$4 Million in Cuts Loom at Lakewood Schools

During the past two months, Superintendent Jeff Patterson has hosted two-dozen meeting around town, including eight aimed at seeking input from residents about the district’s impending financial crisis.

What would you cut? 

Patterson has been asking residents that since earlier this year when he first announced the looming $4 million in cuts the district must make during the next two years.

On Thursday, at , Patterson reported his findings.

He’s gotten a lot of responses about what the district shouldn’t cut. Staffing, programs and activities are among them.

He said it’s no secret that the district will seek a new operating levy in May 2013.

Patterson said that the teachers’ union agreed to reopen its current bargaining agreement, officially set to end in July 2013.

“Can we make $4 million without impacting staff?” he asked. “No. The answer is still no. I don’t know if we can get to $4 million in this negotiating process.”

“(The teachers) want to be a part of the solution. Hopefully, the meetings will bear meaningful fruit.”

The school district has already cut spending by about $12 million since 2006, according to the district financial reports. If a levy doesn’t pass, the deficit could reach $10.5 million by 2015, according to the .

Patterson is expected to make his recommendation for cuts at the May 7 board meeting, following his meeting with the teachers union in April. 

At Thursday’s meeting, he presented about 70 people in the audience with a series of questions he’s asked residents in the community during his round of meetings.

After each of his questions, Patterson played recordings of some of the residents who voiced these particular concerns. 

Then, he encouraged those in attendance to discuss the issues in smaller groups.

What district characteristics, programs and services make your school district special?

Some of the answers included student achievement; class size; extra curricular activities; academic and ESL programs; the district’s reputation; programming for students with diverse needs; and staffing.

“Once you start to lose some of the programs, then you begin to lose people,” he said. “We know the reductions will have a significant impact on everyone.”

What should be the last things affected by the reductions?

“Class size,” said Patterson. “I heard that over and over and over again.” Other included staffing; all day kindergarten; co-curricular and extra-curricular; and technology.

With your support, we will come through these difficult times and be a much stronger school district.”

During the community engagement process, Patterson said more than 600 recommendations poured in from across the city. The district has all of them posted online.

“This process is not about passing a tax issue,” he said. “This is about engaging the community.”