Olympia School District adds music program, more staff to list of budget cuts

The latest Olympia School District budget outlook has the deficit down to $9.4 million, but not without more cuts and layoffs. The board voted last week to approve the cuts, meaning Superintendent Patrick Murphy will enforce layoffs by May 15 if no alternatives are identified.

There will be two more board meetings and continued reviews of survey results for next year’s budget before May 15, according to the district’s website.

The OSD board of directors met for nearly four hours April 13, with half the meeting listening to students and parents asking for programs to be taken off the chopping block. Fourth- and fifth-grade band and orchestra classes were identified as unsustainable expenditures, and the future of the high school career center was in peril.

Director Scott Clifthorne spearheaded a few amendments to Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Priddy’s reduced education plan on April 17. Throughout the three-hour meeting, he and other board members took numerous breaks to talk over amendments and what programs and positions they believe should be spared.

Dozens of students and parents filled the board room, wearing band and orchestra shirts and carrying their instruments. Clifthorne said it was clear how important having these programs accessible at an early age was to many. He said he played the trombone in school.

Director Maria Flores said she played the cello, and if it weren’t for her school giving her an instrument and having classes available early on, she wouldn’t have gained the confidence or knowledge she has today. She said she was homeless at the time, and having an outlet such as orchestra is a necessity for many still to find community and belonging.

Murphy said the elementary programs were added to the list because they are programs that are already squeezed into a tight schedule. He said for some kids to participate, it means they miss their lunch or recess or they may have to stay after school.

Eliminating band and orchestra for fourth and fifth grade would save $530,000 in total, or 3.5 full-time positions. But the directors agreed on a compromise: bring back the programs for fifth grade only, at a cost of about $350,000.

Two behavioral tech positions are being restored as well, which the directors said have been identified as vital positions by elementary school staff. That is a cost of $540,000.

Directors also spared 8.5 positions for paraeducators and family liaisons proposed to be cut, and rejected a plan to cut CISPUS overnight camp.

At the middle schools and high schools, the plan recommended doing away with the career center and graduation specialists who help students apply for colleges, grants, scholarships and jobs. But both student board representatives Christine Zhang and Rhama Gaye said the center must stay, and board members agreed.

Still, there are several cuts to come at the secondary level. Middle and high school classes would increase in size by 5% or 1.5 students, saving $1.4 million and reducing 10 positions.

Paraeducators would be reduced at the secondary level, and some teacher librarian positions will be reduced. Middle school geometry classes will be moved online to reduce costs.

Clifthorne made recommendations as to how to make these amendments work financially. He said some nurse positions could be adjusted to health room assistant positions to save money. Additionally, he said Priddy left some wiggle room in her calculations to allow the directors to make edits.

Priddy said her calculations are at this point based on predictions that the district will get all the money in state grants it has applied for. She said so far, things have been working in Olympia’s favor and the state legislature has been funding initiatives and helping OSD more than was initially expected. She said the district recently applied to a $1.5 million grant, the largest it has ever applied to, and she’s hopeful they will receive it.

Priddy said 15.15 layoffs will still need to happen if there are no more resignations, retirements or state funds that come through. Enrollment is still down and projected to continue to decline, so there will still need to be fewer elementary classes, she said.

Clifthorne said the public needs to be mindful that if the district is going to fully fund its schools, closing some isn’t off the table, likely for the following year.

Priddy told The Olympian there will be several more opportunities for the public to give feedback to the board and superintendent on the reduced education plan. She said the priority has always been to minimize reductions, and the district is hopeful more money will come its way.

Priddy said the current plan assumes the district will receive $1.7 million associated with two House and Senate bills. The amount they’re expecting is the mid-point between the two legislative bodies, the House providing $735,000 and the Senate $2.7 million through HB 1436 and SB 5311. She said it’s possible OSD receives more, but they’re not expecting to receive less.