Should OSD make strategic cuts?

• Published May 13, 2008

TJ Johnson, a member of the committee that wrote the Olympia School District's most recent strategic plan, came to the Olympia School Board meeting on Monday to say that he had hoped that the recently-adopted (in January) Olympia School District 2008-2012 strategic plan would have played some part in creating the list of possible cuts that the district officials have drawn up. He expressed disappointment in the process so far, saying that the district's release of the "random" list of possible cuts has resulted in groups of parents coming out to circle the wagons around their beloved programs.

So, does consideration of the strategic plan give people some common ground from which to start trimming $2.5 million to meet an $83.2 million budget? Here's the district's strategic plan, and here's the district's Web page on the budget.

--- Venice Buhain, Olympian education reporter