School board declares financial emergency

After hearing concerns from parents and teachers, Boundary County School Board on Tuesday voted 3-1 to declare a financial emergency due to a cut in state funding.

The declaration paves the way for the school district to reduce pay for its 226 employees, if necessary.

The state cut funding for Boundary County School District’s teachers, secretaries, custodians, aides, bus drivers and cafeteria workers. by 2.6 percent. The state also will reduce funding for administrators, including principals, by 5 percent. The school district gets 80 percent of it funding from the state.

Supporting the emergency were school board chairwoman Melanie Staples and trustees Tim Bertling and Sulet Hiatt. Trustee Gil Hagen voted against the measure.

School district clerk-treasurer Diane Cartwright explained that teachers will go through the negotiation process before a decision concerning pay is finalized.

“By declaring an emergency, it gives the board the flexibility (with its own budget). Due to the lack of state funding, we may have to freeze or reduce (pay). If we hadn’t done it (declared the emergency), it would’ve been too late. These are really tough times.”

Teacher Jan Studer suggested remaining “suttees quo” because any pay cut will hurt one’s purchasing power.

“A lot districts in Idaho have decided not to declare an emergency,” Studer said.

Teacher Kim Dinsmore acknowledged times are tough, but urged the school board not to declare the emergency in hopes of maintaining a sound, educational community.

Parent Lori Plato suggested considering eliminating the employees’ vision insurance.

“The U.S. government doesn’t have that (anymore),” Plato said. “Some people don’t use it and you pay for it.”

Bertling made the motion to declare the emergency.

“After looking, I don’t see there’s any way (not to declare it),” he said. “I don’t want to tap into our emergency money.”

The school district has $200,000 in a reserve account for emergencies, like a o.

Staples noted that the larger school district’s in Idaho aren’t declaring emergencies because they have the finances to cover the loss from the state. Only half of the school have responded for declaring emergencies, but she suspects more will do so.

“We have to do the best that we can to work for the whole of the district,” she said. “It’s that type of year and we’re not alone. We’re in a pinch.”

Before voting “no,” Hagen said he doesn’t trust the government.