Schools making cuts
Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:04 am
This I feel is going to happen more and more here is an article from today's Athens Messenger where Federal Hocking School district is making big cuts!
Fed Hock school district cuts 15 positions
MATT GALLAGHER
Messenger staff writer
STEWART - The Federal Hocking Local School Board cut 15 positions, including teachers, aides, bus drivers and custodians, at its meeting Tuesday night.
The move is expected to save the school district approximately $594,319 by 2012, and should get the district out of debt and on its way out of fiscal emergency.
The school district had been asked to cut $500,000 in expenses by its fiscal commission after it decided not to switch to triple-tier busing as its original fiscal plan had stated.
The board amended its fiscal plan to include the 15 cut positions. The changes to the plan include:
• Eliminating a middle school physical education position, and switching a high school physical education and intervention specialist position to a shared physical education position between the middle and high schools;
• Eliminating a high school intervention specialist position;
• Eliminating a middle school health position;
• Eliminating a high school assistant principal position;
• Eliminating a sixth-grade position;
• Switching a fourth-grade position at Amesville Elementary to a third-grade position;
• Adding a fifth-grade position at Coolville Elementary;
• Eliminating one bus mechanic position;
• Eliminating one custodian position;
• Eliminating one aide at the high school, two aides at Amesville Elementary, two aides at Coolville Elementary; and,
• Eliminating two bus drivers.
The board met in executive session for more than three hours Tuesday night, and the majority of the crowd stuck around to see the outcome. When board members finally returned to regular session, the board's decision did not differ greatly from Supt. Jim Patsey's recommendations. The board decided against eliminating the recommended high school English and social studies position and adding a high school English teaching position.
"This has been a very hard decision," said Bill Elasky, board president. "We repeatedly found reasons why we should not cut any of these positions, but we are in financial crisis. People are understandably upset, but there is no way around it. The bottom line is something has to happen.
"Everything will be done to ensure that the kids are safe," Elasky said. "We will have the best programs we can have."
Patsey pointed out that if the board did not take action to cut the positions and instigate the savings, the fiscal commission would have.
"The reality is, it had to be done," Patsey said. "We wish we didn't have to, but the board doesn't really have a choice."
The board also voted to freeze administrative salaries, and determined that the costs of background checks will no longer be paid by the district but rather by the employee, except for commercially-licensed drivers who are covered under union agreement.
Kim McVey, a parent, protested against the cutting of aide positions because of safety issues for children with disabilities.
"Cutting the aides creates a big safety concern," McVey said. "When there is an emergency, it's the aides who get on their personal cell phones, calling the parents to update them. You need these people there in the case of an emergency."
Board member John Young stated that those concerns will be looked after.
"We are not going to sacrifice the safety of these kids," Young said. "We will take the necessary steps to ensure their safety."
Les Washburn, a bus driver, spoke against cutting bus mechanics, considering the age of many of the buses. "You have old buses that need attention," Washburn said. "I don't feel we can get rid of a mechanic. You need to look at the overall picture before you just go cutting employees."
mgallagher@athensmessenger.com
http://www.athensmessenger.com/main.asp ... M=36338.61
Fed Hock school district cuts 15 positions
MATT GALLAGHER
Messenger staff writer
STEWART - The Federal Hocking Local School Board cut 15 positions, including teachers, aides, bus drivers and custodians, at its meeting Tuesday night.
The move is expected to save the school district approximately $594,319 by 2012, and should get the district out of debt and on its way out of fiscal emergency.
The school district had been asked to cut $500,000 in expenses by its fiscal commission after it decided not to switch to triple-tier busing as its original fiscal plan had stated.
The board amended its fiscal plan to include the 15 cut positions. The changes to the plan include:
• Eliminating a middle school physical education position, and switching a high school physical education and intervention specialist position to a shared physical education position between the middle and high schools;
• Eliminating a high school intervention specialist position;
• Eliminating a middle school health position;
• Eliminating a high school assistant principal position;
• Eliminating a sixth-grade position;
• Switching a fourth-grade position at Amesville Elementary to a third-grade position;
• Adding a fifth-grade position at Coolville Elementary;
• Eliminating one bus mechanic position;
• Eliminating one custodian position;
• Eliminating one aide at the high school, two aides at Amesville Elementary, two aides at Coolville Elementary; and,
• Eliminating two bus drivers.
The board met in executive session for more than three hours Tuesday night, and the majority of the crowd stuck around to see the outcome. When board members finally returned to regular session, the board's decision did not differ greatly from Supt. Jim Patsey's recommendations. The board decided against eliminating the recommended high school English and social studies position and adding a high school English teaching position.
"This has been a very hard decision," said Bill Elasky, board president. "We repeatedly found reasons why we should not cut any of these positions, but we are in financial crisis. People are understandably upset, but there is no way around it. The bottom line is something has to happen.
"Everything will be done to ensure that the kids are safe," Elasky said. "We will have the best programs we can have."
Patsey pointed out that if the board did not take action to cut the positions and instigate the savings, the fiscal commission would have.
"The reality is, it had to be done," Patsey said. "We wish we didn't have to, but the board doesn't really have a choice."
The board also voted to freeze administrative salaries, and determined that the costs of background checks will no longer be paid by the district but rather by the employee, except for commercially-licensed drivers who are covered under union agreement.
Kim McVey, a parent, protested against the cutting of aide positions because of safety issues for children with disabilities.
"Cutting the aides creates a big safety concern," McVey said. "When there is an emergency, it's the aides who get on their personal cell phones, calling the parents to update them. You need these people there in the case of an emergency."
Board member John Young stated that those concerns will be looked after.
"We are not going to sacrifice the safety of these kids," Young said. "We will take the necessary steps to ensure their safety."
Les Washburn, a bus driver, spoke against cutting bus mechanics, considering the age of many of the buses. "You have old buses that need attention," Washburn said. "I don't feel we can get rid of a mechanic. You need to look at the overall picture before you just go cutting employees."
mgallagher@athensmessenger.com
http://www.athensmessenger.com/main.asp ... M=36338.61