Cut Numbers — MMSD Budget Update

Robert Indiana, Numbers, 1968

The Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education made some real progress on their 2010-11 budget at last night’s meeting (preview of the meeting here).  Working from the “Yes, No, Maybe” lists they submitted earlier, they gave initial approval to $6,043,836 in cuts, savings, efficiencies and reallocations.

I’ve posted an unofficial spreadsheet (converted to pdf) here, based on my notes (all of this is based on my notes, so there could be mistakes).  the item numbers on the spreadsheet can be matched with this set of descriptions (MSCR descriptions here).

Official versions of this, the “Yes, No, Maybe” tally, an updated Budget Book and more should be posted today and in the following days.  Check the Budget page.  The Maintenance Referendum info Lucy Mathiak has been seeking should also be up in the coming days (no fireworks on that at the meeting).

Some other meeting highlights include the announcement of lower than expected increases in WPS and GHC health insurance costs (savings totaling either $1.4 million or $2.2 million, my notes aren’t clear), an error involving double counts of  Bilingual Resource Teachers that when fixed lowers cost-to-continue estimates by $632,670, and $47,000 of additional savings in the new Special Education transport contracts.  It is anticipated that in the next weeks the health insurance estimates from Physicians Plus and Dean will also be lower than previously budgeted.

I’m not sure if this is finalized, but it appears the Board will meet next Monday (4/19/2010) at 5:30, prior to the Awards Ceremony at Memorial High School, to deal with the Reorganization Job Postings and perhaps budget matters.

Don’t forget about the Budget Hearing on Sunday (April 18^th at 1:00 pm at Warner Park Community Recreation Center — 1625 Northport Dr).

Gayle Worland has more on the meeting and related developments in the State Journal.

As time permits I’ll have a fuller meeting wrap up, including Johnny Winston Jr.’s tearful goodbye.

Thomas J. Mertz