the college's off-campus centers.

"How much more of that we can do is anybody's guess," Bell said.

Finding qualified faculty willing to teach on an adjunct basis is a challenge, she said, while existing instructors risk burnout as they are already spread thin, with all staff carrying overloads.

The limited campus space is particularly evident now in areas where the allied health professional program courses are taught.

"We have been out of space in the Meyer Health and Sciences building for some time," Bell said.