The board made its decision unanimously Monday night during a special meeting. It comes after two months of school board meetings, dozens of hours of public discussion and hundreds of comments given via surveys and in-person.
Board President Kerry Irons said the board heard over and over about choosing stability for the school district going forward. But the board also heard some in the community say they wanted deeper cuts now.
“Let’s just pull the Band-Aid off. Just do it and cut as deep as you need to and get it done.’ And I think I have struggled a lot with that myself," Irons said.
Board member Duncan Fields highlighted what he felt were accomplishments from this budget process.
“We went from what we felt was a $7 million deficit to a $5 million deficit to a $2.7 million deficit. We accomplished that change," he said. "We looked at how to balance cuts. We’ve cut almost the same amount from administration as we did from the classroom. That is if you add up the total of the administrators, there is one FTE more from the classrooms than the administrators.”
The adopted budget plan cuts administrative positions such as the human resources director, several teachers’ aides, and counseling and mental health support services.
There is also a separate group of contingency cuts being considered that total roughly a million dollars. They are a backup for the board in case they overestimated a revenue projection, for example if they don’t get the full local contribution from the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly. The cuts include eliminating a school nurse, the auditorium director and reducing the school district’s share of the community pool costs.
Board member Mike Litzow said he’s concerned about the importance those positions and programs play in the community.
“We’re trading off those absolutely fundamental responsibilities of our community against each other," Litzow said. "I mean we’re down to, do we hire nurses or do we maintain buildings? The depth of need just couldn’t be greater.”
Irons, the board president, told KMXT via email that the contingency cuts list is available in case the board needs them but there’s no guarantees which cuts, if any, will be made from the list. Superintendent Cyndy Mika said in a letter to the community that the final budget won’t be approved until June and those contingency cuts could still be considered.
Looking beyond next year’s budget, Irons and other board members want the community to be more involved, sooner.
“What we really need is a plan ahead, a plan to move forward," Irons said. "And to me, having a plan for this next fiscal year, but then moving forward with a plan that includes more time and more opportunities for community input."
Board members agreed to establish a budget advisory committee of community members to provide direct input to the board, with the aim of starting up in March. Irons said the details are pending and the board plans to release more information on the budget advisory committee later this month.
The budget process also includes planning ahead for the 2027-2028 school year, when at least one school closure is likely.
The KIBSD school board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 16.
