Bethel preliminary plan cuts spending, but spares schools from closure

A divided Bethel School Board has approved a preliminary budget plan that does not include closing schools or changing to an all-day, every-other-day kindergarten schedule.

Both measures had been on the table for the Spanaway-based district in earlier budget discussions.

But there’s still plenty of cuts in the package, including some that one board member fears will “gut” junior highs as they make the transition to middle schools.

All told, nearly $5 million would be slashed from planned spending by Pierce County’s third-largest school district.

“Everything here is drastic,” said board vice-president Brenda Rogers, who argued successfully against the kindergarten changes. “It makes me feel desperate.”

Temporary closures of one or more junior highs had been discussed earlier, and a committee of parents and staff from each of the district’s six junior highs studied the issue last month. Their recommendation was to keep all schools open.

The board voted 3-2 Tuesday night for the preliminary spending plan. The board doesn’t plan to adopt its final budget for next school year until August.

Board president John Manning voted in favor along with Rogers and Ron Morehouse.

“Nothing is locked in stone,” Manning said.

He said that until the Legislature approves a state budget, the district won’t know exactly how much it must cut. The proposal approved by the board Tuesday is based on Gov. Chris Gregoire’s budget, which district officials estimate would cost just over $5 million. It doesn’t account for an existing anticipated deficit of nearly $2 million.

Board member Joy Cook, who voted no along with Marianne Lincoln, argued against provisions that target Bethel’s junior highs, which are headed for major changes next school year.

Ninth-graders will move from junior highs to high schools next fall. For one year only, the former junior highs will serve only two grade levels.

The goal is to have middle schools for sixth- through eighth-graders starting in September 2013.

The possible cuts include assistant principals, counselors and librarians at those schools.

“To gut them for one year is foolish,” Cook said. She said it would be a mistake “to let talented, creative staff go because we let their school shrink.” She said the district would likely have to rehire for those positions once sixth-graders move up.

The plan approved Tuesday calls for reducing the number of junior high librarians from six to three. That would mean each librarian would have to split her time between two schools.

All six librarians who could be affected were at Tuesday’s meeting. All are certified teachers with additional training or degrees in library science or learning resources.

“Those who do not understand the role of today’s librarian assume students can simply Google their way through school,” said Carina Pierce, librarian at Cougar Mountain Junior High. “That is simply not true.”

Even though the board did not include school closures in its preliminary spending cuts, board members heard from members of the committee that had studied the possibilities. They also went ahead Tuesday with previously scheduled public hearings on the matter.

Rob Van Slyke, the district’s director of operations, said the committee looked at the possibility of saving $1 million for a year or two by closing a junior high/middle school. He said there were spirited discussions about how programs could be saved with that money. But he said the temporary nature of the savings finally dissuaded the committee.

Committee members and others said they feared that closing schools – even for a year or two – would anger voters and risk failure of future bonds and levies.

“Every single person (on the committee) voted for keeping schools open,” said Barbara Hesner, a committee member and Bethel Junior High parent.

Debbie Cafazzo: 253-597-8635

debbie.cafazzo@thenewstribune.com