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Hazelwood School District Revises
Budget, Retains PE, Band Programs
The Hazelwood School District has finalized its 2016-17 Budget Restructuring Plan retaining some of the cuts that had previously been announced. In the 2016-17 school year, the Hazelwood School District projected to face a $12.7 million shortfall. The original recommended budget restructuring efforts were projected to save the District approximately $6.6 million; reducing the deficit to approx. $6.1 million. Details came after Tuesday night’s school board meeting.
After thoroughly reviewing the board’s plan and working with key stakeholders, the program plans have been updated as outlined below.
Elementary School Physical Education (PE) program – To address the concerns of parents, all elementary students will receive PE twice a week for 55 minutes or a total of 110 minutes per week. This plan was shared with various stakeholders for input and feedback: teachers’ union, PE Teachers, Elementary Principals and parents. This PE restructuring plan allows for an estimated savings of $960,000 at the elementary level, plus another $221,000 at the high school level, for a total of $1,181,000. Class sizes will not increase under the plan.
Elementary Band and Orchestra (4th and 5th grades) – All impacted teachers have been offered other teaching positions within the District, with the exception of one. Administration has worked with our teachers on a plan to meet the needs of our elementary band and orchestra students and for the instrumental music program as a whole. HSD 4th and 5th grade band and orchestra students (approximately 850 students) will receive their instruction before school within each corridor of the District one day a week from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Instruction for students will be taught by Hazelwood School District middle and high school band and orchestra teachers. This restructuring plan will save the District approximately $726,000.
Locations for the before school elementary band and orchestra programs are as follows:
West Corridor Band – Walker Elementary School
- West Corridor Orchestra – McNair Elementary School
- Central Corridor Band – Brown Elementary School
- Central Corridor Orchestra – Barrington Elementary School
- East Corridor Band – Arrowpoint Elementary School
- East Corridor Orchestra – Twillman Elementary School
After the morning practice, buses will transport students to their home schools.
HSD Custodians had already voted to
reduce their hours to 35 hours weekly; a move that saved all custodian positions. Under this plan, once the needed 33 positions have been reduced by attrition, our custodial staff will move back to a 40 hour workweek.
School administrators will work with the new superintendent, the new chief financial officer, (once someone has been selected), staff, and the community to balance the school district’s budget in the fall.
