[hide]from the lame duck superintendent:
As I am sure you are aware, our school system has suffered several financial setbacks from Tallahassee since October of this year totaling $15.3-million. Most of these adjustments occurred after the school year began and we had settled our contracts with our employee groups providing raises for all employees. In light of current and proposed expenditures, coupled with the projected reductions in state funding, we are anticipating the need to reduce more than $43-million from next year’s district budget. If the district hopes to fund increases in health care premiums, class size reduction requirements and escalating fuel and energy costs, a comprehensive change in our current way of work will need to occur before school opens in the fall. Pinellas County is not alone in this dilemma as you have already seen from your recent visit to Tallahassee. What compounds our financial situation is our continued declining enrollment that resulted in the loss of almost 10,000 students over the past four years and a problem we think may continue for several years to come.
In response to these anticipated losses, I am issuing a set of Freeze/Slowdown Guidelines to get us through the balance of this fiscal year. Many of these procedures are identical to what we used in the past under similar circumstances. Because we are so close to the end of the school year, it is my hope that these “holds” on positions will not be too difficult to bear for what little time is left in 2007-08. As we move forward in preparation for the 2008-09 school year, we anticipate a wide variety of positions being displaced throughout our schools and departments in order to accommodate the $43-million shortfall. By holding any vacant positions that occur now, we may be able to avoid lay-offs during the summer months. In addition, I have been meeting regularly with the finance team to look at a wide variety of areas and positions that may need to be impacted by the reductions for 2008-09. I think it is safe to say that every division in the district will share in the reductions that need to occur. While we made every effort to avoid cuts at the school level, the extent of our loss made that impossible. While we have minimized the effect on schools, some facilities will still see a slight reduction.
We are proposing district-wide cuts of approximately $32-million distributed over a majority of our administrative cost centers. These reductions may be in the form of elimination of positions, reassignment of staff to vacant positions, not filling vacancies as they occur for next year and canceling contracts we have with some external agencies or organizations. We have also included the savings from closing three schools next year and consolidating programs where possible in existing facilities. Further, we will review the potential of closing additional schools next year. I will be proposing the reassignment of many of our teachers on special assignment, resource teachers and staff developers back into classrooms, converting several 8-hour per day positions to 7.5-hours and canceling the proposed expansion of nursing services to our schools. While all of these cuts may seem extensive, they will only capture about $32-million of our $43-million need. To make up the difference, I am proposing a cut in salary for all employees of 2% across the board. However, to offset the impact of this cut on our employees, I am proposing that we maintain our health care contributions for employees so that no employee will have to see an increase for next year. The estimated cost of this benefit will be approximately $11.5-million already in the current budget model. It is important to remember that many of these proposed changes will require that we meet with our employee labor organizations and bargain the impact of the changes. A meeting is set up on Friday this week to meet with the heads of the employee organizations to discuss the proposals. The cost savings and salary reductions are predicated on a July 1 start date. If we go beyond that date, the 2% reduction in salary will have to be increased to prorate the adjustments over the balance of the contract year.
[/hide]
When i graduated from college in 91 there was a hiring freeze, so I kind of bounced around til I was hired in 94. construction, city parks and rec, a little club bouncer-ingfly: -- i was 6'5" 190), etc. so, I guess it's not unheard of.
original proposals talked of no pay raises for 3 years, but to hear we're literally getting our pay CUT?
As I am sure you are aware, our school system has suffered several financial setbacks from Tallahassee since October of this year totaling $15.3-million. Most of these adjustments occurred after the school year began and we had settled our contracts with our employee groups providing raises for all employees. In light of current and proposed expenditures, coupled with the projected reductions in state funding, we are anticipating the need to reduce more than $43-million from next year’s district budget. If the district hopes to fund increases in health care premiums, class size reduction requirements and escalating fuel and energy costs, a comprehensive change in our current way of work will need to occur before school opens in the fall. Pinellas County is not alone in this dilemma as you have already seen from your recent visit to Tallahassee. What compounds our financial situation is our continued declining enrollment that resulted in the loss of almost 10,000 students over the past four years and a problem we think may continue for several years to come.
In response to these anticipated losses, I am issuing a set of Freeze/Slowdown Guidelines to get us through the balance of this fiscal year. Many of these procedures are identical to what we used in the past under similar circumstances. Because we are so close to the end of the school year, it is my hope that these “holds” on positions will not be too difficult to bear for what little time is left in 2007-08. As we move forward in preparation for the 2008-09 school year, we anticipate a wide variety of positions being displaced throughout our schools and departments in order to accommodate the $43-million shortfall. By holding any vacant positions that occur now, we may be able to avoid lay-offs during the summer months. In addition, I have been meeting regularly with the finance team to look at a wide variety of areas and positions that may need to be impacted by the reductions for 2008-09. I think it is safe to say that every division in the district will share in the reductions that need to occur. While we made every effort to avoid cuts at the school level, the extent of our loss made that impossible. While we have minimized the effect on schools, some facilities will still see a slight reduction.
We are proposing district-wide cuts of approximately $32-million distributed over a majority of our administrative cost centers. These reductions may be in the form of elimination of positions, reassignment of staff to vacant positions, not filling vacancies as they occur for next year and canceling contracts we have with some external agencies or organizations. We have also included the savings from closing three schools next year and consolidating programs where possible in existing facilities. Further, we will review the potential of closing additional schools next year. I will be proposing the reassignment of many of our teachers on special assignment, resource teachers and staff developers back into classrooms, converting several 8-hour per day positions to 7.5-hours and canceling the proposed expansion of nursing services to our schools. While all of these cuts may seem extensive, they will only capture about $32-million of our $43-million need. To make up the difference, I am proposing a cut in salary for all employees of 2% across the board. However, to offset the impact of this cut on our employees, I am proposing that we maintain our health care contributions for employees so that no employee will have to see an increase for next year. The estimated cost of this benefit will be approximately $11.5-million already in the current budget model. It is important to remember that many of these proposed changes will require that we meet with our employee labor organizations and bargain the impact of the changes. A meeting is set up on Friday this week to meet with the heads of the employee organizations to discuss the proposals. The cost savings and salary reductions are predicated on a July 1 start date. If we go beyond that date, the 2% reduction in salary will have to be increased to prorate the adjustments over the balance of the contract year.
[/hide]
When i graduated from college in 91 there was a hiring freeze, so I kind of bounced around til I was hired in 94. construction, city parks and rec, a little club bouncer-ing
fly: -- i was 6'5" 190), etc. so, I guess it's not unheard of. original proposals talked of no pay raises for 3 years, but to hear we're literally getting our pay CUT?
Last edited by a moderator:
