Superintendent Sends Letter to Families Announcing Program Cuts

SIDNEY--Over the past week, Sidney Public Schools Superintendent Andrew Farber sent home a letter to all families with children enrolled in the Sidney Public School system concerning the $600,000 budget shortfall and adjustments that were being made to minimize the impact on the students' educational experiences.

Farber wrote, "As you may be aware, our district has been facing a $600,000 budget shortfall, which has required a careful evaluation and adjustment to our budget and programming for the upcoming school year. First of all, throughout this current school year, we have implemented a series of strategic budget adjustments aimed at minimizing the impact on our students' educational experiences while ensuring fiscal responsibility. These adjustments include reallocating $260,000 in resources while optimizing operational efficiency, ensuring the classroom and instructional environments remain intact."

Farber highlighted decisions made for the upcoming 2024-25 school year in light of these budget constraints, including Reductions in Administrative Expenses. These include the reduction of professional development for the SPS School Board and administrative team, teacher college credit reimbursement programs, and summer transportation expenses for non-school-related events or clubs outside the normal school day. Also, the North Elementary principal position will not be rehired and funds for that position will be utilized for other certified related positions. School-related clubs will be asked to offset the expense of their experiences that occur outside of the classroom. Discretionary funding that has been utilized to purchase school-related expenses will be reduced by 15-20 percent.

Farber also detailed reductions in District Services, including the discontinuation of the Cool Kids Club effective June 1, 2024. Bussing will continue, however the district intends to modify and streamline all in-town routes within four miles of the district. County roads and "pick-up locations" identified within the required limit will continue as they have in the past.

Farber has said previously that a loss of $325,000 annually to the general fund was the fault of only 93-to-95 percent of levied taxes being collected over the past three years, and that another $250,000 loss was due to the recent school financing plan implemented by Governor Pillan. Farber said that the district is facing $850,000 in lost revenue since June of 2023.

A formal decision regarding the closing of North Elementary has not been made at this time. The goal is to have a decision finalized in April. Contingency plans are being implemented, however if there isn't a definite plan to close the facility, it will continue to operate until such a plan is devised.

The district also has made the decision to not fund multi extra-duty/extracurricular positions for the 2024 school year, including coaching, sponsor positions and various club and coordinator. The decisions regarding extra duty positions were not made lightly, and were with the understanding of the significance of those roles within the school community. However, the district believed the steps were necessary to ensure the financial stability of the district during this difficult time. Staff will be notified of the positions that will not be funded in the near future.

Due to the sizable loss in funding, staffing will be affected. The district will initially utilize attrition and individual retirements in making adjustments to staffing. To offset the expense of staff, positions will be filled from within if possible and jobs that can be merged will. The goal in this process is to avoid Nebraska Rule 10 requirements and jeopardize state accreditation requirements while still meeting student needs. The stipend for the third assistant principal and curriculum chair positions will be discontinued. The district is currently in the process of evaluating the LIMHP Program and a decision regarding its future will be made in April.

Farber wrote, "the district's goal has been to engage in a thoughtful process that allows for adjustments to our school budget while the impact on classrooms and teaching/staffing positions. We understand that these decisions may affect services and programs that have enhanced our district in the past.

We want to express our sincere appreciation to our families, staff and community for your patience and understanding as we navigate this financial challenge. We value your ongoing support and look forward to continuing to work together in order to provide the best possible education to our students."