Fayette school officials: Bevin’s proposed cuts could be ‘devastating’

Midyear budget cuts proposed by Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin could have “devastating” effects on Fayette County Public Schools, officials and board members said this week.

In Bevin’s recent budget proposal, he said state agencies would have to cut 4.5 percent, which in the Kentucky Department of Education works out to about $17.9 million, from its current-year spending before June 30. Bevin later said he is giving agencies leeway in the timing of the cuts.

In addition to those cuts this fiscal year, Kentucky Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt has said that if Bevin’s proposed budget is approved by the General Assembly, the Department of Education will face $72 million in reductions over the next two fiscal years.

Kentucky uses the Support Education Excellence in Kentucky formula, known as SEEK, to allocate state dollars to school districts, based on a per-pupil allotment.

Bevin’s proposal leaves the SEEK formula unchanged on a per-pupil basis, the Kentucky School Boards Association News Service reported Wednesday.

But Bevin’s proposed cuts for K-12 in 2017-18 include $2 million less each year for family resource and youth services centers, $2 million less each year for programs that include safe schools and professional development, and $1 million less for career and technical education.

There would also be $1 million less for after-school programs, about $750,000 less each year for textbooks, $500,000 less for teacher training, and $300,000 less for programs for gifted and talented students.

Fayette school officials spoke out about the cuts for the first time this week.

“Any midyear cuts would be devastating to the district,” Hiren Desai, senior director of administrative services for Fayette County Public Schools, told the school board Monday.

On Wednesday, Desai told the Herald-Leader, “We are very concerned about any midyear cuts which may come down from the state, because it will be difficult to make adjustments at this time.

“For example, employee contracts are established at the beginning of the school year and cannot be cut midyear. In addition, we are also concerned about the magnitude of the cuts being proposed in non-SEEK funds over the next two fiscal years, because these will directly impact students.”

Desai said he was waiting on specific numbers from the Kentucky Department of Education. He was an associate commissioner there until January.

Family resource centers at schools can provide food, transportation and social services connections for families. Family Resource and Youth Services Centers help children meet national and state academic standards. Their mission is to help students succeed in school by assisting them and their families with access to community programs, according to the Fayette district’s website.

School board member Doug Barnett said at Monday’s regular monthly meeting that “it would be ridiculous” to cut the family resource centers’ budget at all.

“That makes absolutely no sense to me,” Barnett said. “I don’t know if the governor can hear me.”

Said board vice chairwoman Melissa Bacon, “We are all on the same page.”

Barnett said the centers — about 49 in Fayette County — serve the most vulnerable students in the district, and the students that district staff are trying to help become proficient in the state accountability system.

Faith Thompson, Fayette County’s associate director of student achievement and support, told school board members that often, the centers “are the first line of defense to removing barriers to learning.”

In addition, Bevin’s proposal calls for $4 million less each year of the biennium for preschool services.

Pruitt, the education commissioner, told the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee on Tuesday that he appreciated “that SEEK is held constant, but ... from an overall perspective, our districts will see a hit from this budget,” according to the Kentucky School Boards Association news service.

The state House of Representatives continues to hold hearings on the governor’s budget plan and isn’t expected to send a budget bill to the Senate for consideration before the middle of March, the news service reported.

This story was originally published February 24, 2016 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Fayette school officials: Bevin’s proposed cuts could be ‘devastating’."