Superintendent lays out $1.25M structural deficit and lists alternatives including a trial 4‑day week and program reductions

Superintendent Wayne Wormstead told the board the district is targeting roughly $1.25 million in corrections to address a structural deficit. He presented a wide menu of alternatives drawn from community input and administrative review: central-office salary freezes that the superintendent and business manager have already agreed to; health-insurance premium and plan design changes; hiring freezes and targeted attrition; reviewing and potentially liquidating unused facilities; deferring capital projects; renegotiating large contracts (custodial, athletic trainer, busing); program reductions (co-curricular cuts phased 1–4%); and examining foundations, endowments and targeted grants.

Among operational ideas, Wormstead described a modified 4‑day school-week pilot (Thanksgiving–Easter) as a conservative first step, with potential savings of about 1–3% in some districts and a projected preliminary target save of more than $30,000 from reduced substitute and development costs for the district. He cautioned that transportation, staff contracts and food-service revenues would require detailed planning. He also noted statutory and timing constraints around transfers from capital outlay to general fund and potential legislative actions that could alter district authority to transfer funds.

Wormstead explained the trade-offs and warned that some choices (for example moving capital outlay money into general fund for ongoing salaries) create ongoing obligations that are hard to unwind. He said the board must balance preserving instructional programs with the need to close the structural gap and that administration will refine cost estimates and bring prioritized recommendations back to the finance committee and the board.