The Piper Board of Education will conduct a special meeting on Monday, Jan. 25.

The meeting will be held to continue the discussion on whether or not the school district should outsource custodial services and other options to generate or save revenue.

The meeting will begin at the district's central office at 6 p.m.

The major issue for all school districts – large and small – in the State of Kansas the past year has been state-aid funding and budget headaches.

Monday was no different for the Piper Board of Education.

Piper Superintendent Steve Adams informed board members near the beginning of the meeting that the district is at $800,000 in the red because the State of Kansas has twice delayed payments to school districts and remains a month behind.

Like previous months, last month the state faced revenue shortfalls – about $33 million worth of shortfalls.

Piper and other school districts receive half of their funding from the state, which makes the delayed payments a greater problem.

"At some point the state will have to start paying their bills," Adams said.

Still, the district has made up for the money hole with other funds.

The budget issue crept its way into two other discussions – budget cuts down the road and the possibility of outsourcing employees. The school district will soon have to make more cuts – some of which will be deep.

"Our administrative council has spent considerable time on finding possible cuts," Adams said. "Some cuts will involve people."

Areas that are likely to see cuts: $50,000 in cuts to the district's maintenance budget, $50,000 in technology funding and possible amendments to retirement and health insurance benefits. Cuts could reach up to the administration level.

Over 80 percent of the district's budget is dedicated to employee salaries, a fact that did not escape board members.

"If 80 percent of our budget is spent on salaries, you have to dip into that pool at some point," said Neal Palmer, board member.

While the board did not make a final decision yet, it did take another step in outsourcing janitorial positions.

After the district called for RFPs in custodial service, eight firms responded back, four of which "fulfilled requirements" for the district, Adams said.

The bids range from $472,898 to $781,756. The district is also considering reduction of force or additional cuts in its current custodial services rather than outsourcing.

The Piper Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Monday, Jan. 4, 2010.

The purpose of the meeting, which begins at 6 p.m., is to discuss the Piper Educational Foundation and how it will be operated.

The District Office - 12036 Leavenworth Road – will host it.

While last night's Piper Board of Education meeting contained mostly bad news related to budget issues, there was one source of good news.

In a revised facilities master plan, the district will not need another bond issue until 2012, rather than the originally scheduled 2010 plan.

However, the new plan will require the district to spend some money – on renovating the former Piper West Elementary building so it could become useful for students within the district.

"We will have to use the school in some fashion," said Steve Adams, superintendent of the district.

One issue that's been a headache for long-time residents of Piper has been students or families who are attending the Piper School District, but allegedly do not live in the district.

However, short of going door to door enforcement around Piper, there's nothing too dramatic the board can do to change it.

Donna Whitemen from the Kansas Association of School Boards spoke tonight at the Piper Board of Education meeting in front of board members and a handful of residents interested in the topic.

Although the board can put some "teeth" into the policy – most notably increasing the amount of paperwork required as proof to enroll in the district – the issue likely won't be solved this school year.

"We have no authority to enter people's homes without permission or no authority to investigate people," she said. "In the scheme of things we are in the business to educate children."

Whitemen said the tricky part of the residency requirement lies in just one simple phrase: "person acting as parent." The phrase is included in the Kansas Statues Section 72-1046 which defines school district residency.

"The definition is very broad," Whitemen said. "It is a broad statue and it's hard to pin down. Legally you have to educate them."

Employees of the school district are also allowed to enroll their students into the district, even if they do not live within Piper's boundaries. Any homeless child located in the district is also required by law to be enrolled if he or she chooses to be.

Still, some board members believe Piper's policy can be toughened up.

Board president Ron Kaminski suggested the idea of "law enforcement" and argued a case of "theft of services" could be made.

"The board wants to tackle this problem," he said.

However, Whitemen said the case would not be prioritized due to more severe crimes being investigated.

Piper residents, who often jumped into the discussion, suggested a "hotline" of sorts to provide the district with information.

Piper Superintendent Steve Adams said around 100 students are turned away due to fraudulent information or not meeting the district's guidelines.

The Piper School District was not part of the effort the last time "Schools for Fair Funding" sued the state in an effort to increase funding for public education.

However, if a lawsuit is introduced this time, the Piper Board of Education may be a part of it this go around.

Board members discussed the possibility of joining the non-profit organization, which sued the state back in 1999. However, there is a catch in a budget crunch school year – it costs the district $2 a student to join.

That part of the equation divided some board members on whether or not Piper should be apart of a potential lawsuit, which Superintendent Steve Adams said is likely.

"It's a message we need to send to Topeka and our own legislators," said Ron Kaminski, board president. "We just have to send a message to Topeka."

Meanwhile, board member Neal Palmer questions the investment of the district during a tough economic time, along with the fact that it might be an on-going situation for a few years.

"Nobody will change what's going on in Topeka," he said. "We have a lame duck governor who has no insensitive to do much right now."

Board member Abe Glaser said the district should join the effort out of principal.

With more expected budget cuts coming, the issue of school funding has unified larger and smaller districts, Adams said.

"This year (a potential lawsuit) is going to be inadequacy across the board," Adams said.

The item was an action item on Monday's agenda, but was tabled by board members until at least next month.

Facing a tough budget situation that's likely to get worse, the Piper Board of Education is considering outsourcing the district's custodian services.

Members of the board heard a report from representatives of PCI Building Services, a locally based company that hires their own custodians to work at schools and other locations within the Greater Kansas City metro area.

Brenda Wood, the owner of the business, presented information to the board and said the business would save the district $251,000, based on informal studies.

Some current employees would be lost, as the total number of employed custodians would dip if the board goes that route. In terms of current employees for the district, Wood said they would have an opportunity to keep their job.

"Existing employees could be kept," she said. "We would do our best to keep them. But some will probably go."

PCI currently serves the Bonner Springs School District and the Lansing School District.

No official decision was made by the board Monday night.

"This is just a learning session for the board," said Steve Adams, superintendent of schools in Piper. "It's a first step."