The school board will form an ad hoc committee to look for additional funding for the district, shifting the district’s focus from cost-cutting to revenue growth as it plans for an uncertain budget.
The move came during a public work session Monday, Sept. 29, where board members discussed long-term budget strategies and invited public comment.
The board used a June report from an earlier ad hoc committee, created in April to identify cost-saving measures, as a starting point.
Throughout Alaska, districts are confronting steep budget gaps that have prompted layoffs, closures and program cuts.
The Wrangell spending-cut committee had ranked its recommendations “from most feasible to least feasible,” vice chair Sarah Scambler said.
One recommendation would consolidate space at the Evergreen Elementary School, reducing square footage by 43%. The report estimates savings of $43,044 to $55,871 annually by eliminating one custodial position, plus $50,000 to $62,000 in first-year costs for insurance, electricity, fuel and utilities.
Superintendent Joshua Garrett said those savings would amount to roughly 2% of the district’s overall budget.
“My question is: Where are we going to get that money next year, if we need it?” Board President David Wilson said. “We’re already dipping into our reserves. Whether it gets done now, or gets put on the shelf for later, we need a plan.”
Most of the district’s roughly $6 million annual operating budget comes from the state and borough, with a small amount of federal money. The district has drawn on reserves to close the gap in recent years.
The cost-cutting committee’s second option would move the district to a four-day school week, with an estimated savings of 2% to 9% of the budget. The report projects annual savings between $100,000 and $450,000, including bus contracts ($20,000 to $40,000), hourly staff ($20,000 to $30,000), substitutes (about $7,000), the school lunch program ($5,000) and building-related costs (at least $28,000).
Wilson told the board his research shows some districts see improved test scores and attendance under a four-day model.
The district’s administrative assistant, Kimberly Powell, cautioned the schedule change could worsen staffing challenges. “I think, if we did that, we would probably lose our custodial staff,” she said, noting the district already struggles to stay fully staffed.
Board Member Liz Roundtree urged the board to pause further discussion of cuts and focus on raising revenue. “I don’t know if we need to make a motion or not, but I think we should form another ad hoc committee to look at ways to get more funding,” she said.
The board agreed. The new committee will explore revenue options, aligning with Garrett’s view that it “should be fairly easy” to identify funding that matches the potential savings outlined in the cuts.
The board is seeking letters of interest from people willing to serve on the revenue-search committee. The deadline is 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10. Letters should be emailed to Powell at kpowell@wpsd.us for consideration during the school board meeting on Monday, Oct. 13.