Concerns are abuzz in the community following the early details of budget cut proposals that may impact a number of programs, including agricultural-based curriculum, in the Warren County R-III …
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Concerns are abuzz in the community following the early details of budget cut proposals that may impact a number of programs, including agricultural-based curriculum, in the Warren County R-III School District.
School board members are set to discuss and vote on a proposal that will seek to reduce the district’s budget by $950,000 through the elimination of various positions and programs. The full list of proposed cuts will be released on the district’s website this Friday, with the board meeting to follow on Nov. 12 in the Black Hawk Middle School gymnasium.
“The budget this year has been reduced by $1.3 million in expenditures, but we’re still projected to deficit spend over $400,000, which puts our fund balances projected to end the year at about 12 percent,” explained Superintendent Dr. Gregg Klinginsmith. “We have a policy that if we go below 15 percent, we have to develop a plan to get it back to that mark within two years.”
According to Klinginsmith, some misinformation has found its way into the community concerning what programs may be impacted. He says the proposal is rather vast, including a number of potentially affected programs.
Among those is the possibility of reducing the eight agriculture-related classes currently available for students at Warrenton High School.
“The course offering might look a little different, but we could still possibly offer a majority of the courses,” said Klinginsmith. “There’s really several ways we could approach it — offering some courses every other year, or offer five a year versus the eight we have now.”
The reduction or elimination of the FFA program is not among the proposed cuts, assured Klinginsmith.
“There is no plan to cut FFA,” said Klinginsmith. “We would still have the two sponsors.”
He adds that any positions that are eliminated would preferably be through attrition, while internal movement of staff will be handled through the Missouri State Teachers’ Association.
“They would help figure out the appropriate way to move people around,” said Klinginsmith.
Community members have expressed concern about the pending potential cuts, especially those impacting agricultural education in a district that is largely rural.
For 2018 graduate Drew Hall, it was the agricultural courses at R-III which gave him direction toward his current role as a commercial applicator at MFA in Rhineland. He feels indebted to the program for guiding him toward a promising future.
“I didn’t traditionally come from a farming family,” explained Hall. “I came in with an interest in learning about the agricultural industry. Through the vast variety of courses they offer, I was able to get a solid base about an industry I didn’t have too much information about. It took a wide-eyed freshman that knew nothing about agriculture and influenced me toward my future career.”
Christina Saenz watched her daughter shift toward a blossoming career in biology after having her interest piqued by the agricultural programs at Warrenton High School.
“When she heard they might be cutting back on the program, she said, ‘I don’t know that I would be doing what I am now if I wasn’t introduced to it in the ag program,’” said Saenz, who credits her own experiences in FFA and the agricultural program in Montgomery County for helping build confidence for a lifetime.
“We are still very much a farming community,” said Saenz. “I just think it’s important for these kids to have an opportunity to learn where our food comes from and leadership skills. I’ve had a lot of friends say ‘my kids wouldn’t be a part of anything if it wasn’t for ag.’ I just hate to see any of it go.”
Hall says he plans to speak at the R-III board meeting and encourages others to attend as well to voice their concern.
“I think by cutting down the amount of courses they’re going to offer, it could be potentially disastrous, not only for students but for people of Warren County as well,” said Hall. “I credit my success to the knowledge I gained through FFA and ag courses. There’s no way I would’ve been able to do this without them. It’s truly an amazing program.”
Klinginsmith says this is not a position the district wants to be in, but with ongoing financial setbacks related to COVID-19, it’s the current reality.
“This really is stemming around a funding issue,” said Klinginsmith. “It’s not because we don’t think the programs are worthwhile. We just don’t have the funds to operate the programs we’ve had.”
