Cost-cutting measures by Wichita-area school districts

School districts in and around Wichita have responded to changes in school funding in various ways. Many are drawing on contingency reserve funds to cover projected shortfalls this budget year and exploring other strategies to cut costs or increase revenue.

Here are examples of some of the things area school districts say they have done or are considering:

Wichita

▪ Drawing from contingency reserves

▪ Eliminating positions through attrition

▪ 10 percent reduction to non-personnel budgets

▪ Exploring mill levy increase and/or special assessment tax for new Southeast High School

Andover

▪ Increasing fees (enrollment, pay-to-play, transportation, marching band uniforms)

▪ Eliminated elementary summer reading program

▪ Reduced substitute teacher pay and the number of days substitutes are used for district business

▪ Cut custodial position and district office administrative support position

Arkansas City

▪ Reduced some positions by attrition

▪ Left non-critical vacancies unfilled

▪ Reduced travel

▪ Used revenue from sale of property to offset some cuts

Augusta

▪ Froze building budgets (beginning in February)

▪ Cut three teacher positions

▪ Will delay hiring additional teachers needed at high school

Burrton

▪ Reduced hours worked by custodians

▪ Froze professional development and most purchases

Caldwell

▪ Delayed purchases

▪ Reviewing staffing

Cheney

▪ Froze supply purchases

▪ Froze field trips and professional development that could be changed

Clearwater

▪ Eliminating one administrative position by attrition

▪ Eliminating one part-time teaching position by attrition

▪ Reduced spending overall at building level

Circle

▪ Limited spending to essential classroom expenditures

▪ Cut curriculum work days

▪ Cut field trips

▪ Substitute teachers allowed only to cover teacher absence or personal leave

Conway Springs

▪ Cut back on a few purchases

▪ Anticipated and planned for possible mid-year cut in funding

▪ Will not fill some positions as people leave

Derby

▪ Drawing from contingency reserves

▪ No cuts to date

Douglass

▪ Cut two teaching positions and one middle school principal position

▪ Reduced two bus routes (creating longer routes for remaining buses)

▪ Increased enrollment and textbook fees

▪ Froze budget for supplies and equipment

Goddard

▪ Not filling 12 open teaching positions

▪ Deferring maintenance projects

▪ Increased enrollment fees

Haysville

▪ Freezing salaries for two years

▪ Cut spending on discretionary items (field trips, supplies, staff development)

▪ Reducing or deferring building maintenance

Hesston

▪ Only essential spending for rest of school year

▪ Cutting one teaching position and perhaps another for next year

▪ Cutting technology budget by $50,000

Maize

▪ Increased enrollment and athletics fees

▪ Reducing number of counselors, para-educators and clerical staff

▪ Cutting teaching positions through attrition

▪ Reducing technology services, nursing services, curriculum and software purchases

▪ Deferring maintenance

Moundridge

▪ Reducing administrative position and part-time teaching position; eliminating paraprofessional position

▪ Cutting classroom budgets by 20 percent

▪ Freezing uniform and library book purchases

▪ Will begin charging families for transportation within 2.5 miles of school

▪ Reduced professional development

Newton

▪ Reviewing all vacant positions to determine whether to fill them

▪ Cut hours and overtime for classified staff (custodians, etc.)

▪ Cut professional development

Oxford

▪ Closed district office and moved it to high school office suite, cutting one clerical position

▪ Reduced one at-risk tutor

Renwick

▪ Increased local option budget

▪ Reduced number of librarians

▪ Eliminated elementary-level reading specialist

▪ Reduced professional development

Rose Hill

▪ Drawing from contingency funds

▪ No cuts this year

Sedgwick

▪ Drawing from contingency reserves

▪ May replace outgoing K-12 media specialist with para-educator

▪ May not replace assistant coach positions

Valley Center

▪ Cut building budgets by 4 percent

▪ Eliminated four para-professionals assigned to at-risk students

▪ Eliminated summer maintenance and technology positions

▪ Charging for after-hours facility use

▪ Limiting photocopies

Winfield

▪ Reduced school calendar by three days

▪ Implemented hiring freeze

▪ Postponed purchasing language arts textbooks and resources for grades 7-12

▪ Postponed capital expenditures on facilities, including roof repairs.

▪ Closing facility for next school year

This story was originally published May 9, 2015 at 2:42 PM with the headline "Cost-cutting measures by Wichita-area school districts."