Saline schools cut $3M in spending - including 22 staff - for proposed $51M budget
The Saline School Board got a look at the district’s 2011-2012 preliminary $51.04 million operating budget Tuesday night, which includes a reduction of 18 teachers, two administrators, one fewer security guard at the high school and the elimination of a Superintendent of Administration position.
Tom Wall, the current assistant superintendent of administration services, presented the document that includes $1.5 million in union concessions, cuts of about $1.5 million and a transfer of about $1 million from the fund balance.
Also eliminated was the music accompanist, a reduction of eight paraprofessionals through attrition, and a half-time human resources person, while setting a hiring freeze for custodians
In addition, the Information Technology director’s position will not be filled, saving about $75,000.
However, an assistant superintendent of Human Resources will be added as will a technology assistant and two teacher positions will be held in reserve to be added if needed based on next year’s enrollment.
In total, the board will be asked to vote on about $921,000 in staff adjustments when it sees the final budget on June 28.
The proposed budget also includes increases in benefits that include a 24.24 percent increase in retirement benefits and a 10.1 percent increase Michigan Education Special Services Association (MESSA) costs, totaling about $995,000.
Other proposed cuts include reducing the textbook budget by $100,000, eliminating the Alert Now system of contacting parents, and individual building budgets were reduced by 30 percent.
An increase of $75 is proposed for pay to participate activities at both the middle school and the high school.
The district lowered its gas rates by 14 percent by locking in a price and increased its property and casualty insurance deductibles to $5,000.
By using about $1 million from its fund balance to balance the operating budget, this will leave the district with about $2.22 million in this fund or about 4.36 percent of its expenses, Wall said. The board prefers to have about 5 percent in cash reserves.
There was little discussion by the board about the proposed budget during the presentation. A final version of the budget as well as a vote is expected on June 28. Lisa Allmendinger is a regional reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Saline stories, visit our Saline page.
Comments
nixon41
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 12:06 a.m.
Well, that's good news. We have to live within our means & so should the schools, businesses & GOVERNMENT. There's only so much money in the account & you can't spend what isn't there. PEROID
Happy Puppy
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 6:53 p.m.
Teacher reassignments are made based on seniority and subject certification. Teacher reassignments are made by building administrators working with central administration. Scot Graden is not making all of these decisions on his own. He has surrounded himself with people who have been and even though I may not like all the classroom changes, I believe they are doing the right thing (according to the teachers contract).
Jimmy Olsen
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 8:59 p.m.
Jonny Spirit "all i heard" - so you still don't have any factual information? Didn't contract any SEA leadership ?
Jonny Spirit
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 11:46 a.m.
All I heard is that all moves were done correctly to the contract. The teachers have nothing in there contract that keeps them in a certain position it only says they have a job. You would think you would want the best person in that spot but I guess not. So when the moves came out the only thing the union had to look at was that if someone that was laid off correctly. All moves were done from the top 2 people.
Jimmy Olsen
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 2:30 a.m.
Jonny Spirit Could you please call any member of the SEA Leadership and ask if they double checked the administrations moves ? Ask them if they checked to be sure it was all done correctly, yes, according to the contract, etc. Ask them if they gave their approval or had changes done to "their" wishes. Please let us know what you find out.
Jonny Spirit
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 11:22 p.m.
You are so wrong about this statement, Teacher reassignments are NOT made based on seniority. Please do some research and look into this more you will see plain as day that many teachers were moved that had way more seniority then others in there department. They were moved just to move them. You are right about the contract or SEA plays no parts in these moves this is all done by the people in the front office.
A24Evr
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 4:42 p.m.
Does any parent out there have a problem that Mr. Graden made all of his involuntary moves that included moving an excellent 15 year art teacher to a 5th grade classroom teacher just because he can? And Mr. Graden moved an excellent 18 year kindergarten teacher to a special ed/speech position just because he can. And Mr. Graden moved veteran classroom teachers to special ed/speech positions just because he can. And the list goes on of the involuntary moves that Mr. Graden made, just because he can. Does he have the interest of the kids with these kind of moves? He surely doesn't care about the teachers, that's a known fact....but what about the kids?
