The first cut was to not implement full-day Kindergarten. This is money added to the budget for a program we don't yet have that would now be pulled back, so it isn't impacting anything in existence today.
The next cut is to not replace eight staff who are leaving the district. The staff are classroom staff and the result will be increased class sizes.
The final proposal from the article is to charge a $50.00 fee to participate in activities. It wasn't clear, but I'd guess this is per activity. It also didn't say if it extended to every EPED supported activity or only to Sports and Band.
These cuts are not unexpected. K was already mentioned as an 'easy' savings. Not rehiring teachers who leave is easy because no one has to be laid-off. And the public responds to sports and band so hitting them a bit is always a way to get support for a tax hike.
All-in-all, though, this is low hanging fruit.
If the NASD is going to be serious and make hard cuts, I'd hope they'd also consider:
- Elimination of the Director of Transportation and Central Registration. Previously students registered at the building in which they were enrolling and this worked fine. Transportation is handled almost exclusively by Jennings. I'd anticipate with salary and benefits this cut would save the equivalent of two teaching positions.
- Constrict building operations which (excluding technology) has three admin level positions to two. Currently have Asst. Super for Educational Support Services, Supervisor of Facilities and Operations, and an Asst. Super of Facilities and Operations.
- Leave the Director of Curriculum position vacant and have responsibilities handled by the Asst. Superintendent for Educational Programs.
Transportation:
- Enforce the 1.5 walking distance in Lower Nazareth. I'd guess we could save one or two bus runs per year by having students walk. Students on the north side of Newburg Road could walk to school via the paths set up so they don't walk along Newburg Road. Students on the south side of Newburg Road would cross at the cross walk. Previously 15 mph flashing lights were installed and those coupled with a crossing guard and cross walks allowed students to safely cross Newburg Road. The Guard was removed when certain roads were turned over to the Twp from a developer and students who had been bused were then going to have to walk. Parents complained, the board relented, and we've been busing them ever since - out of convenience.
- Enforce the 1.5 elementary and 2.0 secondary walking distance in Upper Nazareth by installing flashers, crosswalks and walking routes for the new School Complex. In this way students who live north of East Lawn Road could walk and again save daily bus runs.
- Activity Bus. Instead of charging students to participate lets cut activity buses. Shafer didn't even have activities this year. I can't speak for the other schools, but it hardly seems worth putting this in the budget if there are no activities for the students to participate in.
Class size:
- Elementary - if you capped 4th and 5th grade at 27 students (roughly what Shafer had this year 25.5, 26.5), we could save have saved two classes at Bushkill and two classes at Lower Nazareth. Are these larger than these two schools are used to? Yes, but they would be at the same level Shafer had all year long. Four teaching positions - half what the school is recommending (and without the catastrophic loss of offerings).
- Elementary - if you capped 2nd and 3rd grade at 25 students (one to three more per class than Shafer this year) you could save one per school at Bushkill and Lower for two total classes.
- Elementary - if you capped 1st grade at 22 students (where Shafer was this year) you'd save one teacher at Lower Nazareth.
I'm not familiar with the myriad of offering at the MS and HS, but I do know that if we want to both see our schools improve and make budgets we are going to have to engage in focused excellence instead of something for everyone.
Got any suggestions for cuts to help make the budget balance? I'm sure there are plenty.
20 comments:
reduce our asst superintendents from two to one--
You have to love Lesky's not so subtle strong arm tactic of getting people on board with his massive tax increase.
Larger class size and pay to play. I'm only surprised that he didn't find a way of slipping the PSSA's into the equation.
NOC and justmyopinion are correct. Let's cut some of the fat from the higher echelons. Do we really need that many people to run the district, or are there a load of patronage jobs being handed out?
How about food services? using paper trays and plastic utensils has to cost more over the year than washing trays and silverware. How about the large number of menu selections. Used to be that you had one selection up until high school, where you go two.
Half empty buses that pull up to the elementary schools. Activities in the MS where kids are forced to join and require the purchase of materials to support.
