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Fayette school closings ahead?Tue, 02/24/2009 - 4:28pm
By: Ben Nelms
BoE cuts 157 positions; 2 public hearings this week to decide on pay cuts, benefits cost hikes; $10.65 million unopened Rivers Elem. School to be mothballed 
With its Monday night vote to chop more than $8 million in expenses beginning July 1, the Fayette County Board of Education is halfway to its mandated goal of a balanced budget. To reach that, the board will have to accommodate an anticipated shortfall of $14.5 million. Most of the Monday reductions involve cutting 157 staff positions from the county’s largest employer. Next up in two public hearings at Sams Auditorium this week: Pay and benefits cuts for all employees from top to bottom — not whether, but how much. And with the brand new Rivers Elementary School just constructed on 30 acres at a cost of $10.65 million and as yet unopened, the board decided to mothball it and to consider closing or consolidating one or more elementary schools in coming months. The board will conduct public meetings at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Sams Auditorium in Fayetteville prior to a voting meeting Thursday night, with the goal of making up the remainder of the $14.5 million anticipated shortfall through across-the-board pay cuts and benefit premium reductions. The board voted Monday to reduce 156.73 school staff positions for a total savings of $7,991,800, though the school system has already been informed that staff holding approximately 65 of those positions will not be returning next school year. Board members continue to say they are hopeful that most or all of the reductions will come through attrition. Targeted reductions include 102.07 contract staff at the elementary schools, 22 staff at middle schools and 32.66 staff at high schools. School system Human Resources Director Dr. Reanee Ellis said the targeted reductions at the county’s high schools had already been reached through attrition. Classroom sizes will average 25-26 students, still below the required state maximum. Board member Janet Smola noted during the discussion that allotment numbers are determined by the number of students expected to attend school, adding that there will be fewer children to teach next year. Along with teaching positions to be reduced were those of a number of media specialists, counselors, graduation coaches, parapros and assistant principals. Central office positions to be reduced total $256,000, for a total of $8,247,800 in reduced staffing costs beginning July 1. A budget-impacting item that did not get cut Monday night was a proposal to reduce the workday of regular education parapros from 7.5 hours to 6.5 hours. The reduction would have generated a savings of $496,600, but board members said they wanted to put that item on hold for the time being. Other staff, however, will see a reduction in workdays. Work-time reductions for one in-school suspension parapro from each middle school will save $15,600, while reducing the work year for psychologists will save $18,000, and a work-year reduction for graduation coaches will save $44,000. Acting on another recommendation, the board voted not to open Rivers Elementary, electing instead to use the new school for satellite programs next year. Board members briefly discussed the possibility of holding future talks on closing or consolidating one or more of the system’s elementary schools. Speaking after the votes were cast Comptroller Laura Brock, referencing the meetings Feb. 25 and 26 and the upcoming decision, said that three options for benefits premium reductions were on the table. Those reductions have a financial impact ranging from $469,000 to $3,321,800. A final decision coming later this week will likely be pay cuts for all employees and school board members. Depending on the reduction of benefits, the board was still looking at a 1.89 percent to a 4.08 percent cut in pay systemwide, Brock said. As with nearly every school board meeting since spring 2008, a number of school system employees voiced their opinions of proposed budget items to be cut. Local Georgia Association of Professional Educators (PAGE) member Jan Basham told board members Monday the imperative for any organization was to take care of employees and make a better product. Addressing the salary and benefits cuts currently under consideration, Basham said she understood what the board faces in terms of balancing the budget, but added that the alternatives were too hastily proposed. “This puts the burden on employees,” she said. “Benefits and/or pay cuts is a lose/lose proposition for the county.” Referencing the economic downturn, bus driver and lifelong Fayette resident Danny Campbell said some saw this crisis coming, but no one did anything because “there is so much greed here.” “We’re going to lose positions because adults can’t get together and work things out,” he said. A regular at board meetings in recent months, bus driver David Gardner said he was totally flabbergasted and frustrated. “I offered to evaluate the energy use but did not get a response from anyone,” he said. Gardner continued by giving a fuel report on diesel use in the school system. Earlier this year the school board voted to institute voluntary furloughs for a number of school system employees designed to create $303,200 in budget savings. Those asked to take voluntary furloughs include principals, assistant principals and central office administrators, coordinators and directors who work under either a 210-day or a 240-day contract. Those unaffected by the furlough vote include employees such as teachers, parapros, bus drivers, school nutrition staff, counselors and media specialists. The 210-day employees were asked to voluntarily take four furlough days, equal to 1.9 percent of their annual salary. Those with a 240-day contract would take five furlough days, or 2 percent of their annual pay. The savings between now and June 30 would total $193,000 if all employees participated. Other employees to be furloughed included all non-contract staff working a 210-day or 240-day schedule. Both categories of employees will take two furlough days by the end of the fiscal year. Their furlough days will be scheduled by their supervisors to coincide with times when students are not in school. Those affected would include employees such as secretaries, custodians, maintenance employees and bus shop staff. The savings will total $110,000 by June 30. The cost per employee will range from $203-265. The board since May 2008 has agreed to numerous cuts from across the school system. Those ranged from not filling some vacant positions to monitoring facilities more closely to save on utility costs to trimming mileage for various school-related outings. login to post comments
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