Home
Gallery
Search
Register
Thu Sep 01, 2011 11:20 am by 
Saving TEACHERS - Budget Reduction Ideas
Immediate Solutions
Look at every non-teacher position in our school system where reductions could be made and only look at teacher positions last.
WELL OVER $12,000,000.00 in deficit reduction. See evidence below.
$5,000,000.00 fund balance. We only spent $113-115,000,000.00 this year. So we don’t even need $121,000,000.00
Convert our fund balance and use as much as possible to offset anticipated deficit. We have saved a large amount of our budget this year, spending only $115 million of a budgeted $121 million leaving at least 5 million, we need to use that savings toward saving as many teachers as possible. We need to also look at converting some of our capital balance and lottery money for teacher salaries as well. We can look toward the future to get increased funding from the CC to offset this in the future.
$2,000,000.00 - 40 teachers retiring. Also reduces retirement matching in these positions.
$1,600,000.00 cut to 600,000.00 part of the budget – Could possible cut in half
Create Custodial Teams for Heavy Cleaning. Instead of multiple full time employees at every location utilize teams on a rotation. – For example a team of 4 could do heavy cleaning at different sites each day of the week. 1 day at Draughn, 1 at Heritage 1 at Valdese, 1 at Rutherford College and 1 Drexel. This could dramatically reduce the expense in the capital budget to free up money for other expenses. We could also use EC or VR students to assist the required full time custodian during the day. Teachers can make sure their rooms are cleaned lightly and trash is taken out on an as needed basis or by students.
We can set up a program at each school to make it easier for professionals to volunteer or offer their services in support of each school. We can reduce some of the staff necessary for plumbing, electrical etc. We could make sure that the safety or Cost savings manager(?) position could supervise to ensure the work is done to proper code. Some of this work can also be contracted out and reduce the necessity of multiple employees plus benefits just in case something needs to be fixed. Contracts can be written to require certain reaction times for specific circumstances.
Set up maintenance days at each of our schools. We do not need to send staff to a school on a certain day to make one repair. We can set up days throughout the month on a rotating schedule foe staff to make necessary repairs and do preventative maintenance. Many trips to schools are a waste of expensive fuel and repairs are often not time critical. Make sure teams carpool to schools. We need to make sure multiple vehicles are not used unless absolutely necessary.
We need to look at contracting out the ground maintenance of our schools and even coop with the towns to reduce the need for staff to mow grass and mulch beds. There are even volunteers possibly to take care of some of our smaller campuses. Much of this work could even be done if we created a program for VR or EC to actually do this for the schools and get paid at a much reduced rate. We could give these children on the job training and get necessary work performed. We could turn this into a model program for a vocational program and even possibly apply for grant money to pay these children and purchase the equipment necessary. We can even get local farmers to mow and bale the large areas around some of our schools. This has been done before and it can work.
Too many layers of supervision- as many as 10 positions unnecessary – $500,000
Eliminate duplication in administration. For example we do not need multiple layers of supervision for instructional and EC programs. We need teachers in front of our children. We could reduce instructional coaches where they are proven to be less effective and put these teachers back in front of our children. We can make sure that we have Teachers who answer to their principal and director and remove unnecessary supervisor and admin assistants. We have unfilled teaching positions and top-heavy administration in certain areas. In my opinion this especially obvious in the EC department and we do not need 2 HR directors or the office of strategic alliance and an assistant.
CONTRACT OUT PAYROLL AND OTHER SERVICES
2 full time positions $100,000.00 REDUCE to $26,000.00 Finance staff, I spoke to a payroll firm today and they said they could process the payroll for the entire system for approximately 1.00 per employee per pay period. We now have 2 full time employees in the central office to handle payroll.
$600,000 to 1.5 million – software
Cancel or suspend a majority of software contracts. Catawba County canceled both plato and renaissance in the recent past due to cost prohibitive prices. It is a much better use of money to keep teachers in front of children than depending on software to engage and teach our children. Our children are exposed to 21st century technology at every turn, but the value of a committed teacher can never be compared to sterile software.
$2,700,000.00 Suspend teacher and administration supplements. I feel when faced with not receiving supplements or not being employed the decision is simple. I know that teachers deserve a raise just like employees in other sectors, but the state of our current economy unfortunately does not make this possible. I know most of the teachers I have talked to are more than willing to suspend supplements in light of the current economy. However, since supplements are provided for on the local level we need to work with our county commissioners to fund burke county schools equitable to our surrounding counties.
Keep our capital balance in place by Suspending facility renovations unless absolutely necessary. Make sure we maintain our capital fund in case some can be converted to pay salaries.
$400,000.00 - Redistrict and close mobile units $20,000.00 each
Proper facility usage and the savings from closing a minimum of 20 mobile units and get our children back in the classroom.
