Evergreen gets budget-cutting advice from panel

An ad-hoc budget committee mostly composed of Evergreen Public Schools parents has turned in a prioritized menu of where to start cutting as much as $27 million from the 2011-12 district budget.

And, there are some surprises.

The panel chose to draw outside the lines: It offers three new savings ideas beyond those floated by Evergreen leaders, owing to input from school employees and community members, the volunteers said.

Elimination of 33 academic coaches — certificated teachers who spend their days coaching their peers, one inside each Evergreen school — and culling one associate principal from each of four high schools, would save $2.4 million and $540,000, respectively.

Combined, the two cuts rank in the top eight items listed. They would produce nearly $3 million of the first $3.5 million in savings targeted by the group, which handed its recommendations to Superintendent John Deeder and the school board Tuesday night.

Deeder and the board aren’t beholden to the suggestions, the culmination of several weeks’ work. The board won’t vote on a final budget plan until summer. That’s well after state legislators determine large state funding reductions, certain to force Evergreen to trim its current $241.5 million operating budget — anywhere from $5 million to $20 million, by most estimates.

The committee’s recommendation proposes cuts beyond those estimates.

But, the menu does jump-start the conversation to be led by Deeder and Mike Merlino, Evergreen finance director, when they host a series of community forums on budget choices, starting next Tuesday.