A school board recommendation to close Brookside Middle School to students would save the school district $416,212 next year.

Tuesday, October 19, 1999

A school board recommendation to close Brookside Middle School to students would save the school district $416,212 next year.

But this restructuring alone isn’t enough to meet reductions in state aid as enrollment continues to decline in the district, which receives about $5,000 from the state for each student. A projected 200-student drop over the next two years will result in a revenue decline of about $1 million.

The restructuring also only addresses the current budget. Because a district demographer is projecting a 10-year enrollment decline of about 1,000 students, there is a strong possibility of further cuts.

&uot;The reorganization plan addresses the current problem,&uot; said Superintendent David Prescott. &uot;It doesn’t address the long-term problem.&uot;

If the projections are accurate, &uot;We will face another reorganization at that time, or we will seek more money in a … referendum,&uot; he added. &uot;I think everyone should be up-front about these things as we tackle reorganization. No one here is happy about it.&uot;

To compensate for the current enrollment decline and if state funding doesn’t increase, the school board, however, must cut $900,000 from its current budget, said Tom Eaton, board chairman.

&uot;What we need to come up with is somewhere about $900,000 in reductions,&uot; Eaton said. &uot;We’re already in this year. This will all come out in the second (next) year.&uot;

Closing Brookside to students will eliminate some staff positions including administrative, but Eaton said possible additional state aid and staff retirements next year could reduce the need to cut additional staff.

Each year, retirements amount to a savings of about $100,000, he said. If state economic projections are favorable in November, the Legislature and Governor Ventura have also allotted an additional $50 per student. That’s about $230,000 in added revenue for the school district.

&uot;The thing we don’t know is if that will stay in the formula for future years,&uot; Eaton said. &uot;It’s an ever changing world. We can only do our best with what we know today. We are a district that is losing numbers. Since we’re losing numbers we are losing revenue.&uot;

But he cautioned that any decision is contingent with staff contract settlements; the board has yet to settle with any of its bargaining units.

Prescott said the board is also still seeking any alternatives to the current recommendation, closing Brookside to students, moving ninth-grade to the high school and sixth-grade to the elementary schools.

The plan would also move district offices, community education and special services to Brookside. Southwest Junior High would then become Southwest Middle School, housing seventh- and eighth-grade students.

But instead of making a decision in January, the board now plans a November decision.

&uot;The board would like to see whatever additional plans are out there,&uot; Prescott said. &uot;We would like to see them by Nov. 1.&uot;

&uot;If we don’t see anything by November 1, hopefully, by the meeting of the 15th of November,&uot; added Eaton.

When enrollment declines, there’s also less need for space and staff, said Grace Schwab, board treasurer. But that doesn’t mean the quality of education will decline in Albert Lea.

&uot;There are wonderful school districts with 3,000 kids,&uot; she said. &uot;Dave (Prescott) doesn’t want the community to believe that this is the only cut they will see in their lifetime.&uot;

She said, as an example, district staff don’t favor moving sixth-graders to the elementary schools because that’s a transitional year from adolescence.

The board agrees, but Southwest can’t currently house three grades.

&uot;Eventually, when K-2 get there, there will be enough room,&uot; she added.