LWSD cuts $7.7 from budget and raises fees to keep class sizes the same and avoid layoffs.

When putting together the proposed budget for 2009-10, Lake Washington School District Superintendent Chip Kimball heard the message of parents and staff loud and clear: don’t increase class sizes. Through a series of administrative cuts, program cuts and increased fees, the district will keep class sizes the same and will not lay off teachers, despite cutting $7.7 million from its budget.

Community feedback also advocated protecting safety net programs for struggling learners, early learning and investments in quality staff. The new budget reflects those values through keeping like Ready Start preschool and safety net programs.

The largest cuts came in central administration and professional development, over $2 million dollars.

• Just over ten positions will be eliminated, including four administrators, two professional/technical staff members and just over four professional development staff positions.


• All central office departments will face five percent cuts in their operating budgets.


• The district will no longer produce a printed school calendar, which traditionally is mailed to all parents at the beginning of the school year.

The next largest area of cuts comes in building support, totaling $1.8 million.

• Five percent of the building operating budgets will be cut.


• The building budgets for professional development will be cut by 75 percent.


• Much of the cut in this area involves reducing staff stipends to provide support for high school graduation, teacher leaders, teachers on special assignment and teachers who lead advisory programs in the secondary schools.

The district will increase fees and cut some programs, for about $1.1 million in savings or increased revenue:

• About $700,000 will be gained through an increase in the fee for All-Day Kindergarten and other safety-net programs.


• A new fee for transportation for the one day per week gifted enrichment program will raise $45,000.


• Operation of the pool at Juanita High School will be contracted out, saving $150,000. If no contractor can be found, the pool will be closed.


• A significant change will be in funding for activities and athletics, resulting in about $800,000 in cost savings and increased revenue.


• The largest change will be a substantial change in athletics fees, rising from $35 to $105 in junior highs and from $75 to $275 in high schools.

Support services will cut about $600,000 through increased efficiencies in using a different custodial services model, increased energy savings and transportation route efficiencies. LWSD is working smarter to increase efficiences! Kudos.

The district’s Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on the budget at its June 22 meeting. The budget must be approved by the Board in August.

This is an abbreviated and edited LWSD Press Release, 5/5/09. Contact: Kathryn Reith, Communications Director, LWSD, (425) 702-3342 for the entire release.