Jordan School District says no budget decisions Tuesday; public comment may be restricted

WEST JORDAN — While many people plan to attend tonight's Jordan School Board meeting to complain about proposed budget cuts, they may find their comments restricted.

The board plans to discuss and potentially approve new policy regarding public input. At the last board meeting on the budget, public comment lasted for three hours. About 500 people attended the meeting.

Robin Frodge, president of the district teachers union, Jordan Education Association, said she expects that teachers, as well as patrons, will show up to speak at the meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at district offices, 7905 South Redwood Road.

Meanwhile, board president Peggy Jo Kennett told the Deseret News the board is a long way from voting on budget cut plans and the action won't come Tuesday.

Jordan district could make its budget cut decision any time between now and when the budget is legally required to be finalized, which is June 30. "We will have a decision made before that," Kennett said.

Jordan District is facing a $30 million deficit due to the recession, state budget cuts and the district split. The Jordan School Board is looking at myriad budget cuts, including eliminating 500 employee positions.

The budget cut decision could come in about a month, Kennett said. "If we're going to have employee layoffs, it's not fair to people to wait until June to make that decision," she said. "That's why we started on our budget so early this year. Because we were anticipating some employee layoffs. Principals have to make staffing decisions."

District officials and board members are waiting for bills to flow through the Legislature and also for state budget decisions to be announced before going forward with district cuts.

Kennett said the district's business director will need to go through financial data "to give us concrete information on how budget decisions from the state will affect our district individually."

"That's going to take some time to compile all that information," she added.

Go to www.jordandistrict.org/board/meetings.html for more information on tonight's Jordan School Board meeting.

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