Schools approve cuts
NEWS-TIMES
Published: Wednesday, June 3, 2009 3:07 PM EDT
CHERYL BURKE
BEAUFORT — The County Board of Education agreed Tuesday to cut the budget, reduce employee pay and layoff and furlough some workers.
Most of the actions are in anticipation of an estimated $2.8 billion state budget reduction for 2009-2010. The panel met in the school system’s central services office on Safrit Drive,
Some actions, such as reverting $230,000 to the state for fiscal 2008-2009 – the current fiscal year – were done in an effort to help balance the 2008-2009 state budget deficit.
The board took four consecutive votes. Board members said their hands were tied and the decisions were painful.
“This has been the toughest time to deal with budgets. It’s tough times and it’s not easy,” said Board of Education member Al Hill. “It’s hard when you’re thinking about how it affects people’s lives, their families, the community and children.”
School officials say they are attempting to save as many jobs as possible by transferring employees into positions being vacated through retirements and other types of attrition. While Assistant Superintendent Dr. Ralph Lewis could not give an exact figure on the number of employees that will actually lose their jobs, he said it should be less than 10.
“We are still finding places for people,” he said.
Traditionally, school employees wait until the end of the school year to make decisions about retirement or resignations. So he’s hopeful even more jobs can be saved.
As well as approving lay-offs and furloughs, the board voted to withhold half a percent of school employee’s pay for the remainder of fiscal 2008-2009. This is in line with a directive Gov. Bev Perdue issued earlier this year.
Gov. Perdue’s executive order includes a flexible furlough plan for teachers and state employees. It calls for all teachers’ and state employees’ compensation to be reduced by an annualized amount equivalent to 0.5 percent for the remainder of the fiscal year. In return, each employee will receive 10 hours of flexible time off that can be taken between June 1 and Dec. 31.
Since the board approved the half-percent reduction for both state and locally paid employees, the board had to decide where the money withheld from locally paid employees would go. The board voted to give that money back to the county government. Money withheld from state paid employees will go back to the state.
The third action was to adopt a resolution approving the furlough and reduction of positions for 2009-2010 because of the estimated $2.8 million state budget reduction for the upcoming fiscal year. Earlier in May, Superintendent Dr. Dan Novey announced reductions in staff for the next school year.
Reductions include such things as: mandatory furloughs; reducing overtime; cutting back on hours of teacher assistants; eliminating three central office positions; eliminating some teacher positions; and continuing a freeze on rehiring retirees.
The fourth action was to revert an additional $230,000 to the state for the current fiscal year. J. Ipock, finance officer for the school system, said the school system was ordered May 1 to revert the funds.
Earlier this year the school board reverted about $325,000.
All board members said taking the actions were hard and thanked school employees for their willingness to sacrifice during these difficult economic times.
“I applaud the staff that has taken furloughs to try and keep this away from the classroom and have the least affect on the classroom and children,” said Mr. Hill.
Board member Shelley Sylivant agreed.
“I have been impressed with how teachers and staff have responded,” said Ms. Sylivant. “About 90 percent of the people I have talked with have said ‘I am willing to do what it takes to get through this.’ The other 10 percent said what was on their mind, and that’s OK. A lot of people are frustrated.”
Dr. Novey said every effort is being made to move personnel who are being cut into other positions.
“If an individual has lost their position and someone else resigns or moves, we will try to bring that individual back,” he said.
Jimmy Collins, a school retiree and representative with the N.C. Association of Educators (NCAE), attended Tuesday’s meeting to hear what the board had to say.
“I’ve been contacted by many people – retirees, teachers, people outside the school system, single parents – there are many people concerned,” said Mr. Collins. “I came tonight to get a better idea of what is going on.”
Mr. Collins said he has contacted the office of Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., as well as talked to school board members about school employees’ concerns. He also plans to speak with county commissioners.
“I understand there are cuts, but I want to understand where the federal stimulus money is going,” he said.
Mr. Collins also expressed concern about the increase in class sizes because of teacher and teacher assistant positions being cut.
1 comment:
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