AMARILLO, TEXAS -- Many school districts are crunching numbers to find to a way to save money. They're all expecting huge cuts when a new budget comes out of Austin.

Now one superintendent is asking for the help of parents so the district can save a little more money. In an open letter on the Bushland Independent School District's website, Superintendent Don Wood said he's planning strategies that will allow the district to be as frugal as possible without losing programs.

That made us wonder, with public schools losing funding, private schools are seeing a lot of increases.

Schools like Ascension Academy have seen a 100% increase in enrollment over the last year. As enrollment grows, the tuition base grows and that helps us add programs to fund programs that deal with the Arts and Latin.

"None of the private schools in Amarillo are half or one-third the tuition in other major metropolitan areas like Austin or Dallas. It's quite a value in Amarillo," said Dr. William Summer Hill, the Head of School at Ascension Academy. 

So we sat down with the head of the school and he said they don't have to deal with state issues that public schools have to deal with.

"It's easier because we don't have to answer to a state agency as far as how we, what kind of budget we have, or how we spend it. {But it's} harder because we have to raise it and we don't have the benefit of any tax income. So all of our budget is based on strictly two sources and that is tuition, which in our case covers less than 50% of our expenses and donations," said Dr. Hill. He continued, "I don't think parents in a private school like ours consider the costs as much as the value in the long term."

However, Superintendent Wood does have to deal with those issues. So he's asking all parents to make sure your child is at school every day unless he or she is truly sick.

Here is a text version of the full open letter to parents:

On the minds of most educators is the state's financial crisis and the strong likelihood of state budget cuts that threaten to go deep into our pocket book. Bushland ISD has a history of fighting through tough economic times and there is no reason to think otherwise now. Of course, we are planning strategies that will allow us to be as frugal as possible without losing instructional programs. Our community has always risen to the needs of the school, and we won't be able to reduce our deficit without your help.

Did you know?

1. The average student at Bushland ISD generates approximately $8,700 a year.

2. Every day your child is present at school he/she generates $49, and of course, the opposite is true as well; if your child is absent we lose the funding for that day.

3. The district's average attendance rate is 96.32%. If we were able to increase that rate by just ½ of a percent (96.82%) the district would save $57,000.

Common Myths:

1. Myth - "Bushland ISD just passed a bond issue of 9.1 million dollars; we can use part of that to help pull us out of the hole." Reality - Bond money can only be used for items that were expressed in the Bond. Once we complete all the projects listed in the Bond, the excess may be spent on capital outlay items only. Employee salaries are not considered capital outlay.

2. Myth - "Bushland ISD is still growing, and the ad valorem property taxes should be more than enough to keep the district afloat during this time." Reality - Bushland ISD is a Chapter 41 school district which means we are a property rich district. To keep this explanation simple, the more revenue that is brought in from local property taxes, the less state aide we get; it becomes a wash since anything above the designated Target Revenue is subject to recapture by the State.

3. Myth - "The district has set aside money that it can use if it really wants to." Reality - The state encourages the district to keep at least a three months operating budget in its fund balance (the bank) in case the flow of revenue ceases for any reason. Bushland ISD faces the possibility of teetering right on that threshold with the current state budget crisis. We do not have the hidden pot of gold.

Here are some ways you can help:

1. Make sure your child is at school every day unless he/she is truly sick. Please don't misunderstand; we do not want you to send your child to school when they have the flu or are running fever, but we have Kleenex for runny noses.

2. If you need to check your student out of school for any medical appointment (eye doctor, dentist, skin doctor, general doctor, etc.) make sure you bring back a note from that doctor. If we get those 'doctor's notes' the district may count your child as present in terms of generating state revenue that day.

3. If you have to check your child out of school for reasons other than a medical appointment, please check him/her out after the attendance accounting period has started:

Elementary - 10:00 am

Middle School - 2nd period (9:00 am)

High School - 5th period (11:00 am)

4. When planning vacations, please schedule them during school vacations.

We are all in this together, and we are asking for your help.

Sincerely,

Don Wood

Superintendent

Bushland ISD

Click here to see the open letter to parents on its website.