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Board member Karen Metcalf called it the “most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make on the school board,” before she cast her vote yes to cut $2,083,255 from the district’s budget. Metcalf was the last to vote of the six members present who all approved the cuts with a unanimous decision.

“This is a painful process for all of us,” board member Dan Whitcomb said.

The cuts, which had been in the developing stages for months are the result of decreases in state funding as well as declining enrollment. While other districts began cutting years ago, Princeton had been cushioned by its fund balance of 14 percent. But that balance was going to fall below four percent this year without any cuts. Board policy states the fund balance can not fall below five percent.

The cuts — listed in the adjoining chart — represent a “big picture document” according to Princeton Superintendent Rick Lahn. “It is a generalized idea of where the cuts will come from,” he said.

The cuts will be narrowed down soon and staff cuts could be officially approved at the board’s March 11 meeting.

In the meantime the district has stated numerous times it will look for ways to bolster enrollment and keep Princeton students in District 477. “We have to do a better job of selling our schools,” Whitcomb said.

In other business the board:

• Approved the 2009-11 master agreement between the district and the Princeton Paraprofessional Association. Under the agreement the paras will receive their steps for 2009-10 while steps will be frozen in 2010-11. That amount will be allocated for a one-time payment to employees on step 6 who did not receive a step increase the year before. Step 6 is the highest step attainable by a paraprofessional. Thus paras who had already attained step 6 received no raise in 2009-10.

Dental insurance will be offered to paras who work 32.5 hours or more a week while there will be no change to health insurance. Defined breaks will also be made available for paras who work more than four hours a day.

• Awarded the bids for the high school ventilation project. The general construction work will be handled by Prestige Builders, Maple Grove, with a bid of $442,000. The mechanical work will be handled by Thelen Heating & Roofing, Brainerd, with a bid of $1,615,000. D&G Electric, Harris, won the bid for the electrical work with a bid of $322,500 and the Egan Company, Brooklyn Park, will do the temperature control work. Their bid came in at $320,000. The Egan Company will also handle the alternate work with a winning bid of $84,200.

The total amount for the project at this time is $2,783,700. Princeton Director of Business Services Carol Peterson said the engineering costs must still be added to the project but that the project is $600,000 below projection.

• Authorized the district to enter into a line of credit agreement with Associated Bank of Green Bay. Under the agreement the district will borrow $1.4 million from Associated Bank in order to meet payroll for mid-April and the month of May. The money was borrowed to offset reductions in state funding totaling $2.86 million. Peterson expected the district would pay $5,300 in interest during the duration of the loan. Peterson also stated the district had looked to borrow locally but one local financial institution’s rate was simply too high and another would not borrow money to the district.

Board member Dan Whitcomb stated he understood the struggles of the economy but that he was disappointed with the local banks for not working with the district. Board member Howard Vaillancourt agreed with Whitcomb.

• Approved not allowing extended leave of absence requests to go beyond three years. Princeton Superintendent Rick Lahn recommended the decision because a fourth year of extended leave leads to substitutes to achieve tenure which creates contract issues in the district. The board approved the recommendation with a clause that those teachers already out on extended leave would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

• Board member Brenda Hoffman was absent from the meeting.
 
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