[ back ]
Administrative costs already low, comparison shows
(by Sue Hoffman - March 24, 2010)
Administrative costs already low, comparison shows
By SUE HOFFMAN
Does Solon High School need three assistant principals, or could it do the job with two? School Superintendent Joseph V. Regano discussed Monday the answer to that question, which had been posed recently by a resident.
With a 6.9-mill operating levy scheduled May 4, Mr. Regano has been answering questions he has received from the public at school board meetings. In addition to the number of administrators, Monday's discussion included the timing of the levy and budget reductions that will occur even if the levy passes.
The 6.9-mill levy would cost homeowners an additional $211 per year for each $100,000 in property valuation. Senior citizens and people who are permanently or totally disabled are given by law a $25,000 homestead exemption on the value of their property and will pay $158 per year for each $100,000 in property valuation.
According to a chart provided by Mr. Regano, Solon High School has one administrator for every 463 students, and 26 of 31 high schools in Cuyahoga County have fewer students per administrator.
Orange High School, for example, has one administrator per 247 students, according to the chart, and Chagrin Falls High School has one administrator for every 324 students.
Shaker Heights High School, which, like Solon, has between 1,800 and 1,900 students, has one principal and five assistant principals, with a ratio of one administrator for 313 students.
Solon's listed ratio is based on current staffing levels. If the operating levy does not pass on May 4, one of the high school principal positions will be cut, Mr. Regano said. The ratio then would be one administrator per 617 students.
"Overall, in our entire administrative operation, we are in the bottom 5 percent in the state," Mr. Regano said.
"The importance of that position is not just for discipline," he said. "What may not be obvious is what those assistant principals do in terms of relationships and working with students throughout the day.
"They build trust. They can administer discipline without anger. They have the pulse of the school. We are not overstaffed at the high school in administration."
"The quality of assistant principals at the high school is outstanding," school board member Dorothy Seibert said.
School board members Margo Morrow and Julie Glavin said that people hear about isolated incidents at the high school. Those incidents are infrequent because of the job the administrators are doing, they said.
Regarding the timing of the levy, Mr. Regano said, "Some residents say, can't you wait? We did wait.
"The board of education's decision not to pursue a levy in November 2009 was based on an acknowledgment that the financial climate was poor. Recognizing that many of our residents have been impacted by the difficult economy, we chose to postpone the levy and absorb the $1.5 million that we cut from the budget this year."
The board's decision moved the levy collection from 2010 to 2011 and placed more pressure on the passage of the May levy, Mr. Regano said. "Not going in November 2009 just made the importance of a levy passing in 2010 that much more critical," he said.
If the levy fails, school officials said the district will have to implement $2.9 million in cuts. If it does pass, the district will still have $800,000 in budget reductions each year, they said.
Mr. Regano said that a 6.9-mill levy no longer raises $8.9 million. "It now raises $8.1 million." He said the district will streamline costs of salaries and benefits during negotiations in 2011.
"We've done budget reductions every year," he said. "I want the public to understand our commitment." At the same time, he said, "We still have to get the best staff we can."
[ back ]
