Boardman schools official warns of 5% cut in funding

By ELISE McKEOWN SKOLNICK

news@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

The Boardman schools director of instruction said she expects a 5 percent cut in funding next year for the four federal programs for which the school district receives money.

Money is allocated for these programs in June, Dr. Linda Ross said. The cut should come at that time, she told the school board at its meeting Monday. The reductions mean the school district will have to decide what to cut out of the four programs.

In the 2012-13 school year, the district received $802,331.09 for early intervention in math and reading.

“It’s a very systematic and scientific way of providing intervention in reading and math to our neediest students at the elementary level,” Ross said.

A portion of this money is used for a summer intervention program for children entering kindergarten and, by law, to provide intervention to students at non- public schools in the district who qualify for reading and math intervention.

For improving teacher quality and development, the district received $125,008.32. This provides money for substitutes when staff teachers attend professional development opportunities and to bring specialists to the school to work with teachers, as well as supplies and services.

This enables the district to bring in experts that provide teachers with great support, Ross said.

The district received $21,375 to support its limited English proficiency students and $850,255.68 for special education.

Ross said next year she plans to include a parent group as part of the English language learners program, “so they may feel a little bit less out of the circle.”

Many of them may not have learned English in an English-speaking school, she said.

“And they need the support of other parents who have also experienced that transition,” she said.