This administration is driving us into a hole we can't get out of. As taxes continue to increase at record levels to satisfy their drunken spending spree, home values will drop, people will start to demand re-assessments of their homes because of this, meaning less taxes coming in forcing the district to go after even higher rate increases, which will get voted down.
The problem with this administration is that they have absolutely zero ability to plan for the future, only for the here and now.
I think that someone of good leadership has to round up a large number of supporters who are energetic and committed and they have to start attending all of the school board meetings to show the board that they have to be accountable for the decisions that they make. Only numbers and dedication to the cause will impact their decisiond from now on. Who is willing? Talk is cheap, action speaks. good luck.
If you live in NASD, or East Penn or Parkland for that matter, you are SOL. No one cares enough to run for these school boards except the megalomaniacs that have recently occupied them.
These districts have been overrun by NJ and NY folk who will gladly pay whatever it takes to keep their kids occupied while they work and play. Increases that local folk view as massive pale in comparison to what the Easterners have escaped, so they pay without a second thought, and you have no leverage to fix anything. You may as well get used to life in the bent over position...
Joe S., I think you are completely wrong. People from NY and NJ moved here to ESCAPE the oppresive taxes they were facing in their home states. That property costs were less was an added bonus.
The leadership of this district is mostly long term Nazareth residents. THEY are the ones spending like there is no tomorrow, not the people that moved here from other states.
Your statements and attitude towards those that moved here are not relevant to the topic at hand and only cause more damage than making a point.
The point is, we have a district administration and board that is out of control and we the taxpayers seem to have no way in stopping this freight train of fiscal irresponsibility.
Anonymous 10:23 is right, we need to find someone willing to step up and do what is right with the backing of the tax paying public. The problem here is that unless you grew up here, your chances of getting into any of these positions is slim at best.
this is just me talking, but why are we still putting a 7 million dollar swimming pool in ? why are we not gonna just eat the 750,000g's to draw it in (which is an absolute raping in my books).
where are all the swim parents and fans now talking about what a great activity it is.. nobody wanted it -- this is why, we couldnt afford it..
joe s -- you hit the nail right on the head.. the problem here is our taxes are nowhere near what they are in NJ or NY. the next problem is, theyve built so many new homes, that older Nazareth residents are suddenly the minority now and will get outvot4ed on anything.
its nice to have nice things, but unfortunately someone has to eventually pay for them and that time has come now.. ross, you have a lot of fat to trim off of these budgets and charging 50 bucks to play sports is not really gonna do anything.. figuring high here (i dont know the exact amount), nazareth area has what (round number here) 750 kids that are involved -- thats 750 x 50 dollars = $37,500.. when talking in terms of millions and millions -- thats not gonna do a damn thing!
Anonymous 12:09 -
1. At least use a pseudonym.
2. I wasn't so much as taking a shot at newcomers for being newcomers as I was talking about how they have no real skin in the game. Even with tax increases they are still better off than they were tax-wise.
3. You are correct about the out of control long-time Nazareth residents running the show. That has always been the case, but now there are not enough rank and file locals to keep them in check and the new folks just don't have as much at stake.
Joe S,
As a "new comer" from out of state (not NY or NJ), I do have skin in the game. I pay taxes. My kids use these schools.
You make a broad brush the WE don't care what the costs, only that we get what we want.
I, like a lot of "new comers" want a good education for our kids, but don't want to do it at the cost of breaking the bank.
Every time there is an issue, the blame is put at the feet of those who didn't grow up here. If it wasn't for the infusion of new people and new cash into Nazareth, it scares me to think what exactly the schools would look like and how large your tax bill would be.
What I see is a group of insiders (the admins and board) that grew up here that now see all this cash they can go after and are doing so with great glee. Sort of the kid in the candy shop with a $20 bill.
You can continue to divide the community with statements such as your's and Ryan's, and you will insure that we "new comers" will be driven away from your side of the argument.
At this point, WE as a community need to come together to do what is fiscally right, and that will never be accomplished by creating a WE and THEM mentality.
