Independent Newspapers
As Mesa’s economy struggles, so do several East Mesa-based schools and school districts.
Mesa Public Schools will cut $15 to $20 million from its budget for the next school year, and MPS spokesperson Kathy Bareiss said the district will probably finalize its cut list within the next few weeks.
"We’re working as hard as we can to minimize the impact on services, but because our district has 91 percent of its budget going to people, people will be affected," she said.
Rather than immediately laying off employees, MPS hopes to move employees to vacancies created by resignations and retirements.
"We will have positions that will be cut, but I don’t know if actual people will be cut," Ms. Bareiss said.
Gilbert Public Schools Superintendent Bradley Barrett said his district is funded the same amount per student and is therefore not directly impacted by the economy.
"(Mesa is) dependent on sales tax and those kinds of things – we’re not," he said.
Despite this, Mr. Barrett thinks GPS may cut positions and programs for its next school year.
"Every year, we look at our programs – are they effective or not effective?" he explained.
Imagine Schools – an organization operating 51 public charter schools and independent schools throughout the U.S., including Imagine Schools at East Mesa, 9701 E. Southern Ave. – will not cut any positions for its next school year.
Imagine Schools at East Mesa will continue offering its pre-kindergarten through eighth grade programs and accredited curriculum.
Imagine Schools spokesperson Rhonda Cagle said Imagine Schools is remembering economic booms and busts are merely a trend.
"Yes, there’s impact, but we look long-term and we know that ultimately our goal to be a part of the community is going to outride and outlast any temporary downturn in the economy," she said.
Ms. Bareiss said most MPS principals are concerned with the reduction of School Resource Officers.
"That was something that the city, at one time, funded, and those are so important to us that we have put money in our budget to try to hire some of those police officers back," she explained.
Ms. Bareiss said many Mesa residents are concerned about how reducing MPS teachers will impact class size.
"We will still follow the same ratios that we always have followed, but because we have fewer students, we don’t need as many teachers," she explained.
She said district support is more likely to be impacted.
"We’re trying to keep things away from the classrooms as much as possible," she said.
Mr. Barrett said the difficult economy has caused less parents to take advantage of after-school and tuition-based programs as they reduce family budgets.
"The economy does impact the school districts when there are extra things that parents spend their money on," he said.
Ms. Cagle said because charter schools are funded differently from traditional public schools, Imagine Schools’ transportation costs take a particularly large hit.
"Although certainly, for instance, the cost of gasoline is much higher than it has been, our commitment to serving the community and providing that transportation cost – we have to look at it as a long-term investment into the community," she said.
She said for next school year, Imagine Schools will receive less funding from Proposition 301, which allows for teacher salary incentives and is based on taxes.
"When people don’t spend as much in the community, there’s not as much tax revenue generated," she explained. "We’re having to take a very realisitic look at how much of a raise we can give to our teachers."
Ms. Bareiss said 53.7 percent of MPS students qualify for the National School Lunch Program, a federally assisted meal program providing low-cost or free lunches to children each school day.
This program is a federal law and in no danger of discontinuation, but 53.7 percent of MPS students qualify for the federal lunch program – a signficant rise from the 30 percent tallied in 1990.
"We’ve changed quite a bit, and we do have a number of students who are now qualifying for that when they may not have 18 years ago," she explained.
Mr. Barrett said the number of GPS students qualifying for the program has also increased.
"That’s a family budget thing, again," he said.
Ms. Cagle said Imagine Schools at East Mesa has seen a decrease in students qualifying for the lunch program.
"At our elementary school level, it’s about 6 percent less and at the middle school level, it’s about 13 percent less," she said.
Ms. Bareiss said the economic state of Mesa is foremost in the minds of MPS’ superintendency and governing board as they make decisions.
"We know we have to make budget cuts, but we’re trying to keep all of those factors in mind, as well as the morale and welfare of our own employees," she said.
