Appleton schools may trim $2.8 million

APPLETON - Like others in the area, the Appleton Area School District is facing tough budget decisions. The district is facing a projected $2.4 million deficit for the coming year.

Board of Education members say the plan to balance the budget is still very much in the early stages for the district, but at a meeting Monday night the board quickly accepted the work administrators have done so far. Administrators have identified a $2.8 million dollar list of possible cuts.

"We've gotten input from staff and from the public," Chief Financial Officer Don Hietpas said. "The board has been at those input sessions, then we've also had a workshop with the board for them to reconsider what we had as a list of potential reductions."

The district's list of possible cuts includes 27 full time positions, eight in the classroom. Curriculum materials, technology, transportation and capital projects are also on the chopping block.

Superindent Lee Allinger says the district began making the list back in November. He says this is the fourth year in a row the district will be making cuts and says it isn't getting any easier.

"There are no areas in our budget that we say that this is an area that we can cut, that we're over, that we have too many staff in this area, we can afford to go leaner," Allinger said. "We tried to recognize that any reduction that we make in staffing is going to make an impact on what we do in our schools on a daily basis and it's not going to be a positive one."

Allinger says the district and board members are disappointed they must trim again. But some members say they're confident Appleton schools will emerge stronger when this budget process is complete.

"A little adversity doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt anyone," Board Vice President John Mielke said. "This is tough, this is tough, but we're making it."

The district says the budget won't be finalized until October. Allinger says a lot can change in that time frame, including teacher retirements that will likely reduce the number of layoffs.

Still, the Superintendent says the board's acceptance of the plan was important step. He says it helps the district prepare for the future and meet contractual obligations with its staff.