Face facts, there are a large number of us that moved to Nazareth. An although we come from different areas, we are ALL now residents of this community with just as much at stake as those who grew up here. More so for those who still commute a great distance to their jobs and now have the greatly added expense of filling their gas tank.
As for a pseudonym, you can call me John.
Anon 10:23, you're right. The fact is the admin knows it will outlast the board and the board knows it will outlast the people who attend.
Brad who has regularly posted on meetings and a few others have been attending for over a year and have questioned each and every agenda, but they are not listened to.
There is such a striking difference between a Nazareth Borough Council meeting and a School Board meeting. At Council they discuss and argue about items in front of the public. They take input and suggestions and work to resolve concerns and problems. I enjoy those meetings. The board is the complete opposite, no discussion, and input from the public is ignored until it supports what the admin wants then they say 'the people wanted it' (re the pool).
Joe and Ryan - you've played right into the Board and Admin's hands on this.
This issue has nothing to do with enrollment (ie people moving into the area) - it is how decisions have been made in response to a growing enrollment.
People can want all they want, but only the admin and the board have the authority and power to act.
They want you to believe it is out of their control - then they are blameless, but in reality it is their decisions, their budgets, their programs, hires, contracts, and buildings that have put us in this position.
They need to make decisions based on the best interest of the community at large, not solely the school.
If you blame anyone other than them for the position we are in, they win.
I have a good mix of friends from Nazareth and from outside of Nazareth (some locally, some from all over the country) and all are concerned about the community from the downtown district to the schools. Are some rude and bothersome (not my friends of course, but folks in general;-), yes, and that applies to both groups as well. Neither are all bad or all good.
Anon 12:09 - Regarding positions on the board - look at Lorin Bradley. Just moved here, got elected. I'd argue the opposite, the reason people get on the board is because no one else runs against them.
Last Board election bushkill had the only contested election (one of two winners was Bradley), upper nazareth a vacancy.
To encourage people to run locally, I even held an event at the Nazareth News Agency with information from voter registration, who is eligible, how to become a candidate, where the districts and regions for elected office where, and I had reps from both the democratic and republican parties on hand.
There was a decent turn-out, yet we still had few people run for office.
The bigger problem at the school is would you want to be on a board that will have to either significantly cut programs or raise taxes?
NOC,
Your last sentence is what is really the issue here.
"The bigger problem at the school is would you want to be on a board that will have to either significantly cut programs or raise taxes?"
Why are our only two options raising taxes or cutting programs?
We can save more by cutting one administrator than putting a $50 activity fee on every student.
Why did we wait until after construction started to release these tax increase figures? Short answer, they knew the public wouldn't go for it.
Why are we building a pool? We can't afford it at this point. I notice the once vocal team parents are nowhere to be heard now. By the way, thank you to those parents for a larger tax bill.
Why are we putting every bell and whistle into this new school building? Again, we can't afford it.
This administration and board need to go. They should do the honorable thing and step down, but we all know that will never happen.
All-
Fine points raised by all...
For the past two years or so, I have been attending the school board meetings and (usually) posting my notes. I've tried to be "fair" but lately the whole thing has been getting to me.
Yes, I've commented several times at the board meetings. I've seen the board and admin make decisions with very little discussion; either amongst themselves or from the public. They have had several "chances" to save money here and there and they have constantly decided in favor of spending now and figuring out how to pay for it later.
I've never been against the pool or sports for that matter. I just wanted (with two small children in elementary school, I still do) the board and admin to think about their decisions and how that would affect educational considerations down the road.
The building and grounds meeting when the bids for the new MS were presented was/is a perfect example. The bids for the four prime contracts actually came in less than what they had budgeted. But they added so many "extras" (nearly $3M with $1M worth of Terrazzo flooring being a big part of that) that it brought the cost back up to the original estimate. The soccer field at the MS was another example. They spent $78,000 to regrade the field because one corner sloped. Nice, sure. Needed? I don't think so.
I could go on and on, but it's late. Right now, we've backed ourselves into a corner and now the education of our children is going to be negatively affected.
Brad,
I admire your endurance in attending these board meetings. The few that I have attended and raised concerns about educational issues and the board’s responses, have made me never want to attend a board meeting again.