Immediate Solutions
Look at every non-teacher position in our school system where reductions could be made and only look at teacher positions last.
WELL OVER $12,000,000.00 in deficit reduction. See evidence below.
$5,000,000.00 fund balance. We only spent $113-115,000,000.00 this year. So we don’t even need $121,000,000.00
Convert our fund balance and use as much as possible to offset anticipated deficit. We have saved a large amount of our budget this year, spending only $115 million of a budgeted $121 million leaving at least 5 million, we need to use that savings toward saving as many teachers as possible. We need to also look at converting some of our capital balance and lottery money for teacher salaries as well. We can look toward the future to get increased funding from the CC to offset this in the future.
$2,000,000.00 - 40 teachers retiring. Also reduces retirement matching in these positions.
$1,600,000.00 cut to 600,000.00 part of the budget – Could possible cut in half
Create Custodial Teams for Heavy Cleaning. Instead of multiple full time employees at every location utilize teams on a rotation. – For example a team of 4 could do heavy cleaning at different sites each day of the week. 1 day at Draughn, 1 at Heritage 1 at Valdese, 1 at Rutherford College and 1 Drexel. This could dramatically reduce the expense in the capital budget to free up money for other expenses. We could also use EC or VR students to assist the required full time custodian during the day. Teachers can make sure their rooms are cleaned lightly and trash is taken out on an as needed basis or by students.
We can set up a program at each school to make it easier for professionals to volunteer or offer their services in support of each school. We can reduce some of the staff necessary for plumbing, electrical etc. We could make sure that the safety or Cost savings manager(?) position could supervise to ensure the work is done to proper code. Some of this work can also be contracted out and reduce the necessity of multiple employees plus benefits just in case something needs to be fixed. Contracts can be written to require certain reaction times for specific circumstances.
Set up maintenance days at each of our schools. We do not need to send staff to a school on a certain day to make one repair. We can set up days throughout the month on a rotating schedule foe staff to make necessary repairs and do preventative maintenance. Many trips to schools are a waste of expensive fuel and repairs are often not time critical. Make sure teams carpool to schools. We need to make sure multiple vehicles are not used unless absolutely necessary.
We need to look at contracting out the ground maintenance of our schools and even coop with the towns to reduce the need for staff to mow grass and mulch beds. There are even volunteers possibly to take care of some of our smaller campuses. Much of this work could even be done if we created a program for VR or EC to actually do this for the schools and get paid at a much reduced rate. We could give these children on the job training and get necessary work performed. We could turn this into a model program for a vocational program and even possibly apply for grant money to pay these children and purchase the equipment necessary. We can even get local farmers to mow and bale the large areas around some of our schools. This has been done before and it can work.
Too many layers of supervision- as many as 10 positions unnecessary – $500,000
Eliminate duplication in administration. For example we do not need multiple layers of supervision for instructional and EC programs. We need teachers in front of our children. We could reduce instructional coaches where they are proven to be less effective and put these teachers back in front of our children. We can make sure that we have Teachers who answer to their principal and director and remove unnecessary supervisor and admin assistants. We have unfilled teaching positions and top-heavy administration in certain areas. In my opinion this especially obvious in the EC department and we do not need 2 HR directors or the office of strategic alliance and an assistant.
CONTRACT OUT PAYROLL AND OTHER SERVICES
2 full time positions $100,000.00 REDUCE to $26,000.00 Finance staff, I spoke to a payroll firm today and they said they could process the payroll for the entire system for approximately 1.00 per employee per pay period. We now have 2 full time employees in the central office to handle payroll.
$600,000 to 1.5 million – software
Cancel or suspend a majority of software contracts. Catawba County canceled both plato and renaissance in the recent past due to cost prohibitive prices. It is a much better use of money to keep teachers in front of children than depending on software to engage and teach our children. Our children are exposed to 21st century technology at every turn, but the value of a committed teacher can never be compared to sterile software.
$2,700,000.00 Suspend teacher and administration supplements. I feel when faced with not receiving supplements or not being employed the decision is simple. I know that teachers deserve a raise just like employees in other sectors, but the state of our current economy unfortunately does not make this possible. I know most of the teachers I have talked to are more than willing to suspend supplements in light of the current economy. However, since supplements are provided for on the local level we need to work with our county commissioners to fund burke county schools equitable to our surrounding counties.
Keep our capital balance in place by Suspending facility renovations unless absolutely necessary. Make sure we maintain our capital fund in case some can be converted to pay salaries.
$400,000.00 - Redistrict and close mobile units $20,000.00 each
Proper facility usage and the savings from closing a minimum of 20 mobile units and get our children back in the classroom.
