Still facing a $0.5 million dollar deficit, the NASD Board decided to reinstate the Driver’s Ed program and charge half the break even amount for the road portion according to an article in the Morning Call (read it here).
The program was reinstated because the administrators and service union agreed to a smaller raise in 2011-12 than their contracts called for.
Unfortunately, this form of solution is akin to plugging a finger in the wall of the dyke.
The NASD needs to reassess everything they do and how they do it.
Consider these statements:
“our enrollment is projected to decrease for the fourth year in a row, down to 4628. This enrollment figure is within 50 students of 2004-05 and 75 students of 2005-06 school years’ enrollment.”
“Next year we will spend $20 million more dollars to educate the same number of students as we did six/seven years ago.”
We need to look at everything from how we schedule, courses we offer, how we allocate teacher’s time and responsibilities, and what is a ‘fair’ salary for the time and responsibilities one handles. We can’t build on what we have, we have to look at everything with a fresh perspective.
The question is will anyone step up on the board and do this before it is too late. We’ve been fortunate compared to the city schools nearby, but it may only be a lag on our part.
2 comments:
This Board has been warned that they need to heed the cuts they made this year, still not enough, and use it as a blue print for all future budgets. They also need to get the teachers on Board with the coommunity. Remember this is the group that cried "stirke" a year ahead of the current contract. Come September they will pick up a 4%+ raise per year for 4 years. In addition to that the Board will be looking at a 2%+ contribution to the teacher pension fund. They arrive at that number by multiplying the percentage, 2%+, by the total wages. In 2013 the contribution is based on a 9%+ and in 2014 it is 22%. The Commonwealth Foundation is estimating your taxes will be hit with a multiplier of 4. Pay $2K now pay $8K in 2014 or more. I would suspect that given what is going on with this issue that we will see a lose of lots of teachers, administrators and more starting in the next budget. Belt tightening is just a bit away
I personally love the part where the teachers and admins "did their part" by taking LESS of a pay increase.
Sorry, you STILL took one. My guess is that if they all took a zero percent increase, not only would we close the small budget gap, we might even go in the opposite direction.
Of course, we have a better chance of seeing pigs fly.........
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