Pros & Cons of Budget Methods

This layout is the same as the posters that were created and then added to at the special board meeting on May 1st. The two traditional ways of dealing with a budget shortfall are presented first because they are shorter, and the list of pros and cons for the newer idea of the 4-day week is last, because ideally the list will continue to grow.

If you have ideas you would like to see here, please email hharper@whitehallmt.org

Additional Mill Levy: Tax increase

Pros

Cons

• More money comes into district

• Every taxpayer in the district pays more

• No individual daycare expense

• Possibility of not passing, so a plan B needs to be in place

Budget Cuts: Traditional

Pros

Cons

• Saves money

• Often directly affects materials used by students in class

• No individual daycare expense increase

• Often directly affects student/adult ratio (including both teachers and aides) in a student's day

• Reduces amount of added mill levy tax increase

• At worst, programs are cut, usually electives like music, art or shop.

Budget Cuts: Four-Day Week

Pros

Cons

• Saves money

• Individual daycare expenses increase

• Reduces amount of added mill levy tax increase

• Classified staff works fewer hours

• Does not directly affect student/adult ratio or student materials in hand

• Altered calendar requires willingness to change

• 3-day weekend every weekend for students, many for staff

• Athletes will still miss some school unless other schools in the conference also make this change

• Attendance increases for students and staff both

• Some people negatively view the longer blocks of teacher contact time

• A large amount of research readily available but not any about the affect of this change on Special Ed students

• The school day is longer; for some this is a negative

• Some people positively view the longer blocks of teacher contact time

• There is no research available on Special needs students and the 4-day week.

• The school day is longer; for some this is positive