The Three Rivers Community Schools Board of Education focused on budget-cutting during a day-long "work/study session" on Monday.

Budget cuts were at the heart of a day-long meeting of the Three Rivers Community Schools Board of Education Monday (November 9th) in the District Training Room at the Administrative Offices on Sixth Avenue.

The day began with the showing of a video podcast by Mike Flanagan, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, in which he discussed the funding crisis in Michigan and warned that the next step we take as a state will be critical to Michigan schools.  Flanagan also laid out some short-term solutions to rescue Michigan schools that enlist the new 3 R’s:  Reimagine, Reductions and Revenues.

During a post-meeting interview, Superintendent Roger Rathburn said the Three Rivers school district needs to address a shortfall of around $1-million in the budget for the current fiscal year and the state is advising that the situation could be even worse next year.  He said, “Fortunately, Three Rivers is in better financial shape than most school districts so we have more time than many to respond to the shortfall because of our fund balance that we’ve maintained or been maintaining – but, ultimately, you have to address your expenses if they’re exceeding your revenues and they are right now.”

Regarding the lengthy meeting, Rathburn said, “We spent a good part of the day looking over potential cuts and there were a number of employee groups that had union representation in the crowd.  I think that their body language, to me, said they understand what we’re facing.”

Rathburn said, “We’re hoping to meet with every labor group to kind of spread out the pain that an individual employee might feel so we’re hoping to look at the contracts that each labor group has to see where we can find some savings or concessions.”

According to Rathburn, “A number of the cuts that we talked about would be too disruptive to implement in mid-year so we’ll have to wait until next year to implement them.”  However, “We did identify some cuts that will take place this year.  I’ll need to review those and kind of sort out a timeline for implementing those.”

Rathburn said, “I think it was a very productive day.  I think we engaged in some really good discussions and we talked about cuts that would impact every department that we have in the district, every building level.”

Subcontracting is one area for trimming costs and, in that regard, the board approved contracting with Grand Rapids Building Services to handle cleaning at Norton Elementary School, an arrangement he said will save the district around $40,000.

Rathburn said that, barring some concessions from employee groups, the board will be faced with eliminating some positions.

The board’s next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, November 23rd.

To hear the interview with Roger Rathburn, conducted by Bruce Snook of the River Country Journal, click on the following link:  Roger_Rathburn_interview  (12:22 – 11.3 MB)