Desperate times call for desperate measures.
On Thursday, Dec. 16, the Rockwood Board of Education met to discuss the cost reduction plans to cut $5.3 million from the FY12 budget. For high school students, the most influential change is an $80 spike in parking pass prices from $100 to $180.
Associate Principal Dr. Jennifer Sebold said the district is losing money because expenditures are higher than revenue but the increase in parking pass cost should help the situation.
“We keep half of the revenue from parking passes for things like Renaissance, field trips and student activities and the rest goes to the district and is used for parking lot renovations,” Dr. Sebold said.
Shirley Broz, Chief Financial Officer, said parking fees have not been raised in many years.
“Parking is a privilege that comes with a cost,” Broz said. “I view it as reasonable cost-sharing between the district and its taxpayers.”
Students and parents, however, do not welcome the price raise they will be affected by.
Maddie Noe, junior, said she thinks the new price is “awfully steep” but sees why the district chose to raise it.
“If the district really needs the money then parking passes is a good way to do it because people will usually pay the price to park no matter what,” Noe said.
Kathy Scribner, school store parent whose daughter will be a senior next year, also said she thinks the district was justified in making the cost reduction changes, but she’s still not happy about it.
“Even if you’re a senior, you may still want to share a parking spot to split the cost,” Scribner said.
Noe also said she hopes to share a parking spot with someone because her parents would be expecting her to pay for part of the price.
Cathy Presley, math teacher, said she views the parking pass cost as high.
“It seems like a big jump in cost for the students,” Presley said. “$100 seems like a more reasonable price, but I think a gradual increase would’ve been better than a just a big jump all at once.”
The Parkway school district also will be raising parking pass prices next year, but from $60 to $75.
According to the Rockwood website, other changes next year to trim the budget include freezing salaries for administrators and some support staff, reducing middle school staffing by six points and high school staffing by eight points, raising football and basketball game entry fees from $3 to $5 and increasing full-day kindergarten tuition from $3,450 to $3,625.
Broz said these cost reduction plans will not be enough to balance the budget.
“Even with the deep cuts of $5.3 million and the modest revenue increases from fees of $440,000, Rockwood school district must still spend $3.5 million of the fund balances to make the FY12 budget work,” Broz said.
Broz said the Board of Education faces difficult decisions as they prepare the FY12 budget and plan for the future.
“Our focus will continue to be revenue replacement, cost cuts and to a limited degree, the use of fund balances to continue to deliver great educational services to our students,” Broz said.