Bozeman Public Schools wants to ask taxpayers to help make up for a budget shortfall in its K-12 general fund.
At a meeting on Monday the Bozeman School Board adopted the superintendent's budget reduction recommendations, which include a plan to pursue a levy on the ballot in May.
The tax would help make up for part of a $4.1 million shortfall in the general fund, about 90% of which is personnel costs.
Superintendent Casey Bertram says the levy option came about after holding community forums and collecting more than 200 survey comments.
“We heard throughout the process from community members, staff members and students have we exhausted the revenue opportunities?" he said. "Is there a way to go to voters to say, ‘Voters, you have a decision if you want to lessen budget impacts'?"
If the levy were to pass the district would cut around seven fewer full-time staff positions and keep Bozeman Charter School. English language learning support staff would also be added.
The budget recommendations include a second option without the levy that would also make the $4.1 million in budget cuts.
Under both plans extracurricular participation fees would be increased, building and department budgets would be decreased by 10%, and the district would use revenue from a planned real estate sale to buy time to study what potentially closing an elementary school would look like.
The recommendations also include eliminating the fine arts director position.
Former Bozeman Fine Arts Supervisor Renee Westlake expressed concern at the school board meeting Monday over how the reduction would impact music and arts teachers.
“They need to know that someone has heard what they do for kids matters, that the incredible support of the arts community matters and that the collaborative connection between public school, arts and mental health matters,” she said.
The school board budget committee tasked Superintendent Bertram with recommending a central office or building administration position to cut. He said after speaking with music staff, he determined essential duties of the director position could be provided differently.
“I’m very confident that maintaining a two-person office with a high quality teacher on special assignment plus an administrative assistant plus re-imaging the position with the feedback of the K-12 fine arts staff is the best avenue to go down,” he said.
With the levy option two people, including one teacher, would provide administrative arts support; the second option would maintain one person in the fine arts office as new staffing models are explored.
The K-12 general fund imbalance came in part from declining elementary enrollment during the pandemic and opening a new high school.
