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School district administrators are concerned about an estimated $1.2 million deficit for the fiscal year (FY) 2010 budget that may continue to grow.

Members of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education made their first public review of the first draft of the budget last week.

Board members first listened to a presentation by Melody Douglas, district chief financial officer, Feb. 16 during a preboard meeting work session.

Estimated revenue for the district in next year's budget is $122,533,842, while expenditures are expected to be $123,739,902, leaving the district with slightly more than a $1.2 million deficit.

Douglas said she expects the deficit could grow. Expenditures are up $3.6 million this year over last.

In her presentation at the board's afternoon work session, Douglas stressed her emphasis on sustainable budgeting practices.

"Sustainability of our staffing formulas has been the driving force in recent years, and I'm pleased to say we have sustainability in this document, but there isn't much more in here," she said.

The district will hold public forums on the budget in Seward, Soldotna and Homer in March.

The school board is responsible for approving a budget at its regular meeting April 13.

Douglas also told board members she hopes members of the borough support the budget and fund it to the "cap," the maximum amount local government may contribute to the district budget, according to state statute.

The FY '10 budget requests $43 million, or 35 percent, of its total revenue, from the borough.

On Feb. 17, board members and district administrators met with the assembly during an assembly work session to go over the budget, as well.

Superintendent search continues

School board members discussed the continuing search for a new superintendent.

On Jan. 15, Superintendent Dr. Donna Peterson submitted her intent to step down from her post at the end of June.

The board has created a Superintendent Search Oversight Committee, consisting of board members Sunni Hilts, of Seldovia; Joe Arness, of Nikiski; and board President Sammy Crawford, of Kalifornsky.

The vacant position has been posted in two national paid advertisements in Education Week and the American Association of School Administrators.

Crawford said the position also is listed on numerous free Web sites frequented by superintendents.

The application period opened Feb. 5 and closes March 9.

"There has been some interest, a couple applications have been completed, a half dozen or so are in process," Arness said Feb. 17 at the borough assembly work session.

The committee set a tentative time line to sort through and narrow the applicant pool to several of the most qualified interviewees. Those would then come before the board in a public meeting March 23, a tentative date.

At last week's school board meeting and work session, some members voiced concern over the involvement of the entire board in the hiring process.

Liz Downing, of Homer, pointed out that neither she nor Bill Holt, of Kasilof, would be able to attend the March 23 meeting.

"I think that's something the board needs to look at in terms of do you want to do the interviews minus two board members," Downing said.

Downing as well as Penny Vadla, of Soldotna, also expressed concern that a single meeting may not provide ample time to conduct thorough interviews.

Arness said the date was selected to accommodate board members' schedules and the tendency for school administrators to sign their contracts early in the year.

"From what I'm told, in the world of superintendents, they like to know where their next job is going to be by the end of March if possible," Arness said.

The board decided to table the discussion until its next regularly scheduled meeting on March 2 in Homer, when they said they hope to have a better idea of how large the applicant pool actually is.

Dante Petri can be reached at dante.petri@peninsulaclarion.com.