Wabash eyes travel expenses
By ROBERT BRYAN
Monday, September 15, 2008 9:46 PM EDT
Wabash City Schools is far from the panic point when it comes to athletic and field-trip travel expenses.
For years, and with increasing intensity during the recent spikes in fuel prices, the athletic director and building administrators have been paring back marginal and optional trips.
With fewer and shorter regular bus routes, Wabash has not been hit as hard as its sister school districts in the county, but like them it is turning a wary eye to trips that can be cut.
At Monday night's meeting, the school board convened a kind of roundtable discussion with Athletic Director Matt Stone and the building administrators to explore what has been done and hear options if travel expenses continue spiraling.
One option that a few districts have long used - student assistance to
defray expenses - is not being considered at Wabash.
Stone said the change of conference affiliation (closer competitors) a few years ago was a huge blessing in cutting travel expenses. Beyond that, he said, some cutting of marginal trips have further saved expenses.
Further expenses are covered partly by team fundraisers, though fundraising dollars are drying up, ad by scheduling tournament at home when possible.
Cutting much further, he said, will mean cutting some levels of competition - B teams, for instance, or some of the freshman teams, or even C Team football.
Building administrators, besides detailing some field trip eliminations, talked about ways they can help offset expenses. As with sports, fundraising is drying up. PTOs already provide assistance and in a further pinch might help a bit more. Field trips closer to home (using Wabash County resources) are now given a premium, as well as bringing cultural attractions to the student, rather than the other way around.
In other business, the building administrators detailed a proactive plan being fully implemented this year designed to impact student behavior.
Called "The Apache Way. The Right Way. Everyday," it emphasizes the qualities of safety, responsibility and respectfulness.
Buttressed by small rewards, the approach is being tried K-12, and further publicized by the T-shirts advertising, in black and orange, "The Apache Way." The front reads "Oskewawa (an Apache Indian battle cry) Wabash (Athletics) Apaches."
Board members complimented the administrators on both the Apache Way incentive and their efforts to trim the fat (without the meat) from travel expenses. Board president Steve Weir, for instance, reminded everyone that field trips are part of the rich educational experience.
The board also adopted the 2009 budget. It will be months before school officials learn if it fits the school system's needs and how big the break for taxpayers.
The total school tax rate should go down from 2008's $1.55 per $100 f assessed valuation. That's because the state is totally picking of funding for two of the component funds, including the largest component, the general fund. That fund alone in recent years has accounted for more than 80 cents of the total rate.
A school budget is a huge undertaking, requiring months of work and the adoption process is no less intricate. It required passage of seven resolutions by the board.
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