SalineMom
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 2:25 a.m.
"salinedad" Mr. Graden most certainly brought forth a signed tentative agreement for the contract extension. The Board had to approve and approve they did. If the Board hadn't approved that contract extension, we undoubtedly would most certainly be under a more favorable contract now – just like Chelsea and Dexter are - which enables them to temporarily enjoy a more robust fund balance. But that is all 20/20 now and the elephant is still in the room. The board offered a no-layoff proposal to the SEA leadership and, quite simply they (not surprisingly) refused. They are doing what is "best" for their membership, leading them and the Saline Community to what will probably be a contractual war next year. Instead of easing that pain the last two years (as every other employee has) the SEA leadership has chosen to drive the preverbal bus over the cliff. Another example of only looking at today and dutifully taking their instructions from East Lansing (home of the MEA). There is plenty of blame to go around.
Jonny Spirit
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 11:17 p.m.
Just some numbers for you. 148 teachers moved last year and 58 moved this year. And don't give me that crap "we did it to save jobs" because you don't move a 2nd grade teacher from one building to 4th grade in a building across town. He's playing chess with these teachers and losing and losing badly. Saline Schools has a tour bus driver driving the bus that has never been to the town. He has seen it on Google maps. Keep watching your backs Saline teachers and the way it sounds start collecting boxes to move instead of glue sticks for the classroom.
Riley
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 6:13 p.m.
Mr. Graden has NEVER worked in a school...so he has NO idea the impact of moving people around just for fun.
Salinedad
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 5:46 p.m.
You are so right, it is the kids that are losing, big time. 40 kids in a classroom, reduced curriculum, cutting of para educators and teachers teaching subjects that they are not comfortable teaching. Unfortunately, Mr. Graden is only one person who owns this situation. The others are the community that voted in Board members who only represent the interests of the SEA leadership and the MEA, those members of the Board who speak privately about their views but will not voice their views in the public setting, a School Administration that only looks at today rather than long term (which is why Mr. Graden signed labor agreements that he could not afford because it got him to the next year) and teachers that would rather get paid more to teach larger classrooms than have smaller classrooms teaching subjects that they love and get paid a little bit less. Chelsea has a 22% fund balance, Dexter a 15-17% fund balance with the same foundation rate, smaller classrooms and lower fee structure for athletics and clubs. So it is possible to have a good working environment for our teachers, a good learning environment for our children and be fiscally responsible. All it takes is making all three a priority by everyone engaged in the experience.
mollysfolly
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 4:22 p.m.
How right you are that there was little board comment.. They are discussing the budget and only 5 board members showed up! Other than Lisa Slawson asking questions, and some by David Friese, it was as if this was just another night. Come on people, you were elected to do something. I would feel a lot better about writing those pay to play checks if it actually appeared that the board cared.
Les Gov
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 4:29 p.m.
Mollysfolly...you are so right!! The voters need to stand up and say enough is enough. This school board needs to go. This board has shown zero fiscal responsibility. Of course the teachers are going to take whatever the board gives them. Everyone would. The board needs to show some leadership and get the budget under control....but sadly there is no leadership on the Saline school board.
Knobby Kabushka
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 3:48 p.m.
Well if it is any conciliation the school to which Snyder sends his own child can't make ends meet either with their funding of $20,000 per pupil...
ViSHa
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 2:35 p.m.
A reduction of 8 parapros? Have they had a significant reduction in their special needs population?
jns131
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 2:13 p.m.
I like what Saline has done. Cut some of the administration staffing instead of going near the spokes that run the system. Yes, some teachers got hit, but they did not touch the busing that they said they were going to hit. Maybe Ann Arbor should take a hint? O thats right, they won't. Good article and glad to hear Saline is moving in the right direction.
PointBeing
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 1:07 p.m.
One thing not reported is that classes at the high school are being run at 38 to 42 students. No word yet on how they're going to fit them in the rooms let alone adequately educate that number.
macjont
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 2:09 p.m.
