owyhee avalanche

School district examines conservation options

With rumblings of further cuts in state support, the Homedale School District is looking at ways to save money.
Superintendent Tim Rosandick said an electrical contractor will retrofit lighting fixtures in the high school and elementary school during the Christmas break in an effort to reduce power costs.
Trustees were presented last week with a preliminary plan to reorganize the district’s classified labor force if state funding for fiscal year 2011 dips, triggering further tightening of the belt.
“The reality is we’re hearing from legislators that we could face an eight percent decrease in funding for FY 11,” Rosandick said.
Rosandick said the school district avoided cutting classified employees — teacher’s assistants, custodians, cooks and other hourly workers — in FY 2010 by applying federal American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds to the budget. It’s unlikely another dose of federal stimulus is on the horizon, he said.
“There is some likelihood that we’ll have to make some staff adjustments,” Rosandick said.
He added that the adjustments could be layoffs or reduced hours.
Recommendations devised by a committee of classified employees and administrators were submitted to trustees at their Dec. 14 meeting.
Trustees will revisit the reduction in force process at their Jan. 11 meeting after adjustments suggested by the board are applied, Rosandick said.
Energy efficiency is the goal during a project planned for Christmas break. Bender Electric has been contracted to carry out a $30,000 lighting conversion in the elementary and high schools, Rosandick said.
The school district pays only for the labor as an Idaho Power rebate program is picking up the tab for retrofit kits, the superintendent said.

-JPB