Three Grady County schools received budget increases from mid-term adjustments in state aid this week, while three others took cuts of 10 percent or more.

Ninnekah Public Schools was the biggest winner, receiving 16.62 percent more in state aid than was originally budgeted. Ninnekah was originally set to receive $1,093,786 but was bumped to $1,275,573 because of an increase in enrollment.

Verden Public Schools also saw a slight increase of 1.02 percent, and Bridge Creek received a half-percent increase.

Meanwhile, Amber-Pocasset, Alex, and Rush Springs were big losers in the adjustments, all experiencing cuts of 10.39 or more. Am-Po took the biggest hit, seeing 26.81 percent of its original allocation vanish. Alex lost 11.3 percent and Rush Springs 10. 39.

Chickasha remained fairly steady, receiving a cut of just 3.71 percent.

State Supt. Sandy Garrett announced the mid-term adjustments for the 2010 fiscal year this week. State education officials say Oklahoma's schools have suffered $43 million in funding cuts during this fiscal year, lowering the dollar amount spent on each student by more than $100.

Also, school districts, like all other Oklahoma state agencies, have been asked to cut their budgets by 5 percent every month since August.

"For the first time since the state's 2002-2003 budget crisis, the student factors, or the average amount of money allocated for each student in the state's weighted funding formula, has decreased," Garrett said. "The July funding notices included $3291.20 per student with federal stabilization stimulus dollars included; the mid-year allocations amounted to $3184 per student with the federal stabilization dollars included an a 5 percent annualized cut."

Ninnekah Supt. Todd Bunch said the increase from the state, along with the district's savings, will help bolster the school system through what he expects to be a rough Fiscal Year 2011. However, as the student population grows at Ninnekah, so will its costs.

"We'll make it this year, but next year is what we're really planning for," Bunch said. "We were up about 52 kids in October. I was expecting (the adjustment to be) about $220,000 ... but I knew they were going to hold the 5 percent out."

Bunch could not pinpoint a reason for the influx of students, but contributed some of it to consistently high test scores and possibly the construction of a new elementary school.

Bunch has focused on fiscal responsibility and maintaining a surplus in the budget. He fears that more children in the system will raise costs across the board.

"This does help, it's like a little boost," Bunch said "But, it will not be a significant factor...to getting us through 2011."

Bunch said the "million dollar question" is whether the Oklahoma Legislature, with tighter budget constraints, can fund the system in the near future.

Bunch said lowered gross production and the slumping economy are becoming more visible.



How Schools Are Funded

A school system's funding is determined by multiple factors, including gross production tax, ad valorem tax, gambling taxes and even taxes on cigarettes – all of which are producing less revenue during this recession.

Shelly Hickman, spokesperson for the Oklahoma Board of Education, said 30 percent of school funding comes from House Bill 1017, which takes tax revenue from income, corporate, sales, cigarette and gaming taxes. Student enrollment also comes into play. The more students a school district enrolls, the more state aid it receives.

"We've been through this before," Tuttle Supt. Lee Coker said. "We’ve just got to figure out what our priorities are and try and get by the best we can."



Payroll Priorities

Chickasha Supt. Jim Glaze rests his priorities on people. He said 80 percent of the Chickasha budget pays for personnel.

Glaze does not want to be forced to release any more employees, but he may have to in the 2011 fiscal year.

Glaze said the district has experienced some growth, but it was not enough to offset the initial 5 percent cut in state funds.

"If we did not take a 5 percent cut, then we actually would have received extra money at the midterm," Glaze said. "Basically that’s just part of the budget cuts going down."

He said districts are also taking 10 percent cuts each month until the end of fiscal year 2010.

It is too early to tell if the district will be forced to make staffing cuts, Glaze said. He and superintendents across the state are waiting to see what the legislature does with next year's state budget. The legislature meets for its regular session in February.

"Until we see what they do, it's really hard for us to plan what we're going to do," Glaze said.