Good point, PointBeing. After retiring from my law practice, I spent about three years as a substitute teacher in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. During that time, I had occasions where I handled classrooms that underscored your point. Educating the students became secondary to simply managing their physical presence. A teacher trying to educate so many students under those circumstances had no opportunity to use any of the most innovative and effective teaching methods. Survival --- student and teacher --- became paramount.
lefty
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 12:30 p.m.
Reinvent Michigan! 1.8 billion give away to business and cuts to education. Put the blame where it belongs. Lansing cuts hundreds per student and you want business as usual. Get real!
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 2:01 p.m.
Much more fun and even more cathartic to blame teachers. Good Night and Good Luck
DB Holden
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 11:57 a.m.
This article does not give us the bottom line. The budget presentation stated that expenditures for this school year are $51,260,464 with next year projected to be $51,040,822. This represents an expenditure reduction of only .4%! The Saline Schools does not have a revenue problem. The Saline Schools has a cost control problem created by the 2009 collective bargaining agreement with the teacher union. Health insurance costs continue to increase unabated and salary step changes continue to mount. Interesting that while the uncompetitive MESSA insurance plan is rising over 10% the Blue Cross plan for "other" employees in falling by 8%. In 2006, Saline Schools had 145 employees making over $75,000. Today that number has swelled to 218. Keep in mind that family incomes have fallen over the same period of time. The projected fund balance will fall below the 5% threshold and the school board will have to change policy to approve the budget. The three year trend continues of selling assets, increasing class sizes, burning cash, and dinging parents for more money while diminishing the student educational experience. In conclusion, Saline Schools continues on a financial slide saddled by a cost model that is not sustainable.
macjont
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 11:48 a.m.
Tormenting the tormenting the children and the taxpayers, stunhsif? Hardly! Unions are looking out for the interest of their members, which, incidentally goes to the benefit of the children and taxpayers. The teaching profession is having a difficult time competing with other professions to attract and retain the best and the brightest of our young people. Diminishing teacher pay and benefits will only exacerbate that competitive disadvantage. Teacher unions are resisting –– on behalf of their members, students and the general public –– our current self-destructive tendency to try to solve our state's fiscal problems by attacking teacher pay and benefits. We should be thanking the unions, not condemning them.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 2 p.m.
LG wrote: "Wow interesting view point. However it seems that people agree with Stunhsif four to one compared to your view point right now." Being in the majority, esp on A2.com's votes, does not make someone "right". After all, by a similar margin, white Americans opposed the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. James Madison understood the dangers of democracy and of pandering to public opinion (read Federalist #10). It's why we have a republican form of government. But, then, I'm guessing that that teacher bashers, the ranters and the ravers, don't understand these concepts and never will. You know. The same TeapubliKans who like Sarah Palin's version of Paul Revere. Good Night and Good Luck
macjont
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 1:43 p.m.
Les Gov, my point of view may not be popular, but I think it's worth considering. You cannot take away those "golden benefits" (if indeed that is what they are) without some compensatory change that at least will maintain the competitive balance. Right now, the teaching profession is losing. We must improve the profession's competitive position, not diminish it. The trend you advocate, without more, is a losing proposition --- for the kids and our entire state.
Les Gov
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 1:34 p.m.
Wow interesting view point. However it seems that people agree with Stunhsif four to one compared to your view point right now. It will be interesting to see if that ratio changes as the day goes on. As for me, it is time for the teachers to give up those golden benefits that they receive off the backs of taxpayers. Just this week AA.com reported that UofM employees pay 21% of their medical. Why can't Saline teachers contribute the same??
stunhsif
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 10:47 a.m.
"The proposed budget also includes increases in benefits that include a 24.24 percent increase in retirement benefits and a 10.1 percent increase Michigan Education Special Services Association (MESSA) costs, totaling about $995,000." Allow the teachers to keep MESSA insurance, but make the parents pay an additional $75 for sports on top of the hundreds already required and eliminate the alert system for school cancellation and then eliminate 18 teachers. The BOA and SEA has cemented in place the fact that a millage is never going to pass in Saline until the unions stop tormenting the children and the taxpayers. This insanity must stop and we need some fiscal sanity brought to this school board.