This administration and board have their agenda and I strongly feel that they do whatever the heck they feel like. The following are just a few examples:
The continuing of creation, appointment and hiring of new administrative positions.
The “extras” that have been added to the construction of this new school and additional projects with no consideration to the cost.
The hiring of “friends” of administration, without considering if they are the best-qualified candidate.
Hiring and interviewing practices that in any other business would have those on the hiring committee fired.
The flipped excuses of why programs that directly affect the kids (not replacing teachers) is the best they can do to cut the budget.
Their inability to be accountable for the rise in taxes, and there public stand that a 12% increase should not be a big deal to residence.
As someone has posted, it will take numbers to attend meetings and demand changes. I am happy to be a part of this group, because speaking out as 1 or 2 people gets you absolutely nowhere, no matter what your point may be.
To the last poster you hit the nail on the head. This is exactly what Admin does and the board allows for year after year. There is no consideration for others including student's best interests or taxpayers constant future pay out. Spend way above and beyond-threaten cuts-public and students speak out-that justifies tax increases-back to the unlimited spending. Do not need the all extras but Admin and the board follows behind thrive on all the extras for the glory of themselves and axe any extras that boost and benefits student/teacher learning.
To the last poster you hit the nail on the head. This is exactly what Admin does and the board allows for year after year. There is no consideration for others including student's best interests or taxpayers constant future pay out. Spend way above and beyond-threaten cuts-public and students speak out-that justifies tax increases-back to the unlimited spending. Do not need the all extras but Admin and the board follows behind thrive on all the extras for the glory of themselves and axe any extras that boost and benefits student/teacher learning.
AND the cycle continues, we express ourselves and they use our outcry as the reason as to raise v taxes. Live without the fancy building extras and focus on student success.
Anon 10:04 - regarding the raising taxes or cutting programs comment, let me clarify.
I don't want to see programs cut, but even after we get the easy items cleared, and IF they were to cut non-education related items (such as administrators, busing issues, etc) we will still need to make cuts or face severe tax hikes.
Prior to taking on the MS project (say $60M, but I'm guessing it will be much higher when you add in annual costs and over-runs) we were on a path that couldn't balance the budget.
Now we've added that much more and exacerbated the difference between expenses and revenues.
The money that was to reduce our taxes (gambling dollars) are gone. There will be no relief here.
I've said all along cut furthest from the classroom first, and I'll stand by that, but there is an awful lot of cutting to be done to balance this budget without spiking taxes and I don't see much willingness by the Board or Admin to cut anything, so it looks like a tax hike as high as they can get without a referendum is coming our way.
NOC, I was not jumping on your for your comments in my post "Anon 10:04", but merely pointing out that our board and administration only deal with budget issues by either jacking up taxes or cutting programs. Never once have they talked about trimming fat from the top levels, and we all know there is a lot there to trim.
I agree that classroom cuts should be the last area that sees a cut.
What I would like to see is Lesky actually grow a pair and stand up in front of the community and justify himself and all of the rest of the bloated administration. I personally think we should fire them all and start from scratch.
In the old days, these people would have been tarred, feathered and ran out of town on a rail. Maybe it is time to bring that practice back with a 21st century slant.
The only way you are going to stop the madness in Nazareth is to change the makeup of the board and get rid of Lesky. That means a slate of candidates who feel the same about the issue. One should be an accountant who understands the books and can explain them to the other candidates. Cuts must come. You need to look at the courses that are offered and ask yourself how does that contribute to a child's education and I do mean education not job training. We are spending 10k plus a year for a kid's schooling and what are we getting illeterate boobs. Ask your kids if they know the Founding Fathers and what they did? Our children are being trained to be the drones or worker bees. They can't think beyond their noses. I know I am generalizing but do yourself a favor, when the honor roles come out count how many kids are on honor role and compare that to class size. Can you say grade inflation?
Didn't feel nor intend to come across as having been jumped on - sorry about that - but you made a good point in regard to my comment and I wanted it to be clear for those who maybe weren't as familiar with why that would be the case.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
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