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West G board votes 3-2 for $750,000 in cutbacks
(by Sue Hoffman - January 26, 2011)
West G board votes 3-2 for $750,000 in cutbacks
By SUE HOFFMAN
The West Geauga School Board voted 3-2 last week to reduce costs by $750,000 in the 2011-2012 school year.
The vote came on the heels of the board's unanimous vote to take the first step to putting a 0.95-mill permanent-improvement levy before voters on May 3. The board approved a resolution of necessity that has been sent to the Geauga County auditor to certify millage and dollar amount.
The board was scheduled to meet at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 28 to consider another resolution that will be needed to put the levy on the ballot.
The budget cuts were approved after a discussion of how much detail board members wanted to see in the plan.
The plan includes $618,500 in estimated annual reductions in salaries and benefits and $222,500 in other cost-saving measures, for a total reduction of $841,000. Approximate unemployment-compensation costs to the district of $91,000 would be subtracted from the savings.
Personnel reductions include an estimated $393,750 in certificated staff, $112,500 in classified staff, $56,250 in administrative staff, $50,000 in supplemental contracts and $6,000 in extended staff days. Other reductions range from field trips to textbook purchases. Increases of 15 percent in course fees and 25 percent in extra- and co-curricular fees are also in the plan.
Board President William Beers and board members Ben Pintabona and Dean Patterson voted for the reductions after the board and Superintendent Tom Diringer agreed to discuss specific details at the end of February, before contracts are issued in March and April.
Board members Sally Gillmore and Michael Kilroy voted against the resolution. Mrs. Gillmore said she would start with the $500,000 reduction. Mr. Kilroy said he prefers to have the $750,000 reduction over two years.
Dr. Diringer said he was contacted by the state about how the district plans to avoid a deficit of $1 million by the end of fiscal 2013. He had given the board a plan for a $500,000 reduction in December, and, when that amount was not considered sufficient to avoid a deficit, he presented another plan for a $750,000 reduction earlier this month. He also gave a rough plan for $1 million in cuts.
If state funding is reduced 20 percent next year, the $750,000 would take the June 30, 2013 projected deficit down to $69,000, he said.
"The point of this is to ratchet things down and not take it apart," Dr. Diringer said.
Mr. Beers said he wants to understand the impact that the cuts would have on classrooms. "I need to see the logic," he said, regarding the reductions.
Mr. Pintabona said he would rely on Dr. Diringer for the details. "I'm not sure I'm qualified to say if it should be this classified person or that certified person or that textbook. What I don't want to do is micromanage," he said. No one wants to see reductions impact classrooms, Mr. Pintabona said, but "we cannot spend money we don't have."
Regarding the plan for reductions, Mrs. Gillmore said, "I would like to see exactly what that looks like." She said she needs to be able to tell constituents the details.
Mrs. Gillmore said the details "mean to me, are we only going to offer one foreign language? It means to me things like, are we going to continue offering AP (Advanced Placement) classes?" Also, regarding the amount, she said she believes it's better to go with a $500,000 reduction plan.
"If we do this and it's not going to be enough, and we need to up this, we can bring it back," she said.
Mr. Kilroy said the board should be considering co-ownership of more gas wells and should consider cutting contributions to the State Teachers Retirement System and State Employees Retirement System for administrators.
Dr. Diringer said the vast majority of districts contribute to the retirement systems for administrators. "The board needs to consider that very carefully. There are legal issues and philosophical issues," he said.
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