The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education Monday night approved nearly $1-million in cuts for the 2015-16 School Year.

A large crowd packs the Atlantic High School Media Center.

Their action came before a large crowd who gathered in the High School Media Center to learn where the previously announced but unspecified cuts would be made. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said the Board gave the administrative team a target of $650,000 to make in the form of cuts from the budget. The amount he recommended was $682,616, but Amstein said there were some additional items they are looking at.

The other factors include: Utilizing breakdown insurance to lower the liability to the General Fund; Considering the addition of a Public Education and Recreation Levy (PERL) for playground equipment and other activities (from a voter approved 13.5-cents per thousand dollars valuation); Reducing a full-time TAG (Talented and Gifted) program teaching position, and the reduction of one Special Education Teacher’s position and condensing Special Education Loads.

Recommended budget cuts for the 2015-16 School Year.

Amstein said on top the proposed cuts, there is already announced elimination of the Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) Planning positions, which amounts to $305,256, for a total of $987,872. He said that amount is above the targeted amount because it’s the amount they’d have to cut out of the budget if it stayed exactly the same as it was for the 2014-2015 school year.

Amstein said there are still some inherent, unknown costs of business that will affect the budget, such as allowable growth from the Iowa Legislature, which is now called “State Supplemental Aid,” that officials are guessing may amount to1.25-percent. He says at 1.25, with a three-percent increase in the district’s cost of operations – $350,00 – they would have about $21,000 less than they would have if the amount were higher. There also have not yet been contract settlements with the certified and non-certified staff, and potential insurance increases for the upcoming year.

Amstein said they recently received their insurance increase for the upcoming year from the districts current vendor, which amounts to 19-percent, which he says means an increase of about $200,000. The biggest cuts in the budget include $100,000 from the High School Curricular Learning Teams, $92,056 through Teacher Attrition (including a Washington Elementary Phys. Ed position with transfer), and Sharing with the High School an FCS (Family and Consumer Science) position for two periods, which amounts to a savings of $73,602. In addition, reducing the substitute budget by limiting the number of conferences and training session during the school day, results in a savings of $50,000. Amstein confirmed the Head Dance Team Coaches position would be eliminated, which essentially also means the elimination of the Dance Team.