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School board cuts pay, protects benefits for 2009-2010Fri, 02/27/2009 - 12:05am
By: Ben Nelms
The votes by Fayette County School Board came relatively quickly Thursday night as board members unanimously agreed to forego increasing the cost of benefits premiums to school system staff for the coming fiscal year beginning July 1. That measure was followed by another unanimous vote to impose a 4.5 percent across-the-board salary cut. In total, $14.5 million in cuts have been made this week, a figure projected to total the expected deficit for the 2009-2010 school year. The Wednesday meeting at Sams Auditorium was attended by 150 people, with another 300 attending Thursday night. The moves came as board members looked for ways to make up the remaining $5.8 million in deficits for the coming year. With board members echoing the feelings of a number of the public speakers in both meetings, they joined Superintendent John DeCotis in the belief that leaving benefits alone would be the most equitable approach since lower paid staff would be disproportionately impacted if the school system raised the employee contribution portions of the benefits offered. A salary cut across the school system would be the fairest way to make up the $5.8 million figure, board members said. The only exceptions to the 4.5 percent cuts were approximately 10 staff whose work year was reduced at the Monday meeting and approximately 65 National Board Certified teachers who were already taking an 8.3 percent cut after the state and the school board declined to continue the customary 10 percent addition to salary those teachers receive due to obtaining the certification. Chairman Terri Smith was joined by the other board members in saying that they would revisit the salary cut issue and do their best to reinstate the salary cuts if and when possible. The board was also clear in the hope that the various budget cutting measures now adopted would be the last they would have to make, though they held out no promise depending on the future state of the economy. The board on Monday made $8.7 million in other cuts by reducing 157 school staff positions beginning in July, including in their statements the hope that the reductions can be accomplished by attrition. Approximately 65 staff thus far have indicated they will not be returning next year. Prior to the Thursday vote, board members heard the sentiments of a number of the more than 30 school system staff and a few parents making comments opposing the potential salary and benefit premium reductions. Those feelings were shared by the dozen speakers at the Wednesday night meeting. It has been relatively customary in budget-related meetings since May 2008 to have school system staff holding various positions advocating that potential cuts not affect them. What was different at the meetings Wednesday and Thursday were the more elevated calls to have central office staff and administrators pay a price. “Don’t cut the front line,” said McIntosh employee Jan Miller at the Wednesday meeting. “Don’t cut from the bottom to maintain (something that is) top heavy.” That sentiment was echoed by parent Kim Learnard, who said only administrative staff were included in the most recent cost cutting committee. “We have a top-heavy central office with runaway salaries,” she said, adding that wages for the superintendent and three assistant superintendents totaled one-half million dollars. “The superintendent and three assistants are waddling up to the all-you-can-eat buffet.” Addressing the board Thursday, bus driver and parent Sandra Hornsby shared the impact of a pay cut on her bottom line. “I’ve worked here 5 years and I’ve had no (salary) increase. With a pay cut I would bring home about $500 a month,” she said. Speaking Thursday, bus driver Danny Campbell essentially took no prisoners in his comment to the board that, “Maybe you’ll want our blood next so you can sell it.” Second-year teacher Scott Moore Wednesday suggested that no staff positions or benefits be reduced and that all employees take the same across-the-board pay cut, while employee Karen Davis told board members that principals should be allowed to decide the fate of media specialists. Also speaking Wednesday was Georgia Association of Educators President Jeff Hubbard, who urged board members to avoid making decisions that would negatively impact classroom instruction. Sandy Creek High School Principal Roy Rabolt offered a different take on the difference between teachers’ pay and that of school administrative positions such as assistant principals. “Fourteen percent of my teachers earn more than half my assistant principals,” he said Thursday. “And of the top 18 salary earners, 15 are teachers.” More than half of the 300 attending Thursday night were still in the room when the votes were cast. It was clear from the audience reaction that they were pleased with the decision not to touch benefits. And though, from the earlier public statements and the applause that followed, they were likely not pleased with the salary cuts, few openly expressed that sentiment after the meeting. As one employee said in the parking lot of Sams Auditorium, “We expected it, we just wanted to them to hear us.” Both meetings opened with Superintendent John DeCotis giving an overview of more than $26 million in state austerity cuts to the school system since 2001. Comptroller Laura Brock and Assistant Superintendent for Operations Sam Sweat also gave updates on budget issues and cost cutting items instituted since the beginning of the school year. login to post comments
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