Blevins Schools Superintendent Randy Treat announced Wednesday that the Emmet school campus will not close due to budgetary shortfalls.
“Emmet campus will remain open. It has taken about four months to work through this, although it was looked at as a possibility. It was only one of many options,” Treat said. “We are not in eminent danger of going into fiscal distress. We have devised a plan to cut expenditures by $275,000 and are expecting a slight increase from state foundation funding.”
Treat said the news had a positive effect on both Blevins and Emmet campuses.
“It has totally changed the atmosphere around the schools,” Treat said.
He said there were several events that clarified the final decision.
A slight increase in funding, along with the announcement from four classified employees that have informed the administration they will not return next year. A few cuts will still be made, according to Treat, but that is not definite at this time. There may be cuts on some half-time positions also, according to Treat.
“There could be up to two classified positions that will not be offered next year. At this point, no certified teachers will be ‘RIFed,’” he said. “We will be looking at absorbing some jobs through attrition.”
Treat said the budget cuts will go into effect July 1.
“It is going to cause both campuses to have to step up a little bit,” Treat said.
A group of Emmet citizens filled the Blevins school cafeteria in November, 2008, to attend a school board meeting as a result of a “misunderstanding”, according to Treat, that the school would have to close.
Over two hours of discussion resulted in the board’s decision to form a committee to explore every possible option to prevent the closing of the school and keep the Blevins/Emmet budgets healthy.