Wegener braces for 5J budget task

The setting has changed, but the challenges remain the same for Walt Wegener as he settles into his new home in Baker City and his new office as the Baker School District’s new superintendent.

“I stepped out of one pan and into another and the heat was still on,” he said in a Wednesday interview at the Baker City Herald office between moving chores.

He spent four hours at the district office Tuesday and another hour there Wednesday. Thursday, July 1, was his first official full day on duty.

The board chose Wegener from three finalists who traveled to Baker City for interviews this spring in their bid to replace Don Ulrey, who served the district as superintendent for nearly eight years before retiring in April.

“There are some real concerns about the budget,” Wegener said. “But we’re not wanting to overreact.”

Wegener’s arrival in Baker City comes just two weeks after the school board’s June 15 approval of the Baker School District’s 2010-11 budget. The $16,659,993 general fund spending plan might require tinkering with later depending on how much money the federal government funnels to Oregon and how much of that money the state preserves for education.

“The budget we have allows us to manage with less if it goes a little bit south,” Wegener said.

The new superintendent says he will be monitoring the fiscal side of school business as the school year begins.

“We’ll be making sure the human resource is well-supported,” he said. “We’ll reach out to the community and make sure the community knows we’ve got their back.”

But on the flip side, Wegener said he hopes the community will have the district’s back as the board and administrative team work through the funding shortfalls expected in the years ahead.

Wegener will bring experience in establishing recreation districts (a possible solution for retaining the district’s extracurricular activities and athletic programs), maintaining food services and working with education service districts.

District employees and patrons shouldn’t expect any rash changes in the coming months.

“I will listen before I go jumping into deep water or even shallow hot water,” Wegener said. “We don’t move quickly —  it’s our kids. We will sustain and maintain as much as possible.”

Wegener says he and his wife, Kathy, are happy to be in Baker City.

“My primary goal is that each child will get an education each day and that we have as many high quality days as possible,” he said.