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BoE’s cost-cutting idea: Teachers give back raisesTue, 01/06/2009 - 5:03pm
By: Ben Nelms
The pressure is on. The Fayette County Board of Education met Monday to continue the cost-cutting conversation that has been going on for months, including a request for a voluntary teacher give-back of promised raises. The board will survey all school system staff, asking them to consider foregoing the remaining portion of their 2.5 percent raises, a measure that would generate approximately $2 million in savings. Indicating that tough decisions will likely come at the next regular meeting, board members discussed several new potential cuts, including furloughs, deferred compensation and a reduction in the number of days worked. The board is potentially facing a $2.6 million deficit, a figure that could swell to $6.1 million if the General Assembly does not act to reverse the previous decision by Gov. Sonny Perdue to withhold the state property tax grant and if Fayette County commissioners decide not to re-bill property owners for the amount usually sent to counties by the state. The grant amounts to $3.5 million in revenue for the school system. If approved by the board and enacted effective Feb. 1, mandatory 1-day furloughs of classified employees such as parapros and 4- and 5-day furloughs of custodians, some secretaries and some central office staff would save approximately $305,000 between now and June 30. The voluntary 4- and 5-day furloughs of contracted employees such as principals, assistant principals and other central office staff would save $193,000. Additionally, a 1-day furlough for teachers would save $500,000, with those wages being essentially deferred until the beginning of the next fiscal year when payment would be due during the summer. Board members also discussed a possibility of reducing work days for teachers and parapros. A reduction of one day for parapros and two days for teachers between now and the end of the fiscal year would save $1.036 million, though that amount would have to be budgeted and repaid under the 2010 budget. Further work reductions, of both a voluntary and mandatory nature depending on the job category for other positions, would save $462,000. Another cost-saving possibility that surfaced toward the end of the work session called for asking school system employees if they would be willing to forego their 2.5 percent pay increase for the second half of the fiscal year. Those raises amounted to $4 million for the entire school year, so such a move would save approximately $2 million of the $2.6 million shortfall the school system is projecting. In order for that to happen it would require the approval of all employees, said Superintendent John DeCotis. Board members agreed to have the school system attorney contacted to determine how the question should be put to employees. “That way we wouldn’t have to look at taking things like benefits,” DeCotis said. While not as much at the forefront of the conversation Monday, issues such as employee benefits and the potential for adjusting them is one of many still on the table. The board has made a number of cuts prior to the current school year and has discussed a litany of others in previous months. Relating to benefits, DeCotis said insurance carriers are working to have an open enrollment period in April that would take effect in May or June. Throughout the work session discussion, it was obvious that board members were struggling with the reality that tough times are here and tough remedies are in the making. “The months are going by,” said Janet Smola, with remaining board members agreeing. “We need a decision and we need to be prepared to act at the next board meeting.” Board members agreed that they would like to see a comprehensive master list that includes all possibilities relating to budget cuts and cost-saving measures and how those measures would impact school system employees. “We need a comprehensive list from the biggest impact to the smallest,” said board member Lee Wright. “I think we’ve got the pieces, we just need to see them all together.” Comptroller Laura Brock said she would have that document ready before the Jan. 27 regular meeting. “The litmus test should be what is the effect on student achievement,” Chairman Terri Smith said of the work facing the board on Jan. 27. login to post comments
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