The Lapeer Community Schools Board of Education has approved a $49.7 million budget for the coming 2011-12 school year.
Throughout the budget process the Board faced state funding decreases and retirement cost increases that led to a potential shortfall of $8.6 million from current year spending.
About half of that will be made up in concessions totaling $4 million in new contract provisions with the Lapeer Education Association.
Another $2 million will come in other spending reductions. Part of those reductions include voluntary pay cuts of 2.5% by the two assistant superintendents and the Central Office administrators in the 2011-12 school year. Those administrators also agreed to a 7.5% reduction in pay for the 2012-13 school year.
The remaining $2.6 million required to balance the budget will come from the District’s fund equity. The District may qualify for an added $100 per student in state funding by meeting the governor’s financial best practices criteria. That could represent another $600,000 in revenue, reducing the fund equity portion contribution to the budget to $2 million.
The budget calls for a staff reduction of 45 teaching positions, which at this time includes 8 layoffs. The remainder of the staff reductions will come from retirements and resignations.
Under cuts to the athletic department budget at the high school level, the District will only fund one co-op hockey team for students from both Lapeer East and Lapeer West. The board agreed to continue to fund a co-op swim and dive team for students from both schools.
Pay-to-Participate fees at the high schools will rise from the current $120 to $150 per student (for participation in up to four sports) and at the middle schools from $95 to $125 for the 2011-12 school year.
