Sitka voters in 2003 passed a pair of bond measures by wide margins to fund the Performing Arts Center. They decided 63-37 to raise the seasonal sales tax rate by 1 percent to fund the $12 million costs of the PAC, and 59-41 to issue bonds for the the construction. The state sweetened the deal by offering to reimburse Sitka for a large share of the bonds. Nevertheless, the school district has borne the $240,000 in annual operating costs for the facility, and is now hoping the city will chip in. (KCAW Photo)
The Sitka School Board has pared down its budget deficit next year to the point where the district may have to lay off only 4 teachers — but cutting both the Performing Arts Center and Community Schools remain possibilities without more cash from the city.
The board discussed a handful of unwelcome budget decisions at a work session last Thursday (3-29-18).
Note: The Sitka School Board has scheduled an additional budget hearing/work session for 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, in the Sitka High School library. The final vote on the budget will take place on Tuesday, April 17. You can review the documents presented by the administration for the March 29 budget work session here.
There is some good news: The school district is going to pay only half as much for health insurance next year as expected — but health insurance is not very compelling for budget watchers.
Neither is Secure Rural Schools — which was tucked into the federal government’s massive spending bill and signed by the president about 10 days ago — although it’s a very welcome boon to the district’s budget of about a half-million dollars. But that still leaves a deficit of almost $2 million left to close.
Staffing, programs, and facilities are at the heart of this year’s budget discussions, and those discussions grew serious as the board moved from the theoretical to the concrete, looking for ways to save money.
Board member Elias Erickson wanted the city to step up and pay half of the $240,000 in operating costs of the Performing Arts Center — or PAC.
If not, the board should consider closing it.
“If the city does not agree to share these costs, I think this board should take a close look at not funding this. While it’s a great facility, that’s 2.4 teachers, and that could mean a world of difference in some grade levels in educational impact, and we have to look at the outcomes for our students.”
Erickson holds a publicly-elected seat on the board, but is also a senior in high school, and active in the music program.
Quinlyn Holder is the student representative on the board. She won’t vote on the budget, but she shared Erikson’s opinion that the PAC is partially a community responsibility.
At a budget hearing in February over 100 Sitkans showed up to support the PAC.
“A significant number of people speaking on the PAC were just community members who didn’t have children, or weren’t children. It only makes sense.”
Board member Eric VanCise was more blunt, however. Between the Blatchley Pool, Community Schools, and the PAC he saw only the pool as paying its way. He didn’t advocate for bargaining with the city to keep the PAC open.* He thought the performing arts could manage just fine in a gym.
“We’re looking at a different venue. None of us have been talking about getting rid of music or any of the programs — anything. No discussion about those kinds of cuts. It’s a change of venue.”
In all, the board is looking for nearly $400,000 from the city to share the cost of running the PAC, restoring past cuts, and compensating the district for one strange phenomenon in school funding: As the property tax valuation of Sitka goes up, state funding for education goes down.
Cass Pook is the longest-serving member of the board. In a March 5 special meeting with the Sitka Assembly she called the layoffs and other cuts the district was contemplating “sickening.” Her feelings had not changed at this work session. “We’re really in the situation of cutting things because the city has not funded us the way they should be,” she said.
Also on the table was the $100,000 the district pays a contractor to operate Community Schools, which is as dear to many people as the PAC is to others. Board member Dionne Brady-Howard thought a cut to this program would be a wake-up call to voters.
“I don’t know if people realize that Community Schools just isn’t for my kid who plays basketball and volleyball, but it is for the birthday parties, to be able to use the buildings at all outside the regular school day,” said Brady-Howard. “If they actually start to feel the pinch of losing all these things that have made the schools and Sitka as a community palatable to families with kids — I don’t know if we can undo that. I don’t know. Maybe the voters of Sitka need to feel it for this to become a reality.”
The board supported a measure in 2016 to raise property taxes by 2 mils in Sitka, but it was turned down by voters.
The School Board is scheduled to hold one final public budget hearing on April 17, before making its final decision.
*Note 4-6-18: At a subsequent board work session on 4-4-19, member Eric VanCise disputed KCAW’s characterization of his remarks. KCAW News makes every attempt to accurately reflect the views of elected officials expressed in public meetings. Listen to VanCise’s full comments regarding the PAC from the March 29 